The fastest way to update your video card driver

The fastest route depends on your card manufacturer. If you have an NVIDIA card, read the 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/support and follow the same process. Intel integrated graphics users should visit intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/products/80939.html. Each manufacturer's installer handles the removal of your old driver and installation of the new one in a single step.

The entire process takes 10 to 15 minutes from read to restart. You will need to restart your computer after installation completes. If you want to verify the update worked, right-click your desktop after restart and look for an NVIDIA Control Panel, AMD Radeon Settings, or Intel Graphics Command Center option—the presence of these menus confirms the new driver is active.

Key Takeaways

  • NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel each have their own driver read pages where you select your exact card model and operating system before downloading.
  • The manufacturer's installer removes your old driver and installs the new one automatically, so you do not need to uninstall manually first.
  • Your computer must restart after installation, and you should save any open work before starting the update.
  • You can verify the update worked by checking whether the manufacturer's control panel appears when you right-click your desktop.

Finding your video card model before you read

You need to know your exact card model to read the correct driver. On Windows, right-click your desktop and look for NVIDIA Control Panel, AMD Radeon Settings, or Intel Graphics Command Center. If one of these appears, click it and look for a section labeled "System Information" or "About"—your card model will be listed there.

If no manufacturer menu appears on your desktop, open Device Manager by pressing Windows key + X and selecting Device Manager. Expand the "Display adapters" section. Your card will be listed by name—for example, "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060" or "AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT". Write down the exact model name before you go to the manufacturer's website.

Downloading the correct driver for your system

Once you know your card model, go to the manufacturer's read page. NVIDIA's page is at nvidia.com/read/driverDetails.html. AMD's is at amd.com/en/support. Intel's is at intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/products/80939.html. Each page has dropdown menus where you select your card series, specific model, and operating system (Windows 10, Windows 11, etc.).

After you select all three fields, the page will show you the available driver versions. The newest version is usually the one you want. Click the read button and save the file to your Downloads folder. The file will be named something like "nvidia-driver-531.18-whql.exe" or "amd-software-adrenalin-24.1.1.exe". Do not rename it.

Running the installer and completing the update

Before you start, close any open programs and save your work. Open your Downloads folder, find the driver file you downloaded, and double-click it. A window will appear asking whether you want to allow the installer to make changes to your device. Click "Yes".

The installer will show you a license agreement and ask you to accept it. Read it if you want, then click the button to proceed. The installer will then ask where you want to install the driver—the default location is fine. Click "Next" or "Install" and let the process run. This usually takes 3 to 5 minutes. When it finishes, you will see a message asking you to restart your computer. Click "Restart Now" or "Finish" (depending on the manufacturer). Your computer will restart automatically.

What to do if the installer fails or your screen goes black

If the installer stops partway through or shows an error message, restart your computer and try downloading the driver again. Sometimes a corrupted read causes the failure. Delete the file from your Downloads folder, go back to the manufacturer's page, and read it again.

If your screen goes black or becomes unresponsive after you restart, your computer is likely still installing the driver in the background. Wait 2 to 3 minutes without touching anything. If the screen remains black after that, restart your computer by holding the power button for 10 seconds. When it boots back up, the driver installation should complete on the next startup. If you continue to have problems, restart in Safe Mode (press F8 during startup on Windows 10, or hold Shift while clicking Restart on the sign-in screen in Windows 11) and uninstall the driver through Device Manager, then try installing again.

When to update your driver and how often

You do not need to update your driver every time a new version is released. Most drivers are updated for new games, bug fixes, or security patches. If your games are running smoothly and you are not experiencing crashes, you can wait 2 to 3 months between updates. If a new game you want to play is not running well, check the manufacturer's website to see if a newer driver is available for that specific game.

Some users turn on automatic driver updates through the manufacturer's control panel. NVIDIA has GeForce Experience, AMD has Adrenalin auto-update, and Intel has automatic updates through Windows Update. These tools can update your driver in the background without your involvement, though you will still need to restart your computer when prompted. If you prefer to control when updates happen, you can turn off automatic updates and check manually every few months instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

No. The manufacturer's installer automatically removes the old driver before installing the new one. Running the installer directly is the correct approach. Manually uninstalling first is unnecessary and can sometimes cause problems.

What if I do not know whether I have NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel?

Open Device Manager (Windows key + X, then Device Manager), expand "Display adapters", and look at the name listed. If it says GeForce or RTX, you have NVIDIA. If it says Radeon or RX, you have AMD. If it says Intel HD Graphics or Intel Iris, you have Intel integrated graphics.

Can I use Windows Update to update my video card driver?

Windows Update can push driver updates, but they are often older versions. Downloading directly from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel usually gives you the newest version faster. If you want the latest driver for a new game or fix, read from the manufacturer instead of waiting for Windows Update.

Is it safe to update my driver while I am playing a game?

No. Close all games and programs before you start the update. Running the installer while games are open can cause the installation to fail or your system to become unstable. Save your work, close everything, then run the installer.

What should I do if my computer crashes after updating the driver?

Restart your computer. If crashes continue, restart in Safe Mode and uninstall the driver through Device Manager. Then read the driver again from the manufacturer's website and reinstall it. If the problem persists, try an older driver version from the manufacturer's archive.