Question Fresh Windows installation, are the drivers from Windows Update enough ?

[techlevi]

Might sound like a dumb question, it probably is, but is it just safe to go with the drivers from GeForce Experience + the ones provided by Windows? Or . . ?

 

[dwd999]

Might sound like a dumb question, it probably is, but is it just safe to go with the drivers from GeForce experience + the ones provided by windows? Or?

It would depend on the model of the motherboard. With boards based on the Intel chipset you may need the Intel Chipset driver and SerialIO driver. For an AMD based boards you may need something similar.

But the point is that after installation and updating is complete, you open up the Control Panel Device Manager and look for any devices with a symbol next to their name that indicates its not functioning properly and then go to the motherboard manufacturer's website and download drivers for those devices.

 

[Lutfij]

Source the latest drivers from here;
https://www.nvidia.com/download/index.aspx
if you're working with a desktop platform.

if you're on a laptop, you should look at the latest drivers listed on your laptop's support site. Always make sure that you're installing all of your drivers in an elevated command, i.e, Right click installer>Run as Administrator

I merely install the drivers and leave GeForce Experience off the table.

 

[gamerk316]

Generally, the drivers Windows grabs are reasonably up to date, especially if they haven't been updated in a while. GPU drivers tend to lag the most as a result.

If you have an OEM machine or Laptop I'd make sure to get a "correct" GPU driver from the vendor (even if 99% the official NVIDIA one isn't a problem).

 

[logainofhades]

Always get the latest driver, from Nvidia, when you can. Windows drivers are generally ok enough for most other things, other than I would say chipset, or wifi drivers. For instance, my system has an intel wifi chip, so I always get the driver from Intel, using their driver and support assistant. My chipset drivers are AMD, so I get them straight from AMD.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Windows drivers can be months behind.

 

[ubuysa]

It's important to understand that drivers supplied by Windows Update are the REAL drivers, supplied by the various hardware vendors. To add a driver to Windows Update the vendor must first test the driver using Microsoft supplied tools, in order to get the driver WHQL certified (Windows Hardware Quality Labs). Only WHQL certified drivers are supplied via Windows Update.

The WHQL certification process can take some time and for rapidly changing drivers, mainly graphics drivers, the Windows Update version can be a version or three behind. Most other drivers do not change rapidly enough, so that the Windows Update version is current, or current enough.