Assembling a PC isn’t just about the hardware components. The PC hardware must also communicate with the software — a reason big enough to focus on the drivers.
So, if you’re done with a PC building process, the very next step that you should take is to install drivers on it. As a beginner, you might ask what drivers you need, for what purposes, and how to install them.
Well, locating the required drivers is pretty easy. Simply install a driver update tool like Driver Booster or check manually for the driver requirements using the Device Manager on Windows.
Once you see the list of components and the driver status against them, you can go ahead and focus on the installation.
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What Drivers To Install on a New PC?
You need to understand that there are corresponding drivers for most components of a PC, i.e., motherboard, graphics card, processor, network card, and more. Even specialty RAM and storage modules might end up needing drivers.
In the coming sections, I’ll help you locate the drivers your PC needs, the correct installation pathway, and the best way(s) to update them.
As mentioned, you can manually head over to the “Device Manager” and locate the driver requirements. Here are some of the basic drivers that you might end up seeing per the overall structure of your recently assembled PC:
1. Video Card Driver
Also known as the graphics driver, the video card PC driver allows the OS to interact with your PC’s graphics card. With the driver installed, the videos and images get rendered onto your computer’s display.
Coming to the recommended settings, you need to align the driver with the refresh rate and resolution of the concerned monitor or the computer screen. This tweak minimizes the changes of distortion.
Check for the anisotropic filtering and anti-aliasing settings if you’re into gaming. The data and the preferred anisotropic/anti-aliasing settings will be available in the GPU manual.
Also, check for the V-sync settings to keep the screen from tearing. Plus, there can be overclocking and power management settings to consider, depending on the type of card you plan on using.
As for availability, the website of the GPU manufacturer usually has all the recommended drivers needed to get the component up and running.
You can pick the driver based on the version of Windows or the concerned operating system, the release date of the GPU, GPU model, driver type, and even the features relevant to the GPU that you have installed.
2. Chipset Driver
The chipset driver is what connects the motherboard to the OS (operating system). With this driver in place, the motherboard can regulate and manage the data flow between the different components.
Simply put, the chipset driver makes the motherboard and every other component embedded within usable.
As for settings, you need to check the driver version and pick the right model, per the details mentioned on the motherboard itself.
Plus, you also need to verify the compatibility with the OS and BIOS, which avoids stability issues and keeps the performance top-notch.
And finally, you might want to choose between a full-package chipset driver or the basic driver, depending on the apps and other components you plan on adding to the motherboard.
You can download the chipset driver directly from the motherboard manufacturer’s website. To pick the right one, you need to feed in the model number and choice of OS that needs your attention, and you are good to go.
Don’t have the manufacturer/model number details of your CPU?
Run a system insight tool like the CPU-Z to identify the driver version automatically. More than cool, right?
3. Audio Driver
The audio driver is what makes your speaker system, headsets, and the audio consortium work in the best possible way. With the right audio driver in place, you can manage the sound that your machine experiences.
While the recommended settings would depend on the type and version of the audio driver, you are better off aligning the audio format of the driver with the ones supported by the headphones or speakers.
The go-to ones include the 24-bit/192kHz or 24-bit/96kHz settings. The higher output standard often requires more processing power.
You might want to pick a driver with built-in equalizer settings if you are an audiophile. Plus, you might even pick something up with built-in audio enhancements.
And finally, if you plan on using the microphone, you might pick a relevant audio driver with support for boost, microphone volume, mono, or even stereo capabilities.
Do note that while building a PC, you need to consider getting a sound card if you want to pick the best-in-class audio drivers. However, if you aren’t that fixated on a sound card, you might just want to get an audio device and pick the right drivers corresponding to the same from the manufacturer’s website.
Also, while new-gen motherboards come with dedicated sound cards, you can always fit in an external one, as per your preferences. As for motherboards with sound cards, you can pick the ASUS ROG Maximum XII Hero or even the MSI MPG B550 — both of which come with some powerful audio drivers.
4. Wi-Fi Driver
If your PC has a wireless network adapter installed, presumably for lending networking capabilities, you would need a Wi-Fi driver. With the Wi-Fi driver in place, you can connect to the internet wirelessly.
As for the settings, you need to check for the router’s wireless mode, including the 802.11n, 802.11ac, or 802.11ax mode, the security type on offer (AES or WPA2), and even the power settings. The details should ideally be available on the website of the manufacturer.
Suppose you want to go deep into the world of recommended settings for the Wi-Fi driver; you might also need to use the right channel selection and level of roaming aggressiveness to make the network adapter more aligned with your networking device.
5. LAN Driver
The LAN driver makes your Ethernet network adapter usable, allowing you to establish high-speed wired internet connections.
You can locate the right driver by looking at the manufacturer’s website, which has its network adapter embedded onto your motherboard. And if you cannot locate the same, tools like CPU-Z can find the same for you.
As for settings, you need to pick the driver that lets you modify the duplex and speed settings based on your internet connection.
If you are a Twitch streamer and a person who requires high-speed internet, you might want to consider Jumbo frames as the recommended settings.
Also, suppose you want to play around with the settings. In that case, you can focus on picking a driver that offers configuration support for IP addresses, Wake-on-LAN, and even adapter teaming to help you increase the network performance.
As for availability, once you can locate the manufacturer, it is necessary to check the driver version and even look at the documentation before proceeding.
6. USB Driver
Your assembled PC will have USB ports as part of the I/O panel or the front/back of the PC case. You can maximize their usage via the USB driver. With the USB driver in place, your PC can detect USB devices with ease.
Coming to the settings, you need to align the driver configuration with the power management requirements, the USB version in play (USB 2.0 or USB 3.0), and even the device policy.
For instance, you can teach your driver to follow a “Quick Removal” policy for the USB instead of “Better Performance” that instructs the USB driver and hence the port to prioritize ejection.
Note: Drivers for the processor or CPU are typically handled by the combined effort of the motherboard firmware and also the operating system. There aren’t any user-configurable settings in play that can affect stability and performance.
However, you can head over to the BIOS and access advanced processor settings for requirements like overclocking, adjusting voltage, and more.
Also, if you want to include other components like a printer, a printer driver might be needed. The settings, in that case, will align with the model of the printer, paper type, and possibility of duplex printing.
You can get the same by visiting the website of the manufacturer. Picking printers from the likes of Samsung, HP, and Epson can readily speed up driver availability.
How To Install Drivers On A New PC?
I have already answered an important question: What drivers do I need to install after building a computer? But it is important to locate the correct order to install the drivers.
First of all, you need to install the operating system as it then takes care of most basic functions, like setting up the process, RAM, and even the storage drive. Once done, here is the order of installation that you can follow:
1. Install the Chipset Driver
Here is how to install the motherboard drivers onto the PC (I will use the ASUS Prime B450M-A motherboard)
Step 1: Head over to the motherboard manufacturer’s website and download the chipset driver. There might be different drivers on display, and you might ask, what motherboard drivers do I need?
Note: Well, if you have a basic PC setting, you can opt for the basic chipset driver, or else you can go for the full-package driver.
Step 2: Run the download and let the on-screen instructions run unabated.
Step 3: Once done, restart the PC.
You can even install RGB, SATA, and other full-package options, as desired.
2. Install the Video Card Driver
Note: I will use the Radeon RX 570 as an example.
Step 1: Head over to the website of the GPU manufacturer and download the right video card driver, per the settings and OS version.
Step 2: Once downloaded, let the file run as per the on-screen instruction flow.
Step 3: Once the same is installed, you need to restart the PC.
3. Install the Audio Driver
Relevant to the motherboard, or you can choose drivers for any additional component.
4. Install the Wi-Fi Driver
Relevant to the motherboard, or you can choose drivers for any additional component.
Note: For Wi-Fi drivers, you can even head over to the device manager, select the type of driver you can install by clicking on the hardware IDs and selecting the first option, and then use driver websites like “Driverpack.io” to manually search and install the right driver for your computer.
This works for LAN, USB, and other drivers as well.
5. Install the LAN Driver
Relevant to the motherboard, or you can choose drivers for any additional component.
6. Install the USB Driver
Do note that the installation steps remain the same for each type of driver as you simply need to locate the right driver on the website of the manufacturer, download and install the same, and restart the PC after each flow.
How To Ensure All PC Drivers Are Up To Date?
Well, checking the drivers manually for updates is time-consuming. Here are some of the tools that can help:
1. Windows Update
Once the Windows OS is installed, Windows Update does the automatic driver checks for you. It even installs the same, if and when available.
2. Driver Update Software Modules
You can install the likes of Snappy Driver installer, Driver Booster, and Driver Easy to locate obsolete drivers easily. These tools can download the updated versions accordingly and install them as well.
Or, you can simply head over to the manufacturer’s website to see if newer versions of your updates are available. However, once you download the drivers manually, you need to see if they are compatible with the system architecture, which is x64 for Windows in most cases.
Here are some of the tips to make driver update scanning easy and fun:
- Activate auto-updates
- Keep checking regularly
- Keep backing up the drivers
- Do not install third-party software modules or files
- Refrain from installing new versions if the older variant is working as desired
And that sums up our drivers-specific discussion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regardless of the PC you plan on building, the chipset driver handling the motherboard specifications should go first. Installing this driver also takes care of the processor.
Updating PC drivers lead to improved PC performance, quick bug fixes, better compatibility with the latest apps and newer OS inclusions, and also improved security against potential threats.
You should only install the motherboard drivers after the OS is up and running. Also, by this time, the entire motherboard and PC case should be ready with the CPU, RAM, storage module (which will have the OS), and even the GPU.
Windows 10 already comes with a massive library of PC-specific drivers, including the ones for the sound card, network adapter, and even display. However, you can always pick the component-specific drivers from the website of the manufacturer.
You can head over to the Device Manager by pressing the Windows and the X buttons together. Once the device manager platform is open, you can expand the same to check for every installed driver by hitting the arrow beside it. You can even right-click each component, select Properties, choose the Driver tab, and cross-check the version and name of the installed unit.
If you plan on building a gaming PC, you would require the chipset driver (full-package preferably), Peripheral drivers, graphics card driver, network driver (maybe just LAN), and also the audio driver for a wholesome experience.
A new PC wouldn’t immediately require a driver scan and updated installations. However, it is always good to check for the new driver updates as that would take care of the recent bug fixes. Plus, the more updated the drivers are, the smoother your PC will feel.
Conclusion
It goes without saying that PC driver installation is a vital step in ensuring that every hardware component of the recently assembled PC works as desired.
And if you were previously unsure about installing drivers post-component installation, I really hope that this guide helped you through.
Also, once you have installed the drivers right, you need proper PC maintenance and regular update installation to enhance the longevity of your machine.
Also, I would suggest installing good anti-malware and anti-virus to ensure that your PC and the data within remain in the pink of health.
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