Your CPU, just like any other hardware component, comes with its own set of drivers that let it interface and interact with your operating system. Having the latest CPU drivers is a crucial step toward getting the best performance for your CPU.
In this article we will look at ways to update your CPU drivers.
Before You Start
Please ensure that before you start downloading or installing new CPU drivers, always backup your most important system files and operating system. In the event that something goes wrong during your CPU driver update, your PC might not be able to boot up as usual.
Having a prior system restore point will revert your CPU updates to the ones before the new drivers were installed.
If you are unsure how to create and perform a Windows system restore, we have a separate article to perform system restore.
How to Update CPU Drivers?
There are a few primary ways of updating your CPU drivers: You can do it via the built in Windows driver updater automatically, you can manually browse for the driver file from your PC and lastly you can install either Intel or AMDs proprietary driver updating software.
Through Device Manager
The first method of updating your CPU drivers is by forcing a manual update via the device manager panel. When using the device manager you can either choose for it to search for the latest drivers online automatically or you can use the driver updater to manually choose an existing file from your hard drive. This step works for both Intel as well as for AMD.
Here are the exact steps on how to do so:
- Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager
- Expand Processors tab
- Right-click on your processor and select Update driver.
- Afterwards, select one of the following options:
- Search automatically for drivers: Windows will check with the latest online driver databases and verify if there is any newer version of your driver available there. If you have the latest driver already installed then Windows will let you know that you are running the newest driver version.
- Browse my computer for drivers: With the option to manually choose the driver file, you have to have already downloaded the driver file and have it saved on your hard drive in a specific file format. This option lets you install older versions of drivers and also lets you override the latest one.
- Install any pending newer drivers and wait for the process to finish
Reboot your PC for the driver changes to be applied. After you are done, navigate to the same Driver tab in the properties menu and click on “Driver Details” to verify that the newer driver is updated at to the latest one.
Manually Updating Drivers
Manually updating CPU drivers include the process of visiting the Manufacturer’s website and searching for the required drivers. Here’re the ways to update your CPU drivers manually:
Update Intel CPU Drivers
If you wish to manually install specific Intel Drivers without this tool, follow these steps:
- Search for your exact CPU driver on Intel’s official website
- Select Support > Download Center > Processors
- Then search for your specific driver and download that file.
- Afterwards, you need to open the file and run the .
exefile for the driver to be automatically installed.
Note: Intel has limited driver availability in this segment, so you might not find the exact driver you want there.
Update AMD Drivers
Sometimes your system will have trouble finding the most up-to-date driver with the Windows built-in driver updater. So, to circumvent this potential issue, the best way to manually update your AMD drivers is by going to AMD’s official website and finding your exact CPU driver there.
- Open any web browser and go to AMD’s official website.
- Click on the “Drivers and Support” segment of the webpage located on the top menu.
- In the first upper panel left, click on the “Processors” tab and then select your current type of Ryzen processor.
- Then select the exact generation of your CPU. In my case of a Ryzen 5 5800h, the generation is “AMD Ryzen 5 Mobile Processors”. Click again on your exact CPU generation.
- In the final dropdown panel, select your exact CPU model and click on the Submit button
- You will see the option to Download either the Windows 11 or Windows 10 drivers. Click on your big + sign on the left next to the correct Windows version and then click on Download.
- Afterwards, you need to open the file and run the .exe file for the driver to be automatically installed.
Through Windows Update
Windows has an incredibly useful tool that automatically checks for any pending driver updates and downloads and installs them on your PC. This option will install not only the latest CPU drivers, but also any other pending software updates you have for your PC.
This option is usually turned on by default, and your Windows performs routine checks for updates, but you can also force it to manually check for any pending updates on demand.
Here’s how you can update your Windows:
- Press Windows key + I to open settings
- Select Update & Security
- Click on the option “Windows Update”
- Find and click the button called “Check for Updates”
- Let Windows automatically install any pending updates for all of your drivers
Restart your PC for the changes to apply and check if the latest drivers are installed via the device manager driver details options.
Through Proprietary Software
Another way to update your CPU drivers is by using the devices proprietary software. We can use INTEL DSA and AMD Adrenaline software to easily update the drivers be it CPU or GPU drivers. However, we will be discussing about the CPU drivers update below:
Using Intel DSA
This way of updating your INTEL CPU is useful in case Windows Can’t find the proper latest driver online via the automatic driver updater. Getting your software updates via the proprietary manufacturers software updated is the quickest and most reliable way to get any latest drivers that are released. This software will automatically download and install all latest Intel CPU drivers.
Here are the exact steps to do so:
- Go to Intel’s official webpage and click on Support in the top menu.
- Click on the “Auto-update your Drivers” option from the dropdown menu
- Click on “Download Now” to download the proprietary intel driver support assistant
- After the download is complete, simply run the file as administrator and let the updater automatically install the latest Intel CPU drivers.
Then restart your PC to apply update.
Using AMD Adrenaline
AMD has a proprietary software and driver update tool that automatically installs all the latest updates. Here are the exact steps on getting and using this software:
- Go to AMD’s official website and click on the Driver and Support tab, located on the top side right of the menu
- Search for the option called “Auto Detect and Install for Windows 10/11” and click on the Download Now button
- Let the application download, install the
.exefile by right clicking it and pressing run as administrator - Once the software is installed it will automatically search for the latest AMD CPU/GPU/APU drivers and automatically install them.
When the drivers are installed this way your PC will ask for a restart to apply the changes. After the reboot you should be using all the latest AMD drivers.
Related Questions
How Can I Update My APU?
An APU means that your GPU is integrated within the CPU chip itself. This enables your PC to use graphics without having a discrete GPU.
If you have an APU, updating it is a bit more complex. You need to update both its integrated GPU graphics drivers manually and then update the CPU driver component as well.
Does Updating BIOS Update CPU Drivers?
All BIOS updates come with a preset of CPU drivers with them. However the current BIOS version you have might not use the desired CPU driver. So while updating your BIOS does come with a built in CPU driver, it does not necessarily guarantee that it will be the latest one.
It is therefore better to use either proprietary CPU update software or to manually update the CPU drivers rather than relying on a BIOS update to have the latest CPU drivers available.
