Ok, so basically as the thread title suggests I'm a newb at drivers and updating them and stuff.

 

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what they do and how to update them. I was informed by someone that they can help to speed up your computer and I was wondering if this was correct. I was also wondering what parts of your computer need drivers updated etc.

 

One last thing, I've seen many 'Driver checks, see if you need to upgrade' and all that sort of thing.

I've generally dismissed all that as spam and malware, but are there any decent ones aimed at helping people?

 

Thanks guys.

it is spam and malware.

 

drivers, usually have changelogs, so that is one way to see if it will 'fix' an issue you are having.

 

in 'most' cases, and i mean a majority, updating drivers will give you benefits. if it doesn't, you can just roll back to the one you had previously, or a bit of googling will find you the 'best' drivers for your particular piece of hardware.

 

 

edit; in regards to the spam and malware, there are 2 pieces of software that will help you update software, not driver hardware. one is 'filehippo update checker' and 'update notifier'. both do the same thing.

Edited June 11, 200915 yr by captncrunch240

So, how can I tell currently what driver I have for, say, my Nvidia 9600?

 

Also, would my CD-ROM/DVD drive have a driver?

Every device connected to your PC can be updated...

Pretty sure that theres programs that can detect what drivers you already have...

But the best way is to go to the manufacturers website and download the latest...

Drivers are the interface layer between your hardware components and your operating system. They abstract the instructions a piece of hardware requires from programs and the OS so that developers don't have to code at the hardware layer to get their programs to use components.

 

Developers being developers, drivers often have bugs or need updating to handle new firmware/chipsets, or to improve performance. Therefore, it's often advantageous to be running with the latest drivers.

 

Updates depend on the driver and the manufacturer. Some manufacturers have very good automated driver update mechanisms, like Nvidia and/or Microsoft. Others don't and require manually finding the driver, downloading it and installing it.

 

If you use windows, use the Device Manager in Control panel to ascertain the version of driver in use for each hardware component.

Edited June 11, 200915 yr by Yamato-2142

Ah, thanks guys.

 

I think I see what to do now. There sort of is an automatic update where you can select to search your computer and the internet and it finds the most appropriate for you.

no, i wouldn't rely on anything automatic to make the right decisions.

 

look at your hardware in major components and then decide if the driver version you have, is worth updating via the changelog. motherboard and sound usually always are, video drivers often have older versions that work better for the particular game you want.

 

the big ones are;

 

motherboard/chipset

sound

video

 

you can usually check driver version in device manager.

Ah, thanks guys.

 

I think I see what to do now. There sort of is an automatic update where you can select to search your computer and the internet and it finds the most appropriate for you.

Don't use Automatic Updates, go to the Chipset makers site, nvidia or ATI normally.... What are your specs?

 

Even better, check out a hardware site that will give you all the info you want. You may even decide to join a forum. This is my fav stomping ground http://guru3d.com/ Guru3D., I've been a member there since 2007.

 

Mainly dedicated to PC enthusiasts, they get around 7.5 million hits a week and is a great place to learn about PC's with lots of helpful members there...like me! lolz

 

 

Oh yeah, like S.O.P. said the free driver scans etc are just BS..

 

http://forums.guru3d.com/

Edited June 11, 200915 yr by seo iphone

oh, and updating video drivers, and certain sound drivers can be fraught with danger, not trying to scare you.

 

sometimes, the uninstall leaves behind old driver entries which can create odd behaviour. there are certain programs which remove those entries.

To check which drivers are right for you, go to the manufacturer's website and typically, you'd find the drivers under a "support" tab/button of some sort.

 

Nvidia for example asks you for your graphics card, your OS and then directs you to the download link for the driver.

 

Keep your drivers (especially for graphics cards) updated as they can at times significantly boost your FPS.

 

I went to Nvidia's 185.xx driver and boosted my fps in Far Cry 2 by 40% (20% in World In Conflict IIRC).

 

edit:

 

normally after a reformat/building a new pc, I install the drivers in the following order:

 

Chipset

Graphics

Anything else on cd that came with the mobo

Other peripherals like Printer, webcam, etc.

Edited June 11, 200915 yr by Stoked24

Oh, thanks for the very helpful replies guys.

 

 

I'll check out the guru3d site, when I get back from school. Also I'll have a look at my drivers etc.

 

Cheers.

So, how can I tell currently what driver I have for, say, my Nvidia 9600?

 

Also, would my CD-ROM/DVD drive have a driver?

 

hey dude,

 

ive got a 9600. For your gpu you can interrogate the drivers version and date by accessing the control panel and going through display. Itll give you when the last drivers were installed and what version they are, i cant remember exactly, but its not hard to find.

 

I always go to the nvidia site direct and download my drivers from there...Have a brief read of the description to see what theyre doin.

 

And i personally never use 3rd party software to keep track of my driver updates. I keep my hardware brand support sites in my favourites and check for driver updates and the like from there. I dont see a need to have software do it for me.

 

ha...reminds me to check for some updates tonight

Edited June 12, 200915 yr by Hambang101

righto guys.

 

Looks like fun,

 

guru3d forums are blocked because of 'Bulletin Boards'

Well, it's not entirely necessary to head there.

 

Go to your Motherboard manufacturers website and grab all the latest drivers there (perhaps even check your BIOS version when booting to see if there are any major improvements in BIOS version).

 

Go to Nvidia and grab the latest forceware for your card.

 

If you have a Realtek onboard, grab the latest Realtek drivers from their site.

righto guys.

 

Looks like fun,

 

guru3d forums are blocked because of 'Bulletin Boards'

http://guru3d.com/

Try this one.

Yeah, Thanks Pill. I had the main page working, but the forums are blocked because for some reason 'Bulletin Boards' are secretly corroding our learning abilities - even on weekends...

That sucks. The Fun Police strike again....

Pfft, think yourself lucky that you don't have the NSW Department of education filter

It wouldn't even let me look at a site to learn Russian...

It wouldn't even let me look at a site to learn Russian..........

....."Russian sexual techniques"??

 

 

 

Is that what you were going to say?

Edited June 13, 200915 yr by seo iphone

EXACTLY

Nah I wanna learn to speak Russian so i can scream profanities at people while playing PR

EXACTLY

Nah I wanna learn to speak Russian so i can scream profanities at people while playing PR

 

I'm in...

 

Anyway, it turns out my GPU is already updated to the latest, and my DVD/RW is playing up because I wasn't following a secret technique in pushing the tray back into the computer.

EXACTLY

Nah I wanna learn to speak Russian so i can scream profanities at people while playing PR

What's wrong with screaming profanities at them in English?

 

If they don't understand you it might be hard to get your insults across don't you think....?

Except that profanities are against the rules. Shadow is trying to be tricky.

 

What he doesn't know, is that Jim had all the admins learn every possible language before acceptance so they can ban you if any are uttered. BigD hates swear words that much

Apparently swearing is caused by poor education and a lack of vocabulary, it causes people to fall back on simple words rather than using the correct word.

Apparently swearing is caused by poor education and a lack of vocabulary, it causes people to fall back on simple words rather than using the correct word.

But they are useful in alleviating stress caused by nubs.