How to Update Graphics Card Drivers (and When to Do a Clean Install)
A graphics driver update can fix crashes and add performance in new games. A bad one can cause the crashes. Here's how I update drivers on NVIDIA, AMD and Intel cards, when a clean install is worth it, and how to back out of a driver that made things worse. I handle gaming PC repair at my Somerville, NJ shop, and driver trouble comes up often.
Where to Get the Right Driver
Always from the company that made the graphics chip.
| Graphics card | Easiest way to update | Manual download |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA GeForce | NVIDIA app, Drivers tab. Pick Game Ready (gaming) or Studio (creative apps) from the menu in the top-right | NVIDIA's driver page |
| AMD Radeon | AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, which checks for updates on its own | AMD's driver page |
| Intel Arc or built-in graphics | Intel's driver tools | Intel's support site for your exact graphics model |
| Dell, HP or Lenovo prebuilt | The maker's support app can offer a tested version | The maker's support page, using your service tag or serial number |
Windows Update can install a graphics driver too, but it's usually behind the card maker's latest release. Skip third-party "driver updater" programs entirely.
How to Update Graphics Card Drivers, Step by Step
A normal update takes about ten minutes.
Find out which card you have
Open Device Manager and expand Display adapters, or check my guide on how to check PC specs. If you see two entries, one is the processor's built-in graphics and one is the card. Update the card.
Download from the card maker
Use the app or the driver page in the table above. On NVIDIA, choose Game Ready if the PC is mostly for gaming and Studio if it's mostly for editing or 3D work.
Close games and install
Close games, launchers and overlays, run the installer and let the screen flicker. It goes black for a few seconds while the driver loads. That's normal.
Restart and test
Restart even if it doesn't ask. Then play the game that gave you trouble for 20 minutes before deciding the update helped or hurt.
When a Clean Install Is Worth It
Not every time. These are the cases where I always do one.
- After a graphics card swap, especially going from AMD to NVIDIA or the other way. Leftover files from the old brand cause black screens and crashes.
- When a normal update fails or the installer stops partway through.
- When problems started right after an update and rolling back didn't clear them.
In NVIDIA's standalone installer, a clean install is Custom (Advanced), then Perform a clean installation. AMD's installer has a factory reset option that does the same job. Either one resets your driver settings and game profiles, so note anything you've tuned first. For a really stubborn mess, a free tool called Display Driver Uninstaller wipes every trace from Safe Mode, but I treat that as a last step, not a first one.
How to Roll Back a Bad Driver
New isn't always better. Sometimes the previous version is the stable one.
Open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, double-click your graphics card, go to the Driver tab and choose Roll Back Driver. If that button is grayed out, download the previous version from the card maker and install it with the clean install option. My guide on rolling back Windows drivers walks through it, and I covered a case where Windows itself downgraded a GPU driver on its own.
If crashes, artifacts or black screens keep happening across driver versions, the driver probably isn't the problem. Read the signs a graphics card is dying and my post on PCs that crash while gaming.
What I See on the Bench in New Jersey
Composite examples, built from the kinds of jobs that come across my Somerville counter.
The card swap that wasn't the card. A Bridgewater customer swapped an AMD card for an NVIDIA one and got a black screen in every game. The old AMD driver was still installed. A clean removal and a fresh NVIDIA driver fixed it, and the "bad" new card was fine.
The driver that wasn't the driver. A Piscataway gamer had rolled through four driver versions trying to stop crashes. On the bench the crashes followed the card into a known-good test PC. It got a replacement card, and the crashes stopped.
Still crashing after a clean driver install? Bring the tower in. The $75 diagnostic ($149 for custom-built and boutique PCs) tells you whether it's the driver, Windows or the card, and it's credited toward the repair. If the card needs replacing, my graphics card replacement service handles it.
📞 Call (908) 428-9558Drop-off shop at 75 N Bridge St, Somerville NJ · Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat 9-2
Directions to Dave's Computers in Somerville, NJ
Downtown Somerville, one block off Main Street, behind Bank of America.
From Bridgewater
Route 22 or Route 202/206 to the Somerville Circle, then Route 28 east (West Main Street) into downtown. Left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Hillsborough
Route 206 north into Somerville, right onto West Main Street, then left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Bound Brook
Route 28 west straight into downtown Somerville. Right onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Piscataway
I-287 north to Exit 17 (Route 202/206 south), then Route 28 east into downtown Somerville.
Open in Google MapsFrom Flemington
Route 202 north to the Somerville Circle, then Route 28 east into downtown. Left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Princeton
Route 206 north through Montgomery and Hillsborough into Somerville. Right onto West Main Street, then left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsTimes are typical drives outside rush hour. Call 908-428-9558 before a long drive if you want to confirm I'm at the counter.
Graphics Driver Questions From NJ Customers
What I get asked most about drivers.
How do I update my graphics card driver?
Use the card maker's own tool or website. NVIDIA owners can use the NVIDIA app's Drivers tab or download the driver from nvidia.com. AMD owners use AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition or amd.com. Intel Arc owners use Intel's driver page. Windows Update can install a graphics driver too, but it is usually older than the one from the card maker.
What is a clean install of a graphics driver?
A clean install removes the old driver's files and settings before installing the new one. In NVIDIA's standalone installer it is Custom (Advanced), then Perform a clean installation. It resets your driver settings and profiles, so use it after a GPU swap, when switching brands, or when a normal update fails.
Should I use Game Ready or Studio drivers?
Game Ready drivers are tuned for new game releases and are the right pick for most gaming PCs. Studio drivers are released less often and tested for creative apps like video editors and 3D tools. If the PC is mostly for work in those apps, Studio is the steadier choice.
How do I roll back a graphics driver that caused problems?
Open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, open your graphics card, go to the Driver tab and choose Roll Back Driver if it is available. If it is grayed out, download the previous driver version from the card maker and install it with the clean install option.
How much does it cost to fix graphics driver problems in New Jersey at Dave's Computers?
If the PC is crashing, black-screening or showing artifacts, bring it in for the diagnostic: $75 for a Dell, HP, Lenovo or other major-brand desktop, or $149 for a custom-built or boutique PC, credited toward the repair. I test whether it is the driver, Windows or the card itself before anything is replaced.
Driver Trouble You Can't Shake? Bring It to Somerville, New Jersey
Bring the tower and its power cord, and tell me which games crash and when it started. I'll find out whether it's software or hardware before anything gets replaced. Planning a new card? Read my graphics card upgrade guide first.
📞 (908) 428-9558