After a fresh OS install, do you update your drivers from the website directly or let Windows do it for you?

[xDiVolatilX]

I have an interesting question.

Let's say you just reinstalled a fresh copy of Windows 11.

You know how the operating system check for updates will update tons and tons of updates and drivers automatically for your system right.

I have a habit of going into directly to the website drivers page (for me this is the Aorus Z790 Master motherboard page for example) and update every single driver to the latest version directly from the website.

How do I know that the drivers I'm updating are not older than the ones that Microsoft finds in the check for updates automatic process?

Do you just let Microsoft update your entire system? Or do you go directly to the website and do it yourself manually that way?

My question is specifically for the motherboard drivers because obviously the graphics card and the sound card I could easily say is better to go directly to the website.

 

[uOpt]

You indeed don't know any of that. It is a weakness in the current driver distribution model. Obviously there should be clear version numbers visible on downloads' file names and on whatever is running right now.

 

[kirbyrj]

If you're going to let Gigabyte do your drivers anyway, you can always just let their GCC program get them for you. Sometimes they are newer than the ones on the website.

Also, you can always just go to the manufacturer page to get drivers. I had the Intel support software that would download the newest wifi/bluetooth drivers when I used Intel for example. Realtek drivers are generally pretty easy to find also.

 

[hititnquitit]

I never let windows update my drivers. Disabling automatic installation/updates is the first thing I do once I'm in a fresh install. It seems like something always gets jacked up otherwise and I end up having to spend time reinstalling something.

 

[GotNoRice]

On a new system:
#1 Chipset drivers directly from Intel/AMD.
#2 GPU drivers directly from Nvidia/AMD/Intel.
#3 Sound, Network, and Storage drivers directly from source if possible, otherwise motherboard website.
#4 Let Windows Update fill in the gaps for other random things (SD card reader?, etc).

On older system:
#1 Let Windows Update install most/all of the drivers.
#2 Possibly update some drivers (GPU?) depending on what the system has.

 

[TrunksZero]

Combo.

I usually let Windows update do its thing and then snag drivers directly for various elements (Mobo, GPU, Intel/AMD, Soundcard etc etc etc). Probably helps that I'm not running much of anything I expect Windows update to mess up.

Prebuilt hardware from some one like Dell...after Windows update, I'll use it's software suite to pull firmwares,drivers etc etc. Not worth the hassle to download and install manually.