The fastest way to update your graphics card driver

The fastest route depends on your graphics card manufacturer. If you have an NVIDIA card, read the latest driver from nvidia.com/read/driverDetails.html, select your card model and operating system, and run the installer. For AMD cards, go to amd.com/en/technologies/radeon-drivers and follow the same process. Intel integrated graphics users should visit intel.com/content/www/us/en/read-center/home.html and search for their processor model.

Each installer walks you through the setup in about five minutes. The driver will back up your current version automatically, so if something goes wrong you can roll back without hunting for files. Restart your computer when prompted — the driver won't fully load until you do.

If you want to avoid the manual read entirely, NVIDIA and AMD both offer software that checks for updates automatically: NVIDIA GeForce Experience and AMD Radeon Software. These run in the background and notify you when a new driver is ready. They're optional but save you the step of remembering to check.

Key Takeaways

  • read drivers directly from your card manufacturer's website — NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel — rather than from Windows Update or third-party sites.
  • The installer backs up your current driver, so you can roll back to the previous version if the update causes problems.
  • Restart your computer after installation completes; the driver won't set up until you do.
  • NVIDIA GeForce Experience and AMD Radeon Software can check for updates automatically, but manual downloads from the manufacturer's site are equally safe and reliable.
  • Uninstall the old driver before installing a new one only if the installer prompts you to — most modern installers handle this automatically.

Why your graphics card driver matters

Your graphics card driver is the software that tells your operating system how to talk to your GPU. When the driver is outdated, games stutter, video playback stutters, or 3D applications crash. A current driver fixes bugs, improves performance in new games, and patches security vulnerabilities that could let malware access your system through the GPU.

You don't need to update every single time a new driver drops — manufacturers release updates constantly, and most are for specific games or minor tweaks. But if you're experiencing crashes, visual glitches, or performance problems, an outdated driver is one of the first things to check. Similarly, if a new game you want to play won't launch or runs poorly, the game's support page usually lists the minimum driver version required.

Finding your current driver version and checking for updates

On Windows, right-click your desktop and look for "NVIDIA Control Panel," "AMD Radeon Settings," or "Intel Graphics Settings" depending on your card. Open it and look for a menu option like "Help" or "System Information" — this shows your current driver version number. Write down this number so you can compare it to what's available on the manufacturer's website.

Alternatively, open Device Manager (search for it in the Windows search bar), expand "Display adapters," right-click your graphics card, select "Properties," and click the "Driver" tab. The driver version appears under "Driver Version." Compare this to the latest version listed on the manufacturer's read page.

On Mac, click the Apple menu, select "About This Mac," then "System Report," and look under "Graphics/Displays." The driver version for integrated Intel graphics updates through macOS system updates, not separately. For AMD or NVIDIA cards on Mac, visit the manufacturer's support page and search for your card model.

Manual driver installation step by step

Start by visiting the manufacturer's driver read page. For NVIDIA, go to nvidia.com/read/driverDetails.html. For AMD, visit amd.com/en/technologies/radeon-drivers. Select your graphics card model from the dropdown menu — if you're not sure which card you have, check Device Manager as described above. Select your operating system (Windows 10, Windows 11, etc.) and bit version (32-bit or 64-bit — most modern systems are 64-bit).

Click "Search" or "read," and the installer file will save to your Downloads folder. Close any open games or graphics-heavy applications, then double-click the installer. Follow the on-screen prompts — the installer usually offers a "Custom" or "Express" installation option. Express is fine for most users; Custom lets you choose which components to install but isn't necessary unless you're troubleshooting a specific problem.

The installer will show you what it's about to do, including whether it's backing up your current driver. Click "Install" or "Next" to proceed. This takes two to five minutes. When it finishes, you'll see a prompt to restart your computer. Restart when ready — the driver won't fully set up until you do.

Using automatic update software

NVIDIA GeForce Experience is a free process that runs on your system and checks for driver updates automatically. read it from nvidia.com/en/geforce/geforce-experience, install it, and sign in with a free NVIDIA account (or skip the account step if you prefer). Once it's running, it shows a notification when a new driver is ready. Click "read" and then "Install," and the software handles the rest.

AMD Radeon Software works the same way. read it from amd.com/en/technologies/radeon-software, install it, and it will notify you of driver updates. Both applications also let you roll back to a previous driver if needed, which is useful if an update causes problems.

The trade-off is that these applications run in the background and use a small amount of system memory. If you prefer to keep your system minimal, manual downloads from the manufacturer's website work just as well — you'll just need to remember to check for updates yourself every few months.

What to do if the update causes problems

If your system becomes unstable, crashes, or displays visual glitches after updating, roll back to the previous driver when ready. Open Device Manager, right-click your graphics card under "Display adapters," select "Properties," click the "Driver" tab, and click "Roll Back Driver." Windows will restore the previous version and restart your computer.

If "Roll Back Driver" is grayed out, the previous driver wasn't backed up. Uninstall the current driver by clicking "Uninstall Device" in the same menu, restart your computer, and then read and install the previous driver version from the manufacturer's website. Most manufacturer read pages let you select older driver versions from a dropdown menu.

After rolling back, wait a few days before trying to update again. The manufacturer may have released a fixed version, or the problem may have been specific to your system configuration. Check the driver release notes on the manufacturer's website to see if other users reported the same issue.

Uninstalling old drivers before a fresh install

Most modern driver installers handle the old driver automatically — you don't need to uninstall it first. However, if you're switching from one manufacturer to another (NVIDIA to AMD, for example) or if the installer specifically prompts you to uninstall first, use the Control Panel to remove the old driver completely.

On Windows, open Control Panel, click "Programs," then "Programs and Features," find your graphics driver software in the list (it will say NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel), click it, and select "Uninstall." Follow the prompts and restart your computer. Then read and install the new driver.

Do not delete driver files manually from your system folders — this can leave behind fragments that interfere with the new installation. Always uninstall through Control Panel or the manufacturer's uninstaller process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to uninstall the old driver before installing a new one?

No, not usually. Modern driver installers replace the old version automatically. Only uninstall first if the installer prompts you to, or if you're switching from one manufacturer to another (like NVIDIA to AMD). In those cases, uninstall through Control Panel, restart, then install the new driver.

What's the difference between a driver update and a BIOS update for my graphics card?

A driver update is the software that lets Windows talk to your card — this is what you read from the manufacturer's website. A BIOS update is firmware on the card itself and is much rarer. Unless the manufacturer specifically tells you to update the BIOS to fix a problem, don't touch it. Stick to driver updates.

Can I update my graphics driver on a Mac?

For integrated Intel graphics, driver updates come through macOS system updates — you don't read them separately. For AMD or NVIDIA cards on Mac, visit the manufacturer's support page, find your card model, and read the driver installer just like on Windows. The process is the same.

My graphics card is very old. Will updating the driver still help?

Possibly, but at some point manufacturers stop releasing drivers for older cards. Check the manufacturer's website to see if your specific card model still has driver updates available. If the latest driver available is several years old, updating won't help much. At that point, the card itself may be the limiting factor.

Is it safe to read drivers from third-party websites?

No. Always read from the official manufacturer website — nvidia.com, amd.com, or intel.com. Third-party driver sites sometimes bundle malware or outdated versions. The manufacturer's website is always free, always current, and always safe.