To update a graphics driver, first find out whether your GPU is NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel, then update it with that vendor official tool; on a laptop, all three vendors say to check the driver from the device maker (OEM) first, and Intel and AMD say the same for handhelds. You can also install it from Windows Update under Optional updates, but optional drivers are not installed automatically, so you have to select them yourself. This guide follows the Windows 11 menu names and each vendor official support pages as confirmed on September 30, 2026. Games that crash mid-session are covered separately in game crashes while recording; here we only cover how to install the driver. Version numbers change constantly, so none are listed, and the guide shows where to read the version on the vendor page instead.
Bottom line: no need to update every time, and laptops start with the maker driver
The bottom line has two parts. First, you do not need to update every time. NVIDIA’s rule of thumb is “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it,” with regular updates recommended for a newer card and updates for an older card only when newer software gives you problems. AMD says to update when you need support for a new graphics product, operating system, or game, want new features or performance improvements, or need to resolve a driver conflict or known bug, and to read the release notes first. Second, where you download depends on the device. On a desktop the vendor tool is the default; on a laptop, NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel all point to the driver from the laptop maker first. If you record games on a laptop, the laptop game recording guide is a useful companion.
Update steps (Windows 11)
- 1Identify your GPU first — Right-click Start, open Device Manager, and expand Display adapters to see the installed graphics devices. A laptop with two GPUs can list more than one device under that category. NVIDIA also documents typing dxdiag into Windows search and reading the device name on the Display tab. Whether the name says NVIDIA, AMD Radeon, or Intel decides which of steps 3 to 5 applies.
- 2Check Windows Update optional updates — The path is Start > Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options. Make sure “Receive updates for other Microsoft products” is On, open “Optional updates” under Additional options, and if driver updates are listed, select them and choose “Download and install”. Microsoft explains that recommended drivers install automatically while optional drivers do not. If no driver is listed, Microsoft says to check the hardware manufacturer’s website for the latest driver compatible with your Windows version. In Device Manager you can instead right-click the device under Display adapters and choose “Update driver” > “Search automatically for updated driver software”.
- 3NVIDIA: Drivers tab in the NVIDIA App, or manual search — NVIDIA recommends the NVIDIA App for Game Ready and Studio drivers: open the app and install the driver the Drivers tab offers. The app supports Windows 10 and 11, covers GeForce RTX 20, 30, 40, and 50 series and GTX 800, 900, 1000, and 1600 series among others, and NVIDIA recommends display driver 551.52 or higher. Features such as the In-Game Overlay may not work with an older unsupported driver, and GeForce Experience is no longer supported. Without the app, use Manual Driver Search on nvidia.com: choose product category, series, product, operating system (for example Windows 11), and language, then Find. NVIDIA says to choose Game Ready if you prioritize day-of-launch support for new games and patches, or Studio if you prioritize reliability for creative work such as video editing and livestreaming, and that either can run games. The three-dot menu at the top right of the app switches between them.
- 4AMD: Manage Updates or the auto-detect tool — AMD supports AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition on Windows 11 21H2 and later, and Windows 10 64-bit 1809 and later. If it is already installed, open AMD Software from the Start menu and use Manage Updates, which launches AMD Install Manager, to download updates. If not, find a driver with the “AMD Auto-Detect and Install Tool” or the “Product Selector” on AMD Drivers and Support. The auto-detect tool lists Recommended drivers, which AMD says offer the best stability and are certified by Microsoft, and Optional drivers, which are the most up to date with the latest features and bug fixes. On the install screen, “Accept & Express Install” uses defaults, and “Additional Options” lets you change Software Type (Default, Minimal, Driver Only) and install location. AMD says display flicker while applying is normal.
- 5Intel: Driver & Support Assistant or manual install — Intel recommends Intel Driver & Support Assistant (DSA), which supports Windows 11 64-bit and Windows 10. Run “Intel Driver & Support Assistant Installer.exe”, accept the terms, install, then choose “Check for new drivers” from the tray icon to open the dashboard in your browser. Under Available Updates, first use “Download all”, then “Install all”. To go manual, find your processor number (press the Windows key, type System, and open System information), search the Intel Download Center with it, select Drivers and Software, download the .exe, and click “Begin Installation”. Not every Intel product is supported by DSA.
- 6Restart and confirm the installed version — When installation finishes, restart via right-click Start > Shut down or sign out > Restart, even if no update asked for it; that is Microsoft’s guidance. If NVIDIA Control Panel is installed, right-click the desktop > NVIDIA Control Panel and read Driver Version under System Information at the bottom left (based on NVIDIA’s 2021 page, so the screen may differ). For Intel, check Device Manager > Display Adapters > the Intel Graphics device > Driver tab > Driver Version. For AMD, search System in AMD Software and open System Settings to see graphics hardware and driver details. Compare the version shown with the one on the vendor driver page.
Update routes compared (Windows 11, confirmed September 30, 2026)
| Route | Where to find it | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Update | Start > Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Additional options > Optional updates > Download and install | Microsoft installs recommended drivers automatically but leaves optional drivers to you. If nothing is listed, it says to check the hardware manufacturer’s website. |
| Device Manager | Right-click Start > Device Manager > Display adapters > right-click the device > Update driver | Choose “Search automatically for updated driver software”, or point to a file from the manufacturer with “Browse my computer for drivers”. |
| NVIDIA | Drivers tab in the NVIDIA App, or Manual Driver Search on nvidia.com | NVIDIA recommends the NVIDIA App. Pick Game Ready or Studio by your priority. |
| AMD | Manage Updates in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, or the AMD Auto-Detect and Install Tool or Product Selector | Choose Recommended (stability first) or Optional (newest features and fixes). Use Factory Reset with care. |
| Intel | Check for new drivers in Intel Driver & Support Assistant (DSA), or a manual install from the Download Center | Supports Windows 11 64-bit and Windows 10; not every Intel product is supported. On a laptop, the maker’s driver comes first. |
Checklist when the install fails
- Restart the PC and try the install once more; the first step in NVIDIA’s installer troubleshooting article is also to reboot and retry.
- Close open programs. NVIDIA says to close GPU monitoring and tuning utilities (Corsair iCUE and MSI Afterburner are its examples), video players, web browsers, and 3D-accelerated apps; aggressive real-time antivirus can be paused briefly, though Microsoft Defender can stay on.
- NVIDIA notes that a driver install may fail while Windows Update is running in the background, so let updates finish and try again.
- For a clean install, NVIDIA documents right-clicking the installer > Run as administrator, choosing “Custom (Advanced)”, enabling “Perform a clean installation”, then rebooting. If that still fails, follow NVIDIA’s “Solving NVIDIA Installer Issues” article; the registry editing in it is advanced and not covered here.
- AMD’s “Factory Reset (Optional)” removes all prior versions of the AMD Software package, pauses Windows Updates, restarts the system, and cannot be rolled back to earlier drivers. AMD says “Keep user settings” can preserve your settings and profiles.
- If a problem started after an update, sign in as an administrator and use Device Manager > Display adapters > right-click the device > Properties > Driver tab > Roll Back Driver. The NVIDIA App can also roll back to a previously installed driver, and “Uninstall device” followed by a restart makes Windows try to reinstall.
- If an Intel install fails, see Intel’s Troubleshooting Wizard for Intel Graphics Drivers. The DSA warning “Computer Manufacturer Graphics Driver Detected” means OEM customizations may be lost, so check the laptop maker’s driver first.
What to do before recording after a driver install
After installing a driver, restart the PC as Microsoft advises, then close the game completely and relaunch it before you start recording (relaunching the game is this guide’s suggestion). DOR is a free Windows app that detects supported games automatically and records the full match as an mp4. For example, Apex Legends gets full-match auto recording only, with no automatic kill clips. On an NVIDIA graphics card, NVENC hardware encoding is the default, so the GPU you just updated does the encoding, and game sound and microphone can be recorded together. That does not mean a driver update fixes recording problems; if stutter or a black screen remains afterward, go through fixing recording lag and black screens by symptom.
Official sources (confirmed September 30, 2026)
The Windows Update Optional updates path and the restart advice follow the Microsoft support page, while the Device Manager, Roll Back Driver and Uninstall device steps and the official-site-only warning follow Microsoft’s separate “Update drivers through Device Manager in Windows” article (link omitted). NVIDIA App requirements and rollback follow the NVIDIA App FAQ, and AMD install options follow the AMD install guide. For Intel, the articles on using Intel Driver & Support Assistant (000056649), installing Intel graphics drivers (000005629), and OEM products (000038757) were used. NVIDIA’s Control Panel and laptop pages date from 2021 and the Intel articles were last reviewed in 2025, so real screens may differ; this guide only repeats behavior the vendors document.
