Graphics drivers matter more than many other drivers because they affect games, video playback, creative apps, display features, and system stability. If games stutter, videos glitch, or Windows reports an old display driver, update it from the safest source for your graphics hardware.
This guide applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs with NVIDIA, AMD Radeon, or Intel graphics hardware.
Does This Affect You?
A stale or damaged graphics driver can cause crashes, flickering, poor frame rates, missing resolution options, broken external displays, and visual artifacts. The best update path depends on the GPU brand: NVIDIA and AMD users should usually use the manufacturer’s app, while Windows Update is a reasonable fallback for basic drivers.
Update with NVIDIA App or AMD Software
For dedicated NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards, the manufacturer utility usually provides the full driver package, control panel, and game-specific improvements.
- Right-click Start, open Device Manager, and expand Display adapters to identify the GPU. Look for names such as NVIDIA, AMD Radeon, or Intel.
- For NVIDIA hardware, install NVIDIA App from NVIDIA’s official website. For AMD hardware, install AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition from AMD’s official support site.
- Open the app and go to its Drivers section. Sign in only if the app requires it for the option you need.
- Click Check for updates, then download and install the newest recommended driver.
- Choose Express installation for a normal update. Use Custom only when you need to choose components or perform a cleaner reinstall.
- During installation the screen may flicker, go black briefly, or change resolution. That is normal. Restart the PC if the installer asks.
Update Through Device Manager or Windows Update
This method is simpler and avoids extra vendor software, but it may install a more basic or older driver than NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel provides directly.
- Right-click Start, open Device Manager, and expand Display adapters.
- Right-click the graphics adapter and choose Update driver.
- Select Search automatically for drivers.
- Also check Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates > Driver updates for a display driver.
- Restart the PC after the update finishes.
Important Graphics Driver Notes
Use a Clean Install When Troubleshooting
NVIDIA and AMD installers include clean-install or factory-reset style options in the custom path. Use that when you are fixing crashes, repeated display glitches, or problems that started after several driver upgrades. For routine updates, the normal express path is usually enough.
Laptops Can Be Different
Gaming and creator laptops often use switchable graphics, where an integrated GPU and a dedicated GPU work together. In that case, check the laptop manufacturer’s support page first. A generic NVIDIA or AMD driver can sometimes conflict with the laptop’s power and display switching design.
Avoid Third-Party Driver Sites
Do not download graphics drivers from random “driver updater” pages. Use NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Microsoft Windows Update, or the support page for your PC or laptop maker. Driver utilities from unfamiliar sites can bundle adware or install the wrong package.
Roll Back a Bad Driver
If the new driver makes things worse, use the driver history inside the NVIDIA or AMD app if available. You can also open Device Manager, open the adapter’s Properties, choose the Driver tab, and click Roll Back Driver if Windows still has the previous version.
Sources
- NVIDIA: How to update your NVIDIA graphics driver
- AMD: Installing AMD Software on Windows
- Microsoft Support: Update drivers in Windows