How to Update Your Graphics Card Drivers

Edited 4 days ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Keeping your graphics card driver updated is essential to ensure optimal performance and stability of your computer, especially when running graphics-intensive applications such as games or design software. In this guide, we will explain a comprehensive, step-by-step process for updating your graphics card driver.

Understanding graphics card drivers

Graphics card drivers are software that allows your operating system and software applications to communicate with your graphics hardware. If your drivers are out of date, you may experience performance issues, graphical anomalies, or system crashes. Updating your drivers regularly can help fix bugs, improve performance, and add new features.

Identifying your graphics card

The first step in updating your graphics card driver is to identify the make and model of your graphics card. This can be done using several different methods.

Method 1: Using Device Manager

1. Press Win + X to open the Power User Menu and select Device Manager.
2. In the Device Manager window, expand the Display adapters category.
3. Here, you will see the name and model of your graphics card.

Method 2: Using System Information

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type msinfo32 and press Enter.
3. In the System Information window, go to Components > Display. This section will list all the details about your graphics card.

Method 3: Using third-party software

If you find the above methods complicated, you can use third-party software like GPU-Z, Speccy or CPU-Z to identify your graphics card. These tools provide detailed information about your hardware.

Downloading the latest drivers

Once you have identified your graphics card, the next step is to download the latest driver from the manufacturer's website. Below are the steps for some of the most common graphics card manufacturers.

NVIDIA

1. Go to the NVIDIA driver download page.
2. Fill out the form with your graphics card details - product type, product series, product, operating system, and language.
3. Click Search to find the latest driver.
4. Download the driver and save it to your computer.

AMD

1. Visit the AMD Drivers and Support page.
2. Use the drop-down menus to select your graphics card model and operating system.
3. Click Submit to find the latest driver.
4. Download the driver and save it to your computer.

Intel

1. Go to the Intel Download Center.
2. Click on Graphics under Product Categories.
3. Select your graphics card model.
4. Download the latest driver for your operating system and save it to your computer.

Installing the driver

After downloading the latest driver, the next step is to install it. This process depends on whether you have an NVIDIA, AMD or Intel graphics card.

Installing NVIDIA drivers

1. Double-click on the downloaded file to start the installation process.
2. Follow the instructions on the screen. You will be asked to agree to the terms and choose the installation type. It is recommended to use the Express (recommended) option.
3. The installer will proceed to install the driver. This may take several minutes.
4. Once the installation is complete, you may be prompted to restart your computer.

Installing AMD drivers

1. Double-click on the downloaded file to start the installation process.
2. Follow the instructions on the screen. You will be asked to agree to the terms and choose the installation type. It is recommended to use the Express Install option.
3. The installer will proceed to install the driver. This may take several minutes.
4. Once the installation is complete, you may be prompted to restart your computer.

Installing Intel drivers

1. Double-click on the downloaded file to start the installation process.
2. Follow the instructions on the screen.
3. The installer will proceed to install the driver. This may take several minutes.
4. Once the installation is complete, you may be prompted to restart your computer.

Troubleshooting driver installation issues

Sometimes, you may face problems while updating your graphics card driver. Here are some common problems and their solutions.

Driver installation fails

If the driver installation fails, try the following steps:

1. Make sure you download the correct driver for your graphics card and operating system.
2. Try running the installer as administrator. Right-click on the installer file and select Run as administrator.
3. Temporarily disable any antivirus or firewall software during the installation process.
4. Perform a clean installation of the driver. For NVIDIA and AMD, the driver installer usually offers a clean installation option. This will remove the previous drivers and install the new drivers from scratch.

Post-installation problems

If you encounter problems after updating drivers, try the following steps:

1. Roll back to a previous driver version. Open Device Manager, right-click your graphics card, and select Properties. Switch to the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver.
2. Make sure your operating system is up to date.
3. Check for additional updates or patches for your graphics card driver on the manufacturer's website.

Verifying driver updates

After updating your driver, you should verify that the installation was successful. Here's how to do that:

Method 1: Using Device Manager

1. Press Win + X to open the Power User Menu and select Device Manager.
2. In the Device Manager window, expand the Display adapters category.
3. Right-click on your graphics card and select Properties.
4. Go to the Driver tab and check the date and version of the driver to make sure it matches the latest version you downloaded.

Method 2: Using System Information

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type msinfo32 and press Enter.
3. In the System Information window, go to Components > Display. This section will list the driver version and date.

Method 3: Using third-party software

You can also use third-party software like GPU-Z, Speccy, or CPU-Z to verify the driver version and date.

Automating driver updates

Updating your graphics card driver manually can be time-consuming. Fortunately, there are ways to automate this process.

Using drivers provided by Windows Update

Windows Update can automatically download and install the latest driver for your graphics card. To check for updates:

1. Press Win + I to open the Settings app.
2. Go to Update & Security and click on Windows Update.
3. Click Check for Updates. Windows will search for the latest drivers and install them if available.

Using graphics card software

Many graphics card manufacturers provide software that can update your driver automatically. Here are the most common ones:

NVIDIA GeForce Experience

1. Download and install GeForce Experience from the NVIDIA website.
2. Open GeForce Experience and sign in with your NVIDIA account.
3. Go to the Drivers tab and click Check for Updates.
4. If a new driver is available, click Download and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

AMD Radeon Software

1. Download and install the Radeon software from the AMD website.
2. Open Radeon Software and go to the Updates tab.
3. Click Check for Updates.
4. If a new driver is available, click Download and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

Intel Driver and Support Assistant

1. Download and install the Intel Driver and Support Assistant from the Intel website.
2. Open the software and click Check for Updates.
3. If a new driver is available, follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

Conclusion

Updating your graphics card driver is important to maintain your computer's performance and stability. By following the steps in this guide, you can easily identify your graphics card, download the latest driver, and install it with confidence. Additionally, automating the process with manufacturer software or Windows Update can save you time and ensure your drivers are always up to date.

Remember to cross-check the driver version and date after each update to confirm that the installation was successful. By keeping your graphics card drivers updated, you will enjoy better performance, new features, and a smoother experience with your applications and games.

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