Graphic Driver Downloads - How do you?

Gaming
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#1

How do you handle GPU driver updates?

Do you take the set it and forget it approach? Let the Nvidia or AMD software take care of downloading and installing the updates in the background for you?

Do you take a middle of the road approach, letting the software notify you when a new driver is available and giving you the option of when (or even if) to install the driver update?

Or do you not even bother with the resource wasting software and simply do manual driver downloads and install when you hear (or feel) a new graphics driver is needed?

I ask the question specifically because of the news that the latest Nvidia driver - 531.18, that was released last week - appears to have a significant flaw in it. So much so that Nvidia have issued a hotfix for it and are recommended that all who have installed 531.18 download and install the hotfix as soon as possible.

531.18 is causing the Nvidia Container App to hitting upwards of 10% of a machines’ CPU capacity during gaming sessions, and then not releasing the usage when the game is exited. Some users have reported losing over 20% of their CPU to the Container App’s usage.

Why Nvidia have opted to issue a hotfix and not simply push an updated driver, I’m not sure. Thier Hotfix Note is note really jammed packed with information:

GeForce hotfix display driver version 531.26 is based on our latest Game Ready Driver 531.18.

This hotfix addresses the following issues:

  • Higher CPU usage from NVIDIA Container might be observed after exiting a game [4007208]
  • [Notebook] Random bugcheck may be observed on certain laptops with GeForce GTX 10/MX250/350 series GPUs [4008527]

Click here to download the GeForce hotfix display driver for Windows 10 x64/ Windows 11 x64

GeForce Hotfix Driver Version 531.26 | NVIDIA

If you’re like me, I let GeForce Experience download new drivers and then let me know when there’s a new driver ready to install. I normally give it a day or two to see if there’s a global panic about the new driver, then install it when I want - typically at the end of the day before I shut down. I did that with 531.18 and, presumably like others, didn’t notice any issues initially.

Lesson learned, I guess. Next time, I’ll wait even longer before updating the driver :smiley:

So, what’s your approach to these sort of updates? Are you Full Auto, Semi-Auto, or Full Manual? Or some hybrid of them?

Nvidia issues fix for recent driver eating up your CPU - The Verge

(I’m specifically thinking about GPU drivers, but I guess the question is the same for other things that have regular updates too.)

2 Likes
#2

I am usually the middle option, I let nvidia experience notify me of an update, and then when I feel like it, I will update it. Recently I haven’t been gaming much, so I haven’t updated in a while, but back when I was playing CoD I updated immediately.

3 Likes
#3

I guess I’m lazy manual. I usually do it manually, but now after seeing this post I went to check… and my last driver update was July 2022. Not sure about my gaming OS. So thanks for reminding me to update :stuck_out_tongue:.

2 Likes
#4

This is me. I only really update my drivers when I get a brand new AAA game that needs them.

3 Likes
#5

This is the way.

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#6

I let nvidia let me know but I do it when I see it is stable.

2 Likes
#7

Windows found my driver when I installed windows. Not that it matters. There haven’t been any new drivers for my GPU in a very long time.

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#8

Technically the “manual” way, but with added steps. every few months or so (or as mentioned above when a new AAA title comes out that I’m actually going to play, Callisto Protocol comes to mind since I got it free with AMD card) I’ll manually download the latest driver, run latest DDU in safe mode to remove the olddriver, and then install fresh the new driver.

I don’t trust their “in place updates”.

2 Likes
#9

Why can’t they make it that their drivers do the whole thing properly, without you needing to fiddle with safe mode, etc.?

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#10

Well in theory they do. I just got burned a few years back with driver updates not working properly. This works 100%, and takes like 90 seconds extra (go nvme booting), so I choose to just do it this way and KNOW that gfx drivers are installed fresh

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