How to Update Graphics Drivers: NVIDIA, AMD and Intel Guide

An outdated graphics driver is one of the most common causes of poor gaming performance, graphical glitches, and random crashes. Driver updates are free, take 5–10 minutes, and can deliver meaningful FPS gains on the games you’re already playing. This guide covers how to update your graphics driver for NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel Arc GPUs — using both the automatic companion apps and manual downloads — plus when you need to do a full clean install.

Why Graphics Driver Updates Matter for Gaming

GPU manufacturers release driver updates on a regular schedule, and the reasons to keep up with them go beyond fixing bugs:

Game-specific optimizations — NVIDIA’s Game Ready Drivers and AMD’s Adrenalin updates are timed to coincide with major game launches. These include per-title rendering tweaks that can add 10–15% FPS on supported games with no hardware changes.
Bug and crash fixes — Driver updates patch graphical artifacting, driver timeout errors, and crashes that are entirely outside your control as a player.
Feature support — DLSS and FSR updates, new AV1 encoding capabilities, and Resizable BAR improvements are delivered through drivers, not hardware upgrades.
Stability — Cumulative stability improvements across every game in your library, not just new releases.

For maximum gains, updating your driver is step one. Once you have the latest driver installed, fine-tuning your NVIDIA Control Panel settings can push performance further without touching any in-game options.

All Three Methods at a Glance

GPU Brand	Update App	Driver Types	Typical Frequency
NVIDIA	GeForce Experience	Game Ready / Studio	Game Ready: per major launch; Studio: monthly
AMD	AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition	Recommended / Optional	Recommended: every 4–6 weeks; Optional: frequent
Intel Arc	Intel Arc Control	Production / Beta	Production: monthly; Beta: frequent

Comparison of NVIDIA GeForce Experience, AMD Adrenalin Edition, and Intel Arc Control driver update apps showing the check, download, and install workflow — All three major GPU brands offer a companion app that handles driver updates automatically — the process is identical across all three.

How to Update NVIDIA Drivers

NVIDIA offers two routes: the GeForce Experience app (automatic) or a manual download from the NVIDIA website. Both install the same driver.

Method 1: GeForce Experience (Recommended)

Open GeForce Experience. If it’s not installed, download it from nvidia.com/geforce/geforce-experience.
Click the Drivers tab at the top.
Click Check for Updates. A green Game Ready Driver badge means the driver is optimised for recent game launches.
Click Download, then Express Installation.
Your screen will go black briefly during install. A restart prompt will appear — restart when ready.

Total time: around 5 minutes. Express Installation handles everything automatically, including updating any NVIDIA components like PhysX or the NVIDIA HD Audio driver.

Method 2: Manual Download (nvidia.com/drivers)

Go to nvidia.com/drivers.
Select your GPU series (e.g., GeForce RTX 40 Series), OS (Windows 11), and driver type (Game Ready).
Download the installer and run it.
Choose Express for a straightforward install, or Custom if you want to perform a clean installation (removes old driver files) or choose which components to update.
Restart when prompted.

The manual method is useful if GeForce Experience is not installed or if you want to download a specific older driver version.

How to Update AMD Drivers

AMD’s update process is handled by AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, which comes pre-installed on most AMD GPU setups.

Method 1: AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition (Recommended)

Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition from your taskbar or Start menu.
On the Home tab, check for an update badge. Or click the gear icon → Software Updates.
Select Recommended (tested, stable) or Optional (latest features, less tested).
Click Download and Install.
A restart is optional but recommended to fully apply the update.

Method 2: Manual Download (amd.com/support)

Go to amd.com/support.
Select your GPU from the product dropdown (e.g., Radeon RX 7000 Series → RX 7600).
Download the full Adrenalin Edition installer.
Run the installer. You can upgrade over the existing driver or perform a factory reset install (cleans old files).

Recommended vs. Optional: Recommended drivers are released every 4–6 weeks and are thoroughly tested. Optional drivers include newer game-specific patches but receive less validation. For most gamers, Recommended is the right choice unless you’re troubleshooting a specific issue with a recent game.

How to Update Intel Arc Drivers

Intel Arc GPUs have improved significantly since launch, largely through driver updates. Keeping them current is more important on Arc than on NVIDIA or AMD, where the drivers are more mature.

Method 1: Intel Arc Control

Open Intel Arc Control from the taskbar or Start menu.
Go to System → Driver & Software.
Click Check for Updates.
Download and install. Intel Arc Control handles the full process.

Method 2: Intel Download Center

Visit the Intel Download Center.
Search for your Arc GPU (e.g., Arc A770) or browse Graphics Drivers.
Download the latest production driver.
Run the installer and restart when complete.

Intel also releases beta drivers frequently — these often include game-specific fixes but may introduce instability. Stick to production drivers for everyday use and only try betas if you’re experiencing a specific known issue with a recent game.

When to Do a Clean Driver Install

A standard driver update installs over the existing driver. This is fine in most cases. A clean install — which removes all traces of the old driver before installing fresh — is worth doing when:

You’re switching GPU brands (NVIDIA to AMD, or AMD to Intel)
You’re experiencing persistent crashes or artifacting that a standard update didn’t resolve
You’re doing a major GPU generation upgrade

The standard tool for clean removal is DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller), a free third-party utility:

Boot into Safe Mode — Hold Shift while restarting → Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Startup Settings → Restart → press F4.
Open DDU and select your GPU brand from the dropdown.
Click Clean and Restart. DDU removes all driver files, registry entries, and leftover components.
After restart (now in Windows with generic display drivers), install the fresh driver normally.

Most gamers will never need DDU. It’s the fix of last resort when standard reinstalls haven’t solved a stubborn graphics issue.

Should You Always Update to the Latest Driver?

For gaming: generally yes. Game Ready and Adrenalin launch-day drivers include optimizations that are specific to recent releases — you won’t get those performance gains any other way.

When to wait: Check Reddit (r/nvidia or r/Amd) for 24–48 hours after a major driver release. Occasionally a new driver ships with regressions — black screens, crashes on specific GPUs — and a hotfix follows within a week. Two minutes of forum scanning can save hours of troubleshooting.

If you use your GPU for creative work (DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere, Blender), prioritize stability over being on the latest version. NVIDIA Studio Drivers — selectable in the GeForce Experience Drivers tab — are tested against creative applications and update less frequently than Game Ready Drivers.

Pairing an up-to-date driver with the right in-game and system settings makes the biggest difference to gaming performance. See our full guide on how to optimize your PC for better FPS for the complete picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I update my graphics driver?
Update when a game you play gets a Game Ready or Adrenalin launch-day driver, or roughly every 4–6 weeks. You don’t need to install every driver the day it releases.

Will updating my driver delete game saves or settings?
No. Driver updates only affect the software layer between your GPU and Windows. Game files, saves, and settings are stored separately and are not touched.

My game is crashing after a driver update — what do I do?
Roll back to the previous driver via Device Manager → Display Adapters → right-click your GPU → Properties → Driver tab → Roll Back Driver. If that option is greyed out, use DDU to clean uninstall, then manually install the previous driver version from the manufacturer’s website.

Do I need to update if my games are running fine?
Performance is the floor, not the ceiling. Game Ready Drivers regularly add 5–15% FPS on supported titles. Updates are free and low-risk — the only reason to skip is if your current setup is perfectly stable and you’re not playing any new releases.