How to Update NVIDIA Drivers

Have you ever faced game crashes, screen flickering, or slow performance while using your PC, and you don’t have a clue what the reason is?  When it comes to gaming, graphics, video editing, or even PC performance, the reason is simply outdated NVIDIA drivers. 

You can update them simply from the device manager, Windows Update, or the safest method is to update from their official website. Without updated drivers, your system may fail to recognize your GPU properly, or you may not get the improvements provided by NVIDIA. 

In this guide, we will cover multiple methods that update your NVIDIA drivers and make your gaming, videos, or images visuals clear, and make your system run at its best.

What are NVIDIA Drivers 

Simply, the drivers help your operating system to interact with your hardware components for communication.

• Nvidia drivers are software programs designed and developed by NVIDIA that help your operating system to interact with the GPU(graphics card)  for communication. 
• It ensures that games 3d, videos, and video playback run smoothly and provide maximum compatibility with the latest games and software to avoid conflict.

What are Graphic Drivers?

Graphic drivers are drivers that help the OS and applications to interact with your graphics card (GPU) for communication. 

• Graphics cards are responsible for generating images, videos, enhancing performance in gaming, video editing, and 3D designs, and handling heavy graphics by reducing load on the CPU without graphics drivers. 
• Updating the graphic drivers means updating or installing the newer version of driver software from their manufacturer's site, e.g, NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel, etc.

Key Features NVIDIA Drivers. 

Some features of NVIDIA drivers are : 

• Game Ready Drivers 

Optimized for the latest games, ensuring maximum performance and smooth gameplay right from launch day.

• Studio drivers 

Built for creators who use applications like Adobe Premiere Pro, Blender, or Auto task. These drivers provide stability and professional-grade performance.

• Optimized resource management 

They can use system memory and power in a better way, so that your system runs smoothly.

• Improved 3D graphics 

It is essential for gamers and 3D artists who want to create high-quality visuals.

If your drivers are updated, then you will be able to get the visuals clearly and also provide realistic effects. Updated drivers fix bugs and errors that make your system more stable and smooth.

• Reliability

NVIDIA drivers are tested for long-term stability updated version ensures.

Why Update NVIDIA drivers?

Updating the NVIDIA GPU drivers is important. Here is the reason : 

• It fixes problems that occur with the latest version of  NVIDIA drivers.
• Ensure that your system runs the latest  NVIDIA graphics driver update for better compatibility avoid any conflict.
• Avoid game crashes, freezes, and driver errors.
• Provide more stability and higher performance in other games and professional apps.

How to check your current NVIDIA Driver version on Windows 10/11 

Before updating, you should confirm which driver version is currently installed in your system.

1. On Windows 

Step 01: Press Win + R and type dxdiag in the box, then click on OK.

Step 02: Go to the display Tab, and you will see all the details of the NVIDIA GPU driver version.

2. By the NVIDIA Control Panel

Step 01: You need to right-click anywhere on your desktop screen and select  NVIDIA Control Panel from the options that appear on screen.

Step 02: Next step is to click on System Information.

Step 03: Here, you can see the version of your NVIDIA drivers. 

How to Install or Update NVIDIA Drivers 

There are multiple methods to update NVIDIA graphics drivers. All the methods are quite easy to apply. You can choose the one that fits your needs best.

Using  GeForce Experience 

One of the easiest and reliable methods to install or update NVIDIA drivers is by using GeForce Experience, which is freely available. 

• Follow our steps to update the NVIDIA RTX 2060 driver or any other model of NVIDIA graphics card: 

1. You need to visit the NVIDIA official site and download GeForce Experience.
2. Open it and log in.
3. Go to the drivers tab.
4. Click check for updates. Your RTX 2060 or any other GPU will be automatically detected.
5. Click on Download and then install the latest drivers.

From NVIDIA’s official website 

Steps to download NVIDIA drivers update from their official site are:

• Go to NVIDIA Driver downloads  
• Enter your GPU  model and OS.
• Download the latest NVIDIA driver and run the installer.

Through Windows Device Manager 

You can manually install the updates from Device Manager. Steps to download NVIDIA updates are ;

•   Press Win + X, select Device Manager. 
•   Expand display adapters.
•   Right-click on the NVIDIA GPU and select Update Drivers.

What NVIDIA sound drivers 

NVIDIA sound drivers are software components that allow your NVIDIA GPU to function properly.

• Sound drivers allow audio to be sent through HDMI/DisplayPort along with video.
• Without it, your monitor on TV may display video but no sound.
• It ensures video and audio work together for multimedia and gaming.
• NVIDIA sound drivers are sometimes NVIDIA high definition audio drivers, which come with your graphics cards. These drivers allow your GPU to send to, monitor, TV, or AV receiver with speakers.

What are NVIDIA motherboard audio drivers?

Nvidia does not manufacture motherboard audio drivers; they provide Nvidia high definition audio drivers. Motherboards are usually from Realtek, Intel, etc. 

• Click this link for more info on motherboard drivers

Note: Updating the NVIDIA motherboard drivers means updating or installing the HDMI/or display port which is installed along with the NVIDIA high-definition audio drivers, graphics drivers.

Update or Install  NVIDIA  High Definition Audio drivers

Steps to update and  install NVIDIA sound drivers or NVIDIA HD Audio drivers manually are : 

• Go to the NVIDIA official website.
• Enter your GPU model and operating system, and download the latest driver 
• Next step is to un the installer file 
• Select custom (Advanced ) installation 
• Mark on the HD Audio Driver option.
• Complete the installation and restart the PC 
• Right-click on the speaker icon >sound settings.
• Set NVIDIA high definition audio as the default.

How to update the NVIDIA Driver on Linux 

Updating drivers depends on which Linux distribution you use. The two most common are : 

• Debian-based systems, which include Debian, Ubuntu, or Mint)
•  Fedora-based system.

Updating NVIDIA Drivers in Debian /Ubuntu/Mint 

You can update or install the NVIDIA driver on Debian/Ubuntu/Mint with two methods 

• Using an automatic installer for drivers 
• Manually update the drivers 

Method 01: Using the automatic Installer

In Ubuntu 22.04 /24.04 versions, you can download the NVIDIA driver updates. By using the automatic installer the Linux detects your GPU and chooses the recommended version automatically.

Step 01: Check your GPU Model 

Open the terminal (CTRL+ALT+T) and run ;

• 1spci | grep -i nvidia 

This will show the NVIDIA GPU installed in your system.

Step 02: Update the system 

Before installing drivers, update your package list by : 

• sudo apt update
• sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 03: Check available NVIDIA Drivers 

Ubuntu has a tool called ubuntu-drivers to detect available drivers:

• Ubuntu - drivers devices

This will list recommended drivers.

Step 04: Install the Driver 

Install the driver (replace nvidia-driver-535 with your recommended version ):

• sudo apt install nvidia -driver -535 -y

Step 05: Reboot the system 

After installation, reboot the system and write the following command: 

• sudo reboot  

Step 06: Verify the installation 

Once the system is  rebooted, check if the NVIDIA driver is active, and write this command, which shows GPU information 

• nvidia -smi

Method B: Manually choose the Driver version 

Step 01: Search available drivers. Type this command : 

• apt search nvidia -driver

Step 02: Install a specific version, for example, 535, then you enter the command : 

• sudo apt install nvidia-driver-535

Step 03: Reboot the system. Type this: 

• sudo reboot.  

How to Install NVIDIA drivers in Fedora

Fedora is an open-source Linux-based operating system designed by the Fedora Project, freely available, which is well-recognized for its security and stability. 

•  It does not have Ubuntu drivers. You should set the RPM fusion to automatically pull the right driver for your GPU.

Step 01: Update Fedora 

Keep your system up to date before adding a new drive. Enter this command: 

• sudo dnf update. 

Step 02: Enable RPM Fusion Repositories 

To get NVIDIA drivers, you must enable RPM Fusion free and non-free repositories.

Step 03: Reboot it

Reboot the system. Enter this command;

• sudo reboot 

Step 04: Install NVIDIA Driver 

Install the recommended driver package.

•  sudo dnf install akmod-nvidia -y. 

This automatically builds drivers for the kernel and works better for Fedora. 

Updating NVIDIA drivers on Arch Linux 

Arch is also a distribution of Linux that uses pacman for the latest drivers.

1. Update system 

You need to update the system. Enter this command: 

•  sudo pacman -syu 

2. Install drivers 

To install drivers, you need to enter this command:

• sudo pacman - S nvidia nvidia -utils nvidia -settings linux-headers 

3. Blacklist Nouveau (if conflicts)

  If Nvidia drivers work fine, then there is no need to use this, but if you see boot issues or driver   errors, then enter this command : 

• echo  -e “blacklist nouveau\noptions nouveau modeset=0 | sudo tee/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf

 4. Verify 

 For verification, enter this command: 

•  Nvidia -smi

How to Install Older NVIDIA Drivers 

Sometimes the latest drivers don't work as expected. They cause black screens, sudden crashes, be stuck in gaming, or compatibility issues with older applications. In such situations, you need to install an older version that is compatible with your system.

1. Uninstall the current Driver. 

Steps to uninstall the current version of drivers are : 

• Press Win + R  and enter devmgmt.MSc, it directly opens the device manager. 
• Expand the display adapters. You will see the NVIDIA GPU.
• Right-click on it and select Uninstall Device.

Once you click on uninstall device, confirm it by clicking on delete the driver software of this device, and uninstall it completely.

2. Download an older version 

Steps to download an older version of NVIDIA drivers are : 

• Go to the NVIDIA drivers' official website.
• Select your GPU model. Search for it.
• Choose an older driver version and download it.

3. Clean Install

Steps to install the older driver are : 

• Run the installer 
• Select custom (Advanced), then check to perform a clean installation. 
• Complete the installation and restart the PC.

Why NVIDIA Drivers Fail to Install and How to Fix It?

Sometimes, users face NVIDIA driver problems after updating or installing a new version, or sometimes fail to install the NVIDIA drivers. Common  reasons include: 

Black screen or Installer freeze 

Conflicting drivers or corrupted GPU files can cause the screen to go black or freeze during installation.

Fix:

•  Boot into safe mode 
• Use DDU to remove the old drivers 
• Reinstall the drivers with a clean installation.

Error code 43 Device Manager 

In Device Manager see under the option of display adapter, your NVIDIA GPU shows an error code 43. It means Windows detected a problem with the graphics card or its driver and disabled the device.

Fix: 

•  Restart the PC. It can resolve temporary glitches. 
• Reinstall the drivers. 
• Disable Windows automatic driver updates to avoid conflicts. 
• Check that the GPU hardware is properly inserted in the slot.

Wrong driver version 

If you download a version that does not match your GPU model or your OS version, installation will fail.

Fix: 

• Go to the official NVIDIA website and select the exact model and operating system before downloading.

Antivirus  or background apps 

Antivirus software, games, or background apps, i.e, GPU monitoring app, game overlays, etc, may interfere with the installation process and fail to install the drivers.

Fix: 

• Temporarily disable the antivirus app.

Old or corrupted drivers 

Old or corrupted drivers can block new ones. If not cleaned properly, they conflict with the installer.

Fix : 

• Use Display Driver Uninstaller in safe mode to completely remove the old drivers, then reinstall the latest version.

Why get a Black Screen After Installing NVIDIA Drivers

• After installing the newest NVIDIA driver update, users usually faced the problem of a black screen. This happens when drivers conflict with Windows settings or other software. 
• Common causes of a black screen after installing NVIDIA drivers are:
• Nouveau conflicts 

It is an open-source driver still loaded on the nouveau driver or an old NVIDIA driver; it can conflict with the new one.

• Secure Boot

If secure boot is enabled in the BIOS, then it will not load the nvidia drivers properly and cause a black screen

• Wrong driver version 

Installing a driver not match your GPU or OS version. 

• Fast Boot( windows )

Windows Fast Startup can cause problems after switching drivers, making the system fail to load correctly.

• Corrupted Installation 

An incomplete or failed driver installation can cause display failure.

Quick Tips to Fix the Problems That Occur After Installing Drivers 

Installing the NVIDIA drivers can sometimes lead to unexpected problems. Such as crashes, black screen, or error code. Most problems can be solved with a few quick fixes that can restore stability and performance.

• Use Display Driver Uninstaller to remove old drivers before reinstalling.
• Reinstall the correct drivers from their official website. Select a clean installation.
• Performing a clean installation option during driver setup.when it is necessary.
• Roll back your driver from Device Manager if the latest one causes an error.
• Check these platforms ( NVIDIA, Reddit, distro-specific)for any queries with new drivers.
• Update the drivers only when necessary.

Conclusions 

Updating the NVIDIA driver is crucial for running the GPU smoothly. You can use GeForce Experience for official websites for safe updates.GPU (Graphics cards) is responsible for rendering images, videos, running games, and clear visual representation.

 Updated NVIDIA drivers protect you from sudden crashes, freezing, black screen, or slowing down the system. If you follow the methods that are listed in our blog, you can make sure that your drivers stay updated and you can run your PC efficiently without any screen distortions.