How to Update Your Video Card Drivers: A Comprehensive Guide

Your video card, also known as a graphics card or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), is a crucial component in your computer, especially if you’re a gamer, video editor, or use graphics-intensive applications. Like any other piece of hardware, its performance is heavily reliant on its software drivers. Outdated or corrupted drivers can lead to a myriad of issues, including:

• Poor gaming performance (low frame rates, stuttering, screen tearing)
• Graphical glitches and artifacts
• Crashes and system instability
• Application errors and incompatibilities
• Reduced overall system performance

Keeping your video card drivers up to date is essential for optimal performance, stability, and access to new features. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of updating your video card drivers, covering various methods and troubleshooting tips. We’ll cover the big three: NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel integrated graphics.

Why Update Your Video Card Drivers?

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s reiterate why updating your drivers is so important:

• Performance Improvements: New drivers often include optimizations that can significantly boost performance in games and other graphics-intensive applications. This can translate to higher frame rates, smoother gameplay, and faster rendering times.
• Bug Fixes: Manufacturers constantly release driver updates to address bugs and glitches reported by users. Updating ensures you benefit from these fixes.
• New Feature Support: New drivers might introduce support for new technologies, rendering techniques, and features in games and applications.
• Compatibility: Updated drivers ensure better compatibility with the latest games, operating systems, and software. This prevents crashes and unexpected errors.
• Security Patches: Sometimes, driver updates include crucial security fixes to protect your system from vulnerabilities.

Identifying Your Video Card

Before you can update your drivers, you need to know which video card you have. Here are several ways to identify it:

Method 1: Using Device Manager (Windows)

1. Press the Windows key + X and select Device Manager.
2. Expand the Display adapters category.
3. You should see your video card listed. It might be named something like “NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080,” “AMD Radeon RX 6800,” or “Intel UHD Graphics 750.”
4. If you have multiple display adapters, one might be an integrated graphics card (usually Intel) and the other will be your dedicated GPU.

Method 2: Using DirectX Diagnostic Tool (Windows)

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type dxdiag and press Enter.
3. In the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, click the Display tab.
4. Look for the Name field under the Device section. This will tell you your video card model.

Method 3: Using System Information (Windows)

1. Press the Windows key and type System Information and click on it.
2. In the System Information window, click on Components on the left-hand panel, then expand Display.
3. Look for the Adapter Description entry. This will display your GPU model.

Method 4: macOS

1. Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select About This Mac.
3. Click the System Report… button.
4. In the sidebar, select Graphics/Displays.
5. Look for the information under Chipset Model. This will show your video card model.

Updating Video Card Drivers

Now that you’ve identified your video card, let’s move on to the actual updating process. We’ll cover both manual and automatic methods for NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel.

NVIDIA Drivers

Method 1: Using NVIDIA GeForce Experience (Recommended)

NVIDIA GeForce Experience is a software suite specifically designed for NVIDIA GPUs. It automatically detects new driver updates and simplifies the installation process. Here’s how to use it:

1. Download and Install GeForce Experience (if you don’t have it): Visit the official NVIDIA website and download the latest GeForce Experience installer from their website. Install it on your computer and restart the computer.
2. Open GeForce Experience: Find the GeForce Experience icon in your system tray (usually at the bottom-right corner of your screen) or in the start menu and click on it to launch the software.
3. Check for Updates: Click on the Drivers tab. If there’s a new driver available, you’ll see a Download button.
4. Download and Install the Driver: Click the Download button. Once downloaded, click the Express Installation button to start the installation process, this is the recommended method. The other option is to choose custom installation, which gives more control over the installation process, where you could choose between installing only drivers and other optional components.
5. Restart Your Computer: After the installation is complete, you’ll usually be prompted to restart your computer. Do so to ensure the new drivers take effect.

Method 2: Manual Download and Installation

If you prefer not to use GeForce Experience, you can manually download and install drivers from the NVIDIA website:

1. Visit the NVIDIA Driver Download Page: Go to the NVIDIA driver downloads page on the official website and enter your GPU series, product, and operating system. Alternatively you can search by product type if you aren’t sure of the specific product, or have an older product.
2. Download the Driver: Once you’ve selected your specifications, NVIDIA will list the recommended driver. Download the driver installer.
3. Run the Installer: Locate the downloaded driver installer (usually an .exe file) and double-click on it to start the installation.
4. Follow the On-Screen Instructions: The installer will guide you through the installation process. You can select Express or Custom Installation. Express Installation will typically install the driver with the default options while the Custom installation gives more control over the components installed along with the driver.
5. Restart Your Computer: After the installation is complete, restart your computer.

AMD Drivers

Method 1: Using AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition (Recommended)

AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition (formerly known as Radeon Software) is the official software suite for AMD Radeon GPUs. It offers similar functionality to NVIDIA GeForce Experience. Here’s how to update your AMD drivers using it:

1. Download and Install AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition (if you don’t have it): Visit the official AMD website and download the latest Adrenalin Edition software for your GPU. Install the software on your computer and restart the computer.
2. Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition: You can find the software icon in your system tray or in the start menu. Open the software.
3. Check for Updates: Go to the Drivers & Software tab. If there’s a new driver available, you’ll see a notification or a button to Check for Updates.
4. Download and Install the Driver: Click the download button and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver. Adrenalin Software usually gives you two options. Express Installation which uses the default options for installation, and Custom Install which gives you control over which components to install.
5. Restart Your Computer: After installation is complete, restart your computer as prompted.

Method 2: Manual Download and Installation

You can also manually download and install AMD drivers from the AMD website:

1. Visit the AMD Driver Download Page: Go to the official AMD Driver download page on the website and enter your GPU details. You will be presented with options to filter by product family, series, and model. Alternatively you can choose the ‘Auto-Detect’ feature which automatically detects and provides the correct drivers.
2. Download the Driver: Select the appropriate driver for your operating system. Download the driver installer.
3. Run the Installer: Double-click on the downloaded .exe file to start the installer.
4. Follow the On-Screen Instructions: Select whether to use Express Installation or Custom Installation. Express Install will use default install options, where custom install gives more control over which components are installed along with the drivers.
5. Restart Your Computer: After installation, restart your computer.

Intel Integrated Graphics Drivers

Intel integrated graphics are commonly found in laptops and desktop CPUs. You can update these drivers through the Intel Driver & Support Assistant, or manually through their website.

Method 1: Using Intel Driver & Support Assistant (Recommended)

This is the most straightforward way to keep your Intel graphics drivers updated.

1. Download and Install Intel Driver & Support Assistant: Visit the Intel website and download the Intel Driver & Support Assistant application. Install it on your computer and restart the computer.
2. Run the Intel Driver & Support Assistant: Find the Intel Driver & Support Assistant icon in your system tray or in the start menu and launch the software.
3. Scan for Updates: The assistant will automatically scan your system for outdated drivers and offer updates as available.
4. Download and Install the Driver: Select the update and start the installation process.
5. Restart Your Computer: After installation is complete, restart the computer as prompted.

Method 2: Manual Download and Installation

You can also manually download and install Intel drivers from their website:

1. Visit the Intel Download Center: Go to the official Intel Download Center.
2. Search for Your Graphics Card: Enter your specific CPU model or integrated graphics model into the search bar, or filter by graphics.
3. Download the Driver: From the search results, identify the latest driver compatible with your system. Download the driver installer.
4. Run the Installer: Locate the downloaded .exe file and double-click on it to start the installer.
5. Follow the On-Screen Instructions: The installer will walk you through the process.
6. Restart Your Computer: Restart your computer once the installation is complete.

Troubleshooting Driver Update Issues

While updating drivers is generally a smooth process, you might encounter some issues. Here are some common problems and how to fix them:

• Installation Failure: If the driver installation fails, try the following:
• Run the Installer as Administrator: Right-click on the installer file and select “Run as administrator.”
• Temporarily Disable Antivirus: Your antivirus software might interfere with the installation. Try temporarily disabling it during the process. Remember to re-enable it after installation.
• Clean Install: If the problem persists, use the driver installer options or a third-party tool to perform a clean install, which removes previous drivers.
• Black Screen or System Instability: After a driver update, you might experience a black screen or system instability. If this happens:
• Boot into Safe Mode: Restart your computer and repeatedly press the F8 or Shift+F8 key (or the appropriate key for your system) during startup to enter Safe Mode. The steps may vary based on system or motherboard, but generally if you are not in Windows or the startup screen of your machine, repeatedly tapping F8 or Shift+F8 will eventually lead to the safe mode options.
• Roll Back the Driver: Once in safe mode, open Device Manager, find your display adapter, right-click on it, and select “Properties.” Go to the “Driver” tab and click “Roll Back Driver” if available.
• Reinstall the Driver: After rolling back, download the driver again, and reinstall it. Make sure you download the most recent and accurate drivers for your GPU.
• Driver Conflicts: Sometimes, driver conflicts with other hardware or software can cause problems. In such cases:
• Use the Device Manager: Go to Device Manager, expand “Display Adapters”, right click on the specific GPU driver and choose Uninstall Device. This will uninstall the current driver. Then proceed with a fresh download and install.
• Perform a Clean Boot: Performing a clean boot (booting with all non essential apps disabled) helps in isolating if some background processes or apps are interfering with the driver installation.
• Update Other Drivers: Check for updates for other system drivers to rule out compatibility issues with other hardware components.
• Game-Specific Issues: If you encounter problems in specific games, check the game developers’ forums or the NVIDIA/AMD/Intel websites for known issues or specific driver recommendations for that game.

Tips for Smooth Driver Updates

• Always Download from Official Sources: Only download drivers from the official websites of NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel to avoid malware.
• Create a System Restore Point: Before installing new drivers, create a system restore point. This allows you to revert your system to a previous state if something goes wrong.
• Read Release Notes: Before installing a new driver, check the release notes to see what’s new and if there are any known issues that might affect you.
• Close Unnecessary Applications: Before starting a driver update, close any running applications or games.
• Be Patient: Driver installation can take some time. Don’t interrupt the process.

Conclusion

Updating your video card drivers is a crucial step in maintaining a healthy and high-performing computer. Whether you’re a gamer, video editor, or use your computer for everyday tasks, up-to-date drivers ensure optimal performance, stability, and access to the latest features. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can confidently manage your video card drivers and enjoy a smoother, more enjoyable computing experience. Remember to regularly check for new updates and follow the best practices for a hassle-free experience.