Question What drivers do I need to install?

[Lawwl3]

This may be a silly question, but imagine you got a completely new PC and have just installed Win10 on it - what EXACTLY do you do with drivers? I am already aware of your specific GPU's driver software from manufacturer's website. I am also aware of motherboard's LAN and Audio drivers.

What about Chipset drivers? I know there is .exe for that in both motherboard's website AND my CPU's (AMD) website. Which one do I need (or do I need both)?

What about motherboard's SATA drivers? I have downloaded some "PIDE/SATA Drivers" folder for my B450 Tomahawk Max but I can't even find any .exe file, it contains quite a few subfolders and at the end there are only 4 files - .cat, .inf, .sys and release_notes.txt. Do I even need sata drivers?


Do I need drivers for every single external device, such as mouse/keyboard/monitor/speakers/mic...? Are those even a thing?

What else am I not thinking of? I could not find any helpful guides/tutorials for that, so if you know of one, please share with me. All I find in every single PC problem solution guide is "make sure all your drivers are up-to-date" with no specification of what drivers do I need in the first place (probably self-explanatory to you tho).

 

[Newtonius]

I'd say install AMD's chipset drivers as they come with various other software that helps support your CPU stability. As for your peripherals, the drivers for them to function should auto install once you plug it in, but if they're brand name devices like razer, logitech, patriot, etc chances are they have some dedicated software to fiddle around with color and/or macro settings.

 

[geofelt]

If you are working ok, you need not install any other drivers.
You could install all of the drivers on the cd that came with your motherboard.
Be careful, do not be lazy and select install all or you will also get a bunch of trialware and other junk.
Select drivers only.
If you think you need updated drivers, you can download them directly from the motherboard web site or from the hardware vendor site.
I would get graphics drivers directly from nvidia or amd.

 

[Lawwl3]

I'd say install AMD's chipset drivers as they come with various other software that helps support your CPU stability.

So simply ignore motherboard's chipset drivers completely?

As for your peripherals, the drivers for them to function should auto install once you plug it in, but if they're brand name devices like razer, logitech, patriot, etc chances are they have some dedicated software to fiddle around with color and/or macro settings.

Is that completely optional and I can feel free to not install any of them? Or not installing could actually break something and cause crashes?

If you are working ok, you need not install any other drivers.

Sadly, my PC is crashing whenever I turn it on (everything works perfectly after initial restart, but if you are turning it on, it gives me a freeze on windows loading or a BSOD with various messages 100% of the time). Simply trying to figure out what's the issue, starting with drivers.

You could install all of the drivers on the cd that came with your motherboard. If you are working ok, you need not install any other drivers.

Sadly, as I understand, my case does not have a CD-ROM :/ (Aerocool CyberX, correct me if I am wrong, maybe Im just blind). However, I've heard it is NOT recommended to use that CD anyway, it is always better to download all of the drivers from motherboard's manufacturer's website, or am I incorrect?

If you think you need updated drivers, you can download them directly from the motherboard web site or from the hardware vendor site.

Yes, but which ones? As I've learned from previous comment, even though I can find chipset drivers there, I should use CPU's chipset drivers instead. Also, I found some BIOS drivers there too - do I need those?

Also, what about the motherboard's SATA drivers? Do I need them? And if I do, how do I install them, because downloaded folder from manufacturer's website does not contain any installer inside.

 

[Newtonius]

So simply ignore motherboard's chipset drivers completely?

Is that completely optional and I can feel free to not install any of them? Or not installing could actually break something and cause crashes?

Sadly, my PC is crashing whenever I turn it on (everything works perfectly after initial restart, but if you are turning it on, it gives me a freeze on windows loading or a BSOD with various messages 100% of the time). Simply trying to figure out what's the issue, starting with drivers.

Sadly, as I understand, my case does not have a CD-ROM :/ (Aerocool CyberX, correct me if I am wrong, maybe Im just blind). However, I've heard it is NOT recommended to use that CD anyway, it is always better to download all of the drivers from motherboard's manufacturer's website, or am I incorrect?

Yes, but which ones? As I've learned from previous comment, even though I can find chipset drivers there, I should use CPU's chipset drivers instead. Also, I found some BIOS drivers there too - do I need those?

Also, what about the motherboard's SATA drivers? Do I need them? And if I do, how do I install them, because downloaded folder from manufacturer's website does not contain any installer inside.

It's not necessary to install, and the issues you say you're having should not be associated with not having the chipset drivers. You can try to test it if you are able to install those drivers.

Though i'd try a fresh windows re-install if nothing else works. And try to take note of the BSOD error messages and trace the root cause with those error messages. Not enough info here to tell if it's hardware or software related.

 

[Lawwl3]

Though i'd try a fresh windows re-install if nothing else works. And try to take note of the BSOD error messages and trace the root cause with those error messages. Not enough info here to tell if it's hardware or software related.

Yes, I am considering fresh windows re-install, that is why I am asking about the drivers, so if I reinstall them and it DOES continue crashing, I would be 100% certain it's not because of the drivers.

If chipset drivers are not necessary to install, what drivers are then? To be honest, out of all the drivers I installed, I noticed ANY kind of difference only from GPU drivers (and quite a big one at that).

So if after a fresh windows reinstall I get ONLY the GPU drivers, it should work just fine? If so, what are all the motherboard (and cpu chipset?) drivers for then? :x Are they merely an improvement to windows' built-in drivers, but not something that makes or breaks the entire system?

 

[SkyNetRising]

imagine you got a completely new PC and have just installed Win10 on it - what EXACTLY do you do with drivers?

You install all of them. Start with chipset drivers.

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/B450-TOMAHAWK-MAX#down-driver&Win10 64

 

[Lawwl3]

You install all of them. Start with chipset drivers.

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/B450-TOMAHAWK-MAX#down-driver&Win10 64

By writing "exactly" in caps, I kind of wanted to avoid such answers. :/ "All" of them is anything but "exactly" - ofcourse I want "all" of the ones I need, but which ones are there?

Out of motherboard drivers, I found four of them. One of them, I wasn't even capable of installing because it didn't have any .exe file inside (PIDE/SATA). The other one, I was just told I should avoid and install CPU driver instead (chipset):

I'd say install AMD's chipset drivers as they come with various other software that helps support your CPU stability.

However, side question arises - why do I even need any of those drivers? Should windows' built-in drivers work just fine? After all, from a user's perspective, I did not notice any kind of difference after installing all 3 mobo drivers.

 

[SkyNetRising]

One of them, I wasn't even capable of installing because it didn't have any .exe file inside (PIDE/SATA).

PIDE/SATA section contains raid drivers. If you're not using raid, then indeed you don't need those.
Rest of them all - install.

However, side question arises - why do I even need any of those drivers? Should windows' built-in drivers work just fine?

Windows install contains generic drivers. For starting up devices and basic usage this is enough. Manufacturer drivers are specific to hardware. They add more advanced functions and management for devices. Windows update in windows 10 actually is quite good with updating drivers. Sometimes even "too good" - it may update drivers to versions, that break their functionality.

 

[atljsf]

these days, none, windows almost alwys will install all the drivers by itself, as long as the wifi or ethernet controller were already found and applied

gpu, soundcard, chipset, practically everything is installed by windows 10 without your intervention

what windows 10 doesn't do well is install printers, scanners, webcams, some uncommon soundcards, uncommon wifi or ethernet usb adapters

usually after the installation of windows 10 has run and some minutes have passed you will see windows pulling gpu drivers and soundcard drivers if the soundcard drivers were not installed at the same time with win 10

in few cases you open the old control panel to see the devices and rarely you find a device called unknown, but is becoming rare to find it

usually or chipset driver or a weird patch or similar stuff for a weird function your motherboard has will need to be installed

i personally just download the gpu driver, because sometimes windows 10 takes a long time to detect, download and install the driver, so i proceed directly to nvidia or amd sites and do it quickly

windows 10 has taken some ideas and tricks from linux and applied somewhat decently

 

[Newtonius]

Yes, I am considering fresh windows re-install, that is why I am asking about the drivers, so if I reinstall them and it DOES continue crashing, I would be 100% certain it's not because of the drivers.

If chipset drivers are not necessary to install, what drivers are then? To be honest, out of all the drivers I installed, I noticed ANY kind of difference only from GPU drivers (and quite a big one at that).

So if after a fresh windows reinstall I get ONLY the GPU drivers, it should work just fine? If so, what are all the motherboard (and cpu chipset?) drivers for then? :x Are they merely an improvement to windows' built-in drivers, but not something that makes or breaks the entire system?

As skynet rising wrote, windows install generic drivers. You need to install specific drivers for your motherboard and chipset to get best stability with your custom system. Windows has universal drivers for everybody, but can't tailor to every plausible build and their drivers stability with it.

So install your mobos drivers,. your AMD's chipset drivers, your GPU's drivers, hell even check if your hard drive has the latest firmware installed. You can either check this through device manager or if you have an SSD most likely the manufacturer has a dedicated software dashboard for it.