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If you are wondering how to update Nvidia drivers, we’ve got you covered right here.
Nvidia rules the roost when it comes to high-performance graphics cards. While they are regularly challenged by the likes of AMD the best GPU in terms of sheer performance is still made by Team Green. To get the most power and performance out of your graphics card, however, you’ll need to make sure its drivers are up to date.
There are a few reasons Nvidia creates new drivers. They can smooth out bugs as well as optimise performance for newly released games. Essentially they are there to keep the GPU running effectively and can be vital for ensuring your games run smoothly
There are two common ways to check your drivers are up to date and download new ones if they are not. We’ll be covering both of them here.
How to update Nvidia graphics drivers
- Download and install Nvidia GeForce Experience from Nvidia’s website
- Open the program and create an Nvidia account to log-in
- Click on the Drivers tab in the top left
- Click Check for updates
- Pick your installation type
- Wait for the download to complete then restart your PC
Now we’ll break down that process in more detail, as well as offer you an alternative if you do not want to download GeForce Experience.
GeForce Experience
The simplest way to update your Nvidia GPU is through the Nvidia GeForce Experience app. This is a free program that you can download from Nvidia’s website. Simply follow the download links from here then the installation prompts when the launcher has downloaded.
Once the program opens you’ll also need to create an account. From there you may get a notification in the software, telling you that there are new drivers ready for installation. If you don’t but want to make sure you are fully up to date, you can check for yourself.
To do this go to the driver’s tab located in the upper left of the app, directly to the right of Home. From there click on Check for updates > Download.
You’ll then need to select your installation type. In general, we advise going for Express Installation, though you can also choose Custom Installation if you know you don’t need certain aspects of the driver such as the audio or USB-C component.
Once the driver has been downloaded you will get a confirmation notification, after that simply restart your PC and your GPU will be fully up to date.
How to update Nvidia drivers manually without GeForce Experience
There is a way to install drivers and keep your graphics card up to date without needing to install Nvidia GeForce Experience. This could be useful if you don’t want to set up an Nvidia account.
Instead, navigate to the NVIDIA Driver Downloads section of their site. Fill in each of the sections using the drop-down menu, shown above, to match your graphics card.
Click Search > Download and the driver launcher will begin to download. Once it is complete double click to launch it, pick your extraction folder and click OK. If you don’t want the GeForce Experience App to download as well make sure you untick that box that says NVIDIA Graphics Driver and GeForce Experience, going instead for NVIDIA Graphics Driver.
After that choose the installation type you want and click Next. From there simply wait for the installation to complete and restart your PC to complete the process.
How often do you need to update Nvidia drivers?
Nvidia does not update its drivers periodically, instead making one to fix bugs or errors as they appear for new releases. However, they do it fairly regularly so it’s worth checking every few weeks if you are planning on updating your drivers manually. If you have GeForce Experience you don’t need to check at all, with the app notifying you when a new driver has been released.
Do I need to update my graphics card driver?
If you want to get the best performance out of your graphics card, keeping its drivers up to date is vital. New drivers are released and designed by Nvidia with the express purpose of improving the way your GPU interacts with the other bits of hardware in your system, thereby improving overall performance. If you neglect updating your GPU’s drivers for long enough there is even a chance certain games with start to crash and be unable to run. What’s more, all of these drivers are free so there is no reason to not install them.
Frequently asked questions
Updating GPU drivers can feel a bit like a chore. It can often be more time-consuming than it needs to be. To make the process as painless as possible we’ve answered a few common questions below.
Does Nvidia automatically update drivers?
With the right GeForce Experience settings, you will be automatically notified when a new driver is released. While it does not install them automatically it simply takes a few clicks from the notification to have the new driver set up and ready to go.
Is it better to update Nvidia drivers manually?
Which method you go for won’t have an impact on the GPU or its performance. Because of this, it really comes down to personal preference. If you’re looking for the method with the least hassle using GeForce Experience is the way to go. However, if you don’t want to be forced to set up an account or don’t want the other features that come with the program installing the drivers manually is your best bet.
