How to Install and Upgrade Your GPU Drivers in Windows 10

For gamers and graphics enthusiasts, keeping your graphics card drivers up to date is essential. These drivers are crucial for optimizing performance, unlocking new features, and ensuring smooth gameplay. This guide will provide a simple two-step process for installing and upgrading your GPU drivers in Windows 10, covering both Nvidia and AMD graphics cards.

Step 1: Identifying Your GPU

Before diving into driver updates, it’s important to know which GPU you have. If you built your own computer or are familiar with your hardware, you can skip this step. However, if you’re unsure, here’s how to find your GPU model:

1. Press

Windows Key + S

and type

System Information.

2. Select the top result to open the System Information window.
3. In the left menu, expand

Components

and select

Display.

4. The main window will refresh, showing information about your display and graphics card. Look for the

Name

item, which will display your GPU model. You can also find your current driver version in this window.

Step 2: Installing Graphics Card Driver Software

Both Nvidia and AMD provide software specifically designed to auto-detect your graphics card and notify you of available updates. We recommend installing these tools for easy driver management in the future.

Nvidia: GeForce Experience

Nvidia’s GeForce Experience offers a suite of features, including driver updates, game optimization, and game capture through ShadowPlay. To get started:

1. Download GeForce Experience from Nvidia’s website.
2. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. Once installed, GeForce Experience will automatically open and scan for games on your PC.

Manual Nvidia Driver Updates:

If you prefer to update manually, you can use Nvidia’s product search page:

1. Visit Nvidia’s website and navigate to the product search page.
2. Make sure

Download Type

is set to

Game Ready Driver (GRD)

and

Operating System

is set to

Windows 10

.
3. Search for your graphics card using the product series and card model (refer to the information you found earlier).
4. Download the latest driver and run the installer.

AMD: Radeon Software

Radeon Software provides a comprehensive set of tools for AMD graphics cards, including driver updates, performance monitoring, and features like Radeon Chill and Radeon Anti-Lag. To install:

1. Download the latest version of Radeon Software from AMD’s website.
2. Follow the installer instructions.

Manual AMD Driver Updates:

To find your AMD driver manually:

1. Go to AMD’s product search tool.
2. Select

Graphics

as the category and choose your product series and card model.
3. Expand the

Windows 10 – 64-bit Edition

dropdown to see available drivers.
4. Look for the driver with the

Recommended

tag under the

Revision Number

. Optional drivers may offer upcoming features but could contain bugs.
5. Click

Download

and follow the installer prompts.

Step 3: Installing the GPU Driver

With the graphics card driver software installed, you can now easily update your drivers. Both GeForce Experience and Radeon Software will automatically detect your system and recommend the latest driver.

Nvidia GeForce Experience:

1. Open GeForce Experience and navigate to the

Drivers

tab.
2. The latest available driver will be displayed. You can click the three dots in the upper right corner to select

Game Ready Driver

and

Check for Updates

.
3. Click the green

Download

button and follow the on-screen instructions. The installation will take a few minutes and may temporarily cause your screen to go black and your sound to mute, but both will return after the installation is complete.
4. Restart your computer after the installation. You’ll receive notifications in the taskbar when new drivers are available.

AMD Radeon Software:

1. Open Radeon Software and click the

Settings

icon in the right corner.
2. Select the

System

tab and scroll down to the

Software & Driver

section.
3. Click

Check for Updates

to see if a new driver is available. If you’re installing a driver for the first time, Radeon Software will automatically detect your card and download the latest driver.
4. To enable automatic driver updates, toggle the switch next to

Check for Updates

. You can also enable

Download Drivers & Software

to automatically install the latest driver and software versions.
5. Ensure

Preferred Software Version

is set to

Recommended

.

Intel Graphics:

This guide focuses on Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. If you have integrated Intel graphics, visit Intel’s software download page to find the latest drivers.

By following these steps, you can keep your graphics card drivers up-to-date and ensure optimal performance, unlocking the full potential of your gaming rig or creative workstation.