To install or update NVIDIA drivers on Windows 10 or 11, identify your GPU model in Task Manager under the Performance tab, download the matching driver from nvidia.com/drivers, run the installer and choose NVIDIA Graphics Driver (not GeForce Experience), select Express, and restart your PC. Verify the new version in Device Manager under Display Adapters.
Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) | Last updated: April 19, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Check your GPU model in Task Manager > Performance > GPU before downloading — the driver must match your exact card (for example, RTX 3060, RTX 4070, GTX 1660).
- Download drivers only from the official NVIDIA site at nvidia.com/drivers — third-party driver sites are a common source of malware.
- Choose Game Ready Driver for gaming or Studio Driver for creative apps like DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, or Blender.
- You do not need GeForce Experience to get driver updates — the NVIDIA app (or the newer NVIDIA App released in 2024) replaces it and is lighter.
- Always restart after installing — Windows finishes swapping kernel-mode driver files on boot, and skipping the restart is the most common cause of black screens after an update.
Quick Steps
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to Performance > GPU, and note the exact NVIDIA model shown at the top right.
- Go to nvidia.com/drivers and select the product type, series, model, operating system, and download type.
- Click Search, then Download, and run the installer when it finishes.
- Select NVIDIA Graphics Driver only (skip GeForce Experience), choose Express, and let the installation finish.
- Restart Windows, then open Device Manager > Display Adapters to confirm the card is listed with no yellow warning icons.
Step 1: Identify Your NVIDIA Graphics Card
Before downloading anything, you need the exact model of your card. Installing the wrong driver is the single most common reason a clean install ends in a black screen.
Right-click the taskbar and pick Task Manager (or press Ctrl + Shift + Esc). Click the Performance tab, then select GPU from the left sidebar. The exact model — for example, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER — is shown in the top-right corner.
Tip: If you have a laptop, note that down as well — laptop GPUs use different drivers than their desktop counterparts, and picking the wrong one will install but not work correctly.
Step 2: Download the Correct NVIDIA Driver
Open your browser and go straight to nvidia.com/drivers. Avoid ads at the top of Google results — malicious driver-download sites frequently impersonate NVIDIA, and I have seen them cause real damage in the repair shop.
On the manual driver search page, fill in these fields based on what you saw in Task Manager:
- Product Type: GeForce (for consumer cards) or NVIDIA RTX / Quadro (for workstation cards).
- Product Series: The generation — for example, GeForce RTX 30 Series or GeForce RTX 40 Series. Pick the (Notebooks) variant if you are on a laptop.
- Product: The exact card model, such as RTX 3060 or RTX 4070.
- Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11.
- Download Type: Game Ready Driver for gaming, or Studio Driver if your main workload is DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, Blender, or other creative apps.
- Language: English (US) unless you need a specific localisation.
Click Search to see the latest matching driver and its release date, then click Download on the next two pages to grab the installer. The file is usually around 600 MB to 900 MB depending on your generation.
Step 3: Install the NVIDIA Driver
Run the downloaded installer. It will extract to a folder on your C: drive and launch the setup UI automatically when it is ready.
On the first screen you will see two options:
- NVIDIA Graphics Driver — installs the driver only. This is what most people should pick.
- NVIDIA Graphics Driver and GeForce Experience — installs the driver plus NVIDIA’s game-capture, optimisation, and update tool.
Pick NVIDIA Graphics Driver unless you specifically want ShadowPlay or in-game overlays. The driver by itself is lighter, has fewer background services, and can always be paired later with the newer NVIDIA App, which replaced GeForce Experience in 2024.
Click Agree and Continue, then choose between Express and Custom:
- Express upgrades the existing driver in place and keeps your 3D settings, colour profile, and display configuration. This is fine for routine updates.
- Custom lets you tick individual components (HD Audio driver, PhysX, USB-C driver) and, crucially, offers a Perform a clean installation checkbox. A clean install wipes all previous NVIDIA settings and registry entries — pick this if you are troubleshooting crashes, stutters, or black screens.
Click Next and let it run. Your screen will flash black a few times as the display driver is swapped out. This is normal.
Step 4: Restart and Verify the Installation
When the installer shows “The installer has finished,” click Close and restart the system. A full restart — not just sign out — lets Windows load the new kernel-mode driver cleanly.
After reboot, right-click the Start button and pick Device Manager. Expand Display adapters. Your NVIDIA card should be listed with no yellow warning triangle next to it.
To confirm the version number, right-click the NVIDIA entry, choose Properties, and click the Driver tab. The Driver Version should match (or be close to) the release you just downloaded — NVIDIA’s format is an internal number like 566.36, so cross-reference it on the download page if you want to be certain.
When to Do a Clean Install
Routine updates do not need a clean install — Express is fine. Do a clean install (Custom > Perform a clean installation) in these situations:
- You are getting stutters, crashes in games, or black screens after a previous driver update.
- You just swapped GPUs — for example, upgraded from a GTX 1060 to an RTX 4070 — and want leftover registry entries from the old card cleared out.
- You are downgrading to an older driver and want NVIDIA Control Panel settings reset to defaults.
For deeper troubleshooting — where even a clean install does not fix the issue — use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Safe Mode to strip every trace of the old driver before reinstalling. If you want to remove GeForce Experience itself cleanly, see my guide on how to uninstall and reinstall NVIDIA GeForce Experience.
Game Ready vs. Studio Drivers
NVIDIA ships two driver branches for the same consumer GeForce cards:
- Game Ready Driver (GRD): Released roughly every two to four weeks, tuned for new game launches and DLSS updates. Pick this if you primarily play games.
- NVIDIA Studio Driver (SD): Released about once a month, validated against Adobe, Autodesk, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, and other creative apps. Pick this if your workflow is video editing, 3D rendering, or CAD — stability beats day-one game support.
Both driver branches install the same way. Swapping between them is as simple as downloading the other one and running a Custom install with the clean-installation checkbox ticked.
Why Driver Updates Matter
Driver updates are not just about new game support. They also ship:
- Performance optimisations — NVIDIA regularly improves frame rates in existing titles through shader compiler changes, particularly for DirectX 12 and Vulkan games.
- Bug fixes — crashes, flicker, HDR issues, and multi-monitor bugs are patched between versions.
- Security patches — NVIDIA has issued several CVE-level security advisories for the display driver. Running a driver from 2022 leaves real kernel-level vulnerabilities open.
If your graphics card is struggling even on the latest driver, run a GPU stress test to rule out hardware issues before blaming the driver.
Related Tools and Guides
- How to Install or Update Graphics Drivers on Windows 10/11 — covers AMD and Intel GPUs as well.
- Install Missing Drivers with Snappy Driver Installer Origin — automatically pulls every driver Windows is missing after a fresh install.
- Enable the Ultimate Performance Power Plan — recommended before heavy GPU workloads like DaVinci Resolve.
- Best Graphics Cards for Every Budget — my current recommendations if you are shopping for a new GPU.
- Winhance — my own free utility for debloating Windows and freeing up resources for gaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I update my NVIDIA drivers?
I update every one to two months, or sooner if a new driver adds support for a specific game I am playing. If your PC is stable and you are not having issues, there is no need to chase every release — “don’t fix what isn’t broken” applies to GPU drivers too.
Do I need GeForce Experience or the NVIDIA App to install drivers?
No. The manual driver download at nvidia.com/drivers is the same file either app would install. The NVIDIA App (which replaces GeForce Experience as of 2024) adds auto-update notifications, optimisation profiles, and game recording, but nothing about the driver itself.
What if I get a black screen after installing a new driver?
Boot into Safe Mode (hold Shift while clicking Restart on the sign-in screen, then Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart > press 4). In Safe Mode, open Device Manager, right-click the NVIDIA card under Display adapters, and choose Uninstall device with the delete driver checkbox ticked. Reboot normally and reinstall using the Custom > Clean Install option.
Should I uninstall the old driver before installing a new one?
Not for routine updates — Express handles the swap cleanly. Only strip the old driver first (using DDU in Safe Mode or the Custom > Clean Install checkbox) when you are troubleshooting persistent crashes, switching GPU brands, or swapping hardware.
Can I roll back to an older NVIDIA driver?
Yes. Download the older version from the official driver page (set the download type to match, then scroll down for older releases) and run it with Custom > Perform a clean installation ticked. Do not use Device Manager’s “Roll back driver” option — it rarely finds the previous package once a new one has been installed.
