How to Find Graphics Card Details and Update Drivers in Windows

To update your graphics driver in Windows 11, go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates and install any display driver listed there. For the newest drivers, especially for gaming, use your graphics maker’s app: the NVIDIA app, AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, or Intel’s driver tools. You can also update from Device Manager under Display adapters. A new driver can also help with games that crash or won’t start, such as Roblox not launching on Windows 11.

This guide covers Windows 11 desktops and laptops with NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel graphics. It shows how to find which graphics chip you have, four ways to update the driver, how to check that it worked, and how to recover if a new driver causes problems. Some steps need an administrator account.

Read Graphics Card Details With DirectX Diagnostic Tool

In Windows 11, search Start for dxdiag and open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. Microsoft documents opening this diagnostic tool. Select its Display tab and read the device name, manufacturer and driver information. If there are multiple Display or Render tabs, inspect each rather than assuming the first is the only GPU. The System tab reports the DirectX version instead of the graphics-card model. Compare the adapter name with Device Manager > Display adapters using the procedure below. This identifies hardware and driver details; it does not update the driver or prove that every game is compatible.

Read GPU Details in Task Manager or System Information

On Windows 10 or 11, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, choose More details if the older compact view appears, and select Performance. Select GPU 0 or another listed GPU, then read its full adapter name, usage and dedicated/shared memory figures. Inspect each entry if more than one GPU is listed; GPU 0 does not necessarily mean the fastest adapter or the one used by a game. Dedicated memory and shared system memory are different. Microsoft’s GPU performance documentation explains the figures and requires a WDDM 2.0 or newer driver for this Task Manager view. If GPU data is absent, use the complete dxdiag procedure above or Device Manager below instead of assuming the computer has no graphics adapter.

For the alternative System Information route used in our Windows 10 tutorial, press Windows + R, enter msinfo32 and press Enter. Expand Components > Display, then read the adapter’s Name and driver information; inspect all listed adapters. Microsoft documents msinfo32 as the built-in system-information tool. Compare the name with Device Manager before choosing a driver download. A reported Adapter RAM value can be incomplete or unsuitable for establishing modern VRAM capacity; use the dedicated-memory checks in our system specs guide for that purpose. These are information checks, not instructions to end a process or change graphics settings.

Find Out Which Graphics Card You Have

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager. Result: the Device Manager window opens.
2. Expand Display adapters. Result: your graphics chip or card is listed by name.

Many laptops list two: a built-in Intel or AMD chip and a separate NVIDIA or AMD card. Update both. To see your current driver version, right-click the adapter, select Properties, and open the Driver tab, which shows the driver date and version.

Method 1: Update Graphics Drivers With Windows Update

This is the safest option because Microsoft offers drivers that are tested for Windows. They may not be the very newest version.

1. Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options. Result: the Advanced options page opens.
2. Make sure Receive updates for other Microsoft products is turned on.
3. Under Additional options, select Optional updates. Result: any available driver updates are listed under Driver updates.
4. If a display or graphics driver is listed, check it and select Download & install.
5. Restart your PC, even if Windows doesn’t ask. Result: the new driver loads.

Microsoft notes that Windows Update installs recommended drivers automatically, but optional drivers aren’t installed until you choose them. If nothing is listed, check your graphics maker or laptop maker for a newer version.

Method 2: Update From Your Graphics Maker

Graphics makers release new drivers more often than Windows Update, often timed for new games. Download them only from the official site.

• NVIDIA: install the NVIDIA app and check for driver updates in it. NVIDIA offers Game Ready drivers, tuned for new games, and Studio drivers, aimed at creative apps. Pick the one that matches how you use your PC.
• AMD: use AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, or the auto-detect and install tool on AMD’s driver page, which works on Windows 11 64-bit.
• Intel: use the Intel Driver & Support Assistant, which scans your PC for most Intel hardware. Intel lists some exclusions, so a laptop may need its maker’s driver instead.
• Laptops: your laptop maker’s support page may offer graphics drivers tested for your exact model, which is the safer choice if a generic driver causes trouble.

1. Download and run the maker’s app or installer. Result: it detects your graphics hardware.
2. Choose the recommended driver and start the install. Result: the screen may flicker or go black briefly while the driver changes.
3. Restart if the installer asks.

Method 3: Update the Driver in Device Manager

1. In Device Manager, expand Display adapters.
2. Right-click your graphics card and select Update driver.
3. Choose Search automatically for drivers. Result: Windows installs a newer driver if it finds one, or says the best drivers are already installed.
4. If you downloaded a driver yourself, choose Browse my computer for drivers instead and point to the folder.

“The best drivers are already installed” only means Windows has nothing newer. The graphics maker may still have a newer version. See Microsoft’s Device Manager guide.

Method 4: Reinstall the Driver

If the driver seems corrupted, Microsoft suggests reinstalling it.

1. Save your work and close apps.
2. In Device Manager, right-click the graphics adapter and select Uninstall device, then confirm. Result: the display may switch to a basic driver with a lower resolution.
3. Restart the PC. Result: Windows tries to reinstall the driver automatically.
4. If it doesn’t, install the driver from your graphics maker or through Windows Update.

Update a Graphics Driver on Windows 10

The Device Manager method also applies to Windows 10: right-click Start > Device Manager, expand Display adapters, right-click the correct adapter, and select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers. Follow any installation or restart prompt, then check Properties > Driver and test the display.

If using a manufacturer download instead, choose a package explicitly compatible with your graphics hardware and Windows 10 architecture. A Windows 11-only package is not a substitute. Microsoft’s driver instructions cover both systems; this procedure does not extend Windows 10’s support lifecycle.

Check That the Update Worked

Open Device Manager again, right-click the adapter, select Properties, and check the Driver tab. The driver date and version should match the new driver. The maker’s app will also say the driver is up to date.

Choose the GPU for an App in Windows 11

In Windows 11, open Settings > System > Display > Graphics. Under Custom options for apps, select the specific app or game and choose Options. If it is missing, use the available add-app control: browse to the installed desktop program’s actual .exe, or select the Microsoft Store app when that choice is offered. Pick the program that runs the game or task, which can differ from its launcher. This sets a preference for that app; it does not replace the graphics card or set one universal default for every program.

If Windows detects more than one GPU, choose Power saving, High performance or Let Windows decide in Graphics preference. Read any GPU names shown instead of assuming every computer maps the options to the same hardware. Select Save, fully close and restart the app, then check the GPU activity in Task Manager and the app’s own behavior. Microsoft’s graphics preference instructions document these choices and the restart step. To undo the preference, choose Let Windows decide, save and restart again. The preference does not guarantee a speed increase; available hardware, drivers and the application can limit the result.

You can see both chips, and which one is busy, in Task Manager > Performance, where each appears as a GPU. If one game is still slow with a current driver, lowering its visual effects can help, such as when you turn off shadows in MTG Arena.

Troubleshooting

• Screen went black or froze: press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B to restart the graphics driver. The screen may flicker.
• Problems started after the update: in Device Manager, open the card’s Properties > Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver. You need administrator rights. If the button is gray, there’s no previous driver to go back to.
• Installer fails: make sure you downloaded the driver for your exact card and for Windows 11 64-bit, then restart and try again. On an ARM-based PC an x64-only driver will not install, so check your processor type in Windows 11 first.
• Windows keeps replacing your driver: Windows Update may offer its own version. If it causes problems, roll it back again or install the maker’s driver.
• Only a “Microsoft Basic Display Adapter” is listed: Windows has no proper driver installed. Use Windows Update or your graphics maker’s site.

Roll Back a Recently Updated Device Driver

If a problem began after a driver update, save your work and use an administrator account. Right-click Start > Device Manager, expand the affected category and identify the actual device. For graphics, use Display adapters; another device can be under a different category. Right-click that device, choose Properties > Driver and note its current version. Select Roll Back Driver, provide the reason if asked and confirm the rollback. Restart when prompted, then reopen Properties > Driver and test the problem that led you here. Microsoft’s driver guide covers this Windows 11 and Windows 10 procedure.

A disabled Roll Back Driver button means this route is unavailable, commonly because Windows has no previous package retained. Check the device or PC manufacturer’s official support page for a compatible earlier driver for your exact model and Windows version; do not use random driver-download sites. Follow that package’s instructions and verify afterward. Rollback can help with an update regression, but it does not guarantee that every fault disappears. Reinstalling or updating a driver is a separate choice, covered above.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I update my graphics driver?

Windows Update handles the basics. Gamers often update when a big new game comes out or when a game asks for a newer driver. It also helps to compare your graphics chip with a game’s listed requirements before you buy, as described in how to download GTA Vice City on a Windows 11 laptop. If everything works, you don’t need every release.

Is it safe to use driver updater apps?

Stick to Windows Update, your graphics maker, or your laptop maker. They’re free and made for your hardware.

My screen went black after a driver update. What do I do?

Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B to restart the graphics driver. If the problem stays, roll back the driver as described above. Before your next driver install, it’s worth taking a minute to create a restore point in Windows 11 so you have another way back.

What other drivers should I keep updated?

Audio and Wi-Fi drivers matter too. See how to install an audio driver or update your Wi-Fi driver.

After updating, you may be able to turn on GPU scheduling. See how to enable hardware acceleration in Windows 11.