GPU, graphics & drivers
How to update your GPU drivers (the right way)
Reviewed July 2026
Updating your graphics driver is routine maintenance, not magic. Here's a beginner-friendly, step-by-step guide to identifying your GPU, always downloading from the official source (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel), Game Ready vs Studio, why not to blindly chase the newest version, how to roll back, and when a clean install is worth it — with no invented numbers.
Step by step
01 Why updating your GPU driver matters
The driver is the software that tells Windows and your games how to talk to your graphics card. Vendors ship updates for two honest reasons: optimizations and bug fixes for new games (a “Game Ready” driver usually lands around a big title's launch), and fixes for issues like crashes, black screens, or flickering. Don't expect FPS miracles in old games that already ran fine — the real gains show up in freshly released titles or when you were on a driver with a specific problem. It's routine maintenance, not magic.
02 First, identify which GPU you have
Before downloading anything, you need to know exactly which card you have, because each brand uses its own software. Fastest way: open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), go to the Performance tab, and look at the GPU entry — it lists the name (for example NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, AMD Radeon RX 7600, or Intel Arc A750). Alternatively, right-click Start → Device Manager → Display adapters. Many laptops have two GPUs (an integrated Intel/AMD one and a dedicated gaming one): note both, but for games the dedicated card is what matters.
03 ALWAYS download from the official source
Get your driver only from the vendor's official site or its official app. For NVIDIA: nvidia.com or the NVIDIA app (formerly GeForce Experience). For AMD: amd.com or the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition app. For Intel: intel.com or the Intel Driver & Support Assistant. That's the security golden rule of this guide — you never need a middleman site. On the website's form, pick your exact model and your Windows version (almost always Windows 11 or 10, 64-bit) so it offers you the correct file.
04 Game Ready vs Studio (and AMD's equivalents)
NVIDIA offers two branches: the Game Ready driver, built to have the best support the day a game launches, and the Studio driver, which prioritizes stability for creative apps (video editing, 3D, rendering). For gaming, Game Ready is the usual pick; if you work in creative software and value nothing breaking, Studio may suit you. Both perform similarly in games — the real difference is how often and for what they're validated. AMD and Intel ship a single main consumer driver branch, so there's no choice to make there.
05 Install the driver
Close your games and, if you can, heavy apps before installing. Run the installer you downloaded (or hit “Download/Install” inside the vendor app) and accept the default options if you're unsure. It's normal for the screen to flicker or go black for a few seconds while the new driver loads — that's not a problem. If the installer offers a “clean install” or “custom” option, ticking clean install is a good idea when you're coming from trouble, because it removes leftovers from the previous version. Reboot if it asks you to when it finishes.
06 Don't blindly chase the newest version
Here's the honest part almost nobody tells you: the newest driver isn't always the best one for you. Most of the time they work perfectly, but occasionally a new release introduces a regression — a bug that breaks a specific game, drops performance in some case, or causes instability. If your PC already runs smoothly and stably, you don't have to update the same day a driver drops. A sensible strategy: update when you're about to play a new title, when a driver fixes a problem you're having, or wait a few days after a big launch to see if issues get reported.
07 How to roll back if a version causes problems
If crashes, worse performance, or a broken game show up after updating, you can go back to the previous driver — it's reversible. Quick option: Device Manager → Display adapters → right-click your GPU → Properties → Driver tab → “Roll Back Driver,” if the button is available. Cleaner option: download an earlier version that worked for you from the official site (vendors keep a version history) and install it over the top. Jotting down the version number that ran well for you saves future headaches.
08 When a clean install (DDU) is worth it
Installing over the top is enough for day-to-day updates. But if you have persistent problems — black screens, crashes, graphical artifacts, or you switched card brands (say NVIDIA to AMD) — a true clean install is worth it, wiping every trace of the old driver before adding the new one. That's the deep route using the DDU tool (Display Driver Uninstaller) in Safe Mode, and we cover it step by step in its own guide. For a routine update you don't need to go that far.
09 Avoid third-party “driver updater” tools
Skip the generic programs that promise to “scan and update all your drivers.” They're usually unnecessary, sometimes install the wrong or outdated versions, and many come loaded with aggressive ads or are outright sketchy. For your GPU you don't need them: the official NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel app already notifies you when a new driver is out and installs it safely. When it comes to drivers, “official and specific to your model” always beats “a tool that claims to fix everything.”
10 Where Neon helps (honestly)
Neon doesn't install or replace your GPU driver, and it invents no numbers: updating the driver is always something you do yourself from the official source, exactly as this guide explains. What Neon does is measure real numbers from your system (GPU, CPU and RAM usage and speed) and show you which card you have, so you know exactly which driver to look for. The wins it automates are Windows-side, safe and reversible, and every change is logged so you can undo it. It never touches your BIOS or forces your hardware. Every manual step in this guide works without Neon.
Where to get your driver
| GPU brand | Official site | Official app |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | nvidia.com | NVIDIA app (formerly GeForce Experience) |
| AMD | amd.com | AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition |
| Intel | intel.com | Intel Driver & Support Assistant |
Where Neon helps
Neon doesn't install your driver for you — you do that from the official source. What Neon does is measure real numbers from your machine and show you which card you have, so you know exactly what to look for.
- Shows you which GPU you have and reads its real usage and speed, alongside your CPU and RAM, so you know which driver to look for.
- It doesn't install or replace drivers or invent numbers: updating is always something you do from the vendor's official site or app.
- The wins it automates are Windows-side, safe and reversible, and every change is logged so you can undo it with one click.
- It never touches your BIOS or forces your hardware. Choosing and applying a driver is always your call, with full control.
Still getting crashes or artifacts after updating? See the guide on a clean GPU driver install with DDU, or the full picture in how to speed up your PC for gaming.