How to install the latest computer video drivers

Updated: 12/31/2022 by Computer Hope
Video card

The software device drivers for your video card strongly affect its performance. Installing the newest drivers can improve the performance and available features of your video card.

Follow these steps to install the latest drivers for the video card on your computer.

Do I need the latest drivers, and is it safe?

Yes, installing the latest video drivers can resolve video issues and crashes and is especially important for computer gamers. Unlike other drivers in your computer, the video drivers are often updated at least once a month, and sometimes several times a month. We highly recommend users get the latest drivers every few months.

Where do I get the latest drivers?

All the latest drivers for all devices can be downloaded from the Internet through the manufacturers website.

Determine manufacturer and model

Before installing the drivers, identify the manufacturer and model of your video card.

For example, your video card may be made by EVGA and the chipset for the video card is NVIDIA with a model of GeForce GTX 580. In this example, the chipset is the most important thing to write down, as it's the chipset manufacturer providing you with the drivers.

Visit manufacturer website and download driver file

Once the video card manufacturer, chipset, and model are determined, visit that manufacture's website and download the driver from their support or download section. For a list of video card manufacturers, see our video card driver index.

Tip

In most cases, for laptop and other OEM (original equipment manufacturer) computer drivers, we recommend users get the drivers directly from the computer manufacturer. However, with video cards, because they're updated so frequently, we suggest getting the drivers directly through the video card chipset manufacturer.

Install the drivers

Once the file is downloaded, if you didn't choose to run the file, open the executable file to start the install of the new drivers. Drivers install like any other program and after they are installed, you may be asked to reboot the computer. Once completed, reboot the computer and the latest drivers are installed.

AMD and NVIDIA basic steps

Since many computers have either a NVIDIA or AMD Radeon chipset, we included the steps below for installing these drivers.

First, begin by visiting the NVIDIA or AMD website. After visiting the page click Download Drivers to open the drivers page. From the drivers page, select the product that corresponds to the model you have installed in the computer.

After this information is selected, you'll be presented with the latest driver. Download and run this file to start the installation of the driver. These drivers install like any other program and after installed, you'll be asked to reboot the computer. Once completed, reboot the computer and the latest drivers will be installed.