PC gaming has never been more popular with people of all ages getting in on the action. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo console owners usually receive forced updates with little control over what is or isn't downloaded and installed.
However, PC gamers must maintain their own system to keep performance running high. One of the essential tasks PC gamers can do regularly is update their NVIDIA graphics card drivers.
The graphics card is the component responsible for all the visual aspects of the latest game titles. The graphics card or GPU makes everything possible, from the vast open-world environments to the lifelike character movements. Within the GPU, the graphics drivers are the software that runs the cards and helps them cooperate with your operating system. So, updating the drivers is crucial to keep your PC running optimally and remain compatible with every new game.
But how do you update NVIDIA drivers?
GEFORCE Experience
There are multiple ways to update your NVIDIA drivers, and the most straightforward is through their platform GEFORCE Experience.
With GEFORCE Experience, you download an application to your PC that offers several features, including automatic driver updates. This application will notify you when a new driver is available for your specific graphics card and simplify the update process. You can either click on the pop-up notification on your desktop alerting you to a new driver or open GEFORCE Experience and select the “Driver” tab on the top menu.
With NIVIDA's application, your graphics card will automatically be identified, and you won't need to worry about specific model numbers or series information.
Once you navigate to the “Driver” menu within GEFORCE Experience, a message will notify you that an update is available, and you can select either “Express” or “Custom” for your installation options.
- With “Express,” you will receive any additional downloads within the update with no option to unselect.
- However, with the “Custom” option, you can go through a lengthy list of everything included in the update and pick which items you want to keep.
Another convenient aspect to updating NIVIDA drivers through GEFORCE Experience is the additional information provided about the new driver. As the new driver is downloading, you can learn more about the update and what to expect after installation completes. For example, the latest drivers usually become available along with significant game releases and help optimize game performance for specific graphics cards. In addition, many previous games see improved performance, additional options, and even enhanced game capture tools.
Here's a great tutorial on how to update your drivers by TechRated
Manual Driver Search
Another method for updating your graphics card NIVIDIA driver is to perform a manual search.
You can navigate to nvidia.com, select “Drivers,” and then choose your specific component via several dropdown menus.
With the manual method, you will need to be familiar with what type, series, specific product, and operating system you have. Once you fill out the information about your graphics card, NVIDIA will offer a list of several driver updates, and you can confirm your selection. You can carefully choose the latest driver update and select download to proceed with the process.
One of the benefits of the manual process is that in the event a driver update causes your PC issues, you can roll back to the previous one.
Even though NVIDIA does extensive testing on their updates, there are too many PC configurations to account for, and sometimes a driver update isn't compatible with everyone's system.
Another positive about manual updates is that you won't receive any additional add-ons beyond the driver update itself. With GEFORCE Experience, when you select the “Express” option, you'll receive other content you may or may not want on your machine.
Keeping Everything Optimized
While PC gaming offers enhanced visuals and performance over Playstation, Xbox, and Switch, some regular maintenance tasks are required to keep things running smoothly. The GPU is one of the most fundamental components of your PC gaming rig along with your gaming monitor and peripherals. So you'll want to take extra care with. Beyond thermal temperatures and performance settings, driver updates are vital to top performance.
NVIDIA offers multiple ways to update graphics drivers through their GEFORCE Experience application or manually through their website. The GEFORCE Experience software detects your graphics card and notifies you of new driver updates making the process as simple as a few clicks. However, if you choose not to install NVIDIA's software, you can still update your drivers manually through nvidia.com. Now that you're familiar with how to keep your NVIDIA graphics card drivers updated, it's time to tackle the latest and greatest gaming titles.
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