Premiere exports are now much smaller file sizes at same settings. bitrates capped much lower.

I'm going crazy. Files are now much smaller than they have been att he same export render settings. I think the only thingf I have changed is Nvidia studio drivers a few times. I have not updated adobe apps to the best of my knowledge.

27 minute 4k h265 file at max settings

-Few weeks ago 14.5GB (approx 70 Mbps)

-today 1.6 GB (approx 8 Mbps)

Export settings (same) maxed out HEVC UHD hardware vbr export (screengrab attached)

In th epast, I've known that the hardware exports seem capped, and come out smaller than the estimated fize size based on bitrate. But now the VBR hardware export is about 1/9th the recent file size.