Last Updated: September 1, 2026

Installing motherboard drivers used to mean finding a CD in the motherboard box and installing nearly everything on it.

That is no longer how I would set up a new PC.

Windows 11 can automatically install drivers for a large amount of modern hardware through Windows Update. After that, you mainly need to make sure the chipset is properly installed and check whether any motherboard-specific devices—Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio or special controllers—still need their manufacturer’s package.

The most important rule is simple: do not download random drivers just because the motherboard support page lists twenty files.

Install what your hardware actually needs.

What are motherboard drivers?

A driver is software that lets Windows communicate correctly with a piece of hardware.

Microsoft describes drivers as the software layer that allows Windows devices to communicate with hardware such as graphics cards, network adapters and other connected components.

A modern motherboard does not have one single “motherboard driver.”

It contains many separate devices and controllers, so a motherboard support page may list several different packages.

Before installing anything: identify the exact motherboard

Drivers that work on one motherboard are not automatically correct for another board with a similar chipset.

For example, two B850 motherboards can use completely different Ethernet, Wi-Fi and audio controllers.

So the first step is knowing the exact model.

The correct motherboard-driver installation order in 2026

There is no universal rule saying every driver must be installed in a rigid sequence.

But for a normal clean Windows 11 desktop build, this is the order I would use because it gets Windows onto a stable platform quickly and makes troubleshooting easier.

1. Install Windows 11 and connect to the internet. If Ethernet or Wi-Fi does not work, jump to the no-internet section below.
2. Run Windows Update until there are no important updates left. Restart when requested.
3. Check Windows Update → Advanced options → Optional updates. Install relevant optional hardware drivers if needed.
4. Install the current AMD or Intel platform/chipset package. Restart afterward if requested.
5. Install the graphics driver. Use AMD Adrenalin, Intel’s graphics support, or NVIDIA’s official driver package.
6. Check LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and audio. If everything works correctly, compare installed versions with the motherboard support page rather than blindly reinstalling them.
7. Install platform-specific extras that your board actually uses. Examples include Intel Management Engine or Serial IO.
8. Open Device Manager and make sure no devices are unidentified or showing warnings.

Step 1: run Windows Update first

Windows 11 already obtains recommended hardware drivers through Windows Update.

Microsoft’s current process is:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Windows Update.
3. Run Check for updates.
4. Install the available Windows updates.
5. Restart the PC.
6. Return to Windows Update.
7. Open Advanced options.
8. Open Optional updates.
9. Check whether relevant driver updates are listed.

Microsoft confirms that Windows 11 installs recommended drivers automatically while optional driver updates must be selected manually. You can read Microsoft’s current Windows driver-update instructions .

Step 2: install the chipset driver

The chipset package is the one motherboard-related driver package I would actively check on essentially every fresh gaming-PC build.

AMD Ryzen / AM5 and AM4 systems

For a normal DIY Ryzen desktop, I prefer checking AMD’s current chipset package directly.

AMD provides an official Drivers and Support page that can detect supported Ryzen chipsets and Radeon hardware.

AMD’s installer can detect compatible Ryzen chipset components and offer the current supported packages.

As of this guide’s September 2026 review, AMD is still actively shipping new Ryzen chipset releases, which is why I would not rely on whatever package was placed on a motherboard DVD or USB device months or years ago.

Intel systems

Intel platforms can expose several separate packages depending on the generation and board:

• chipset device software,
• Management Engine components,
• Serial IO,
• integrated graphics,
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth,
• and, where relevant, Rapid Storage Technology.

Install the drivers actually listed for your board and operating system.

Intel also provides the Intel Driver & Support Assistant , which identifies supported Intel hardware and offers applicable updates.

Step 3: install the network driver if Windows did not

Normally Windows Update gets Ethernet and Wi-Fi working automatically.

But this is also the most common place where a completely new build can strand you.

MSI specifically warns that Windows 10/11 does not natively support every newer network chipset. That means a freshly installed PC can boot perfectly and still have no usable Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection.

Official motherboard driver download pages

Do not search for something generic such as “B850 Wi-Fi driver download” and click the first third-party result.

Search for the exact motherboard model on the manufacturer’s own support system.

Step 4: install Wi-Fi and Bluetooth correctly

A common mistake is assuming Wi-Fi and Bluetooth use one Windows driver because both features come from the same physical wireless module.

They often use separate packages.

So if Wi-Fi works but Bluetooth is missing, that does not necessarily mean the wireless card is faulty.

Check the motherboard support page for:

• Wireless LAN / WLAN driver,
• Bluetooth driver.

Also pay attention to motherboard revisions.

Some board manufacturers have shipped different wireless modules across product revisions, so downloading a driver based only on the chipset name can give you the wrong package.

Step 5: install the onboard audio driver when you actually use it

Windows will often produce sound using a generic driver.

That does not always mean the complete motherboard audio package is installed.

The manufacturer’s audio package can add:

• the correct Realtek or other codec driver,
• jack detection,
• microphone functions,
• audio-console support,
• and model-specific audio extensions.

If you use USB headphones, a USB DAC or HDMI/DisplayPort audio from your graphics card, the onboard audio package may be much less important.

Again, install for the hardware you use.

Step 6: graphics drivers are separate from motherboard drivers

This distinction is important because motherboard support pages often carry graphics drivers for processors with integrated graphics.

That does not normally make the motherboard manufacturer the best place to maintain the driver for a discrete gaming GPU.

AMD Radeon graphics

Use AMD Drivers and Support .

AMD says its graphics drivers are updated for game/application support, new features, performance improvements and bug fixes.

NVIDIA GeForce graphics

Use NVIDIA’s official driver download page or NVIDIA’s supported driver software.

Do not download GeForce drivers from a generic driver website.

Intel graphics

Intel Driver & Support Assistant can identify supported Intel graphics hardware and other Intel devices.

Step 7: install Intel Management Engine and other platform-specific drivers

An Intel motherboard support page can list several packages that do not have an obvious consumer-facing device name.

That can include Intel Management Engine, Serial IO and other platform components.

If the motherboard manufacturer lists them for your exact board and Windows version, install them unless the support documentation specifically says otherwise.

What I would not do is download an Intel platform package from a random board that happens to use the same chipset.

The exact motherboard and platform generation still matter.

Do you need Intel Rapid Storage Technology or RAID drivers?

Not everyone does.

This is one of the clearest examples of a driver that should not be installed simply because it appears on a motherboard’s download page.

You may need an Intel RST/VMD or AMD RAID driver when:

• you deliberately configured RAID,
• VMD is enabled and Windows needs the driver to see a storage device,
• the motherboard manual specifically requires the package for your storage configuration.

A normal desktop using one or more NVMe SSDs without RAID does not automatically need a RAID package.

What motherboard software is optional?

Motherboard download pages increasingly mix actual drivers with utilities.

These are not the same thing.

Examples include:

• ASUS Armoury Crate,
• MSI Center,
• Gigabyte Control Center,
• ASRock motherboard utilities,
• RGB-control software,
• fan-control applications,
• audio-control interfaces.

You can install them if you need the function they provide.

You do not have to install an entire motherboard software suite merely to make Windows recognize the chipset, Ethernet adapter or audio device.

How to check whether every driver installed correctly

Once Windows Update and the necessary manufacturer packages have been installed, open Device Manager.

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Select Device Manager.
3. Expand Network adapters.
4. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
5. Expand Display adapters.
6. Inspect System devices.
7. Look for any yellow warning icons or an Unknown device.

Microsoft’s Device Manager documentation also explains how Windows can update, reinstall or roll back individual drivers.

How to identify an Unknown device

An “Unknown device” is much easier to solve when you stop guessing what it is.

Windows exposes hardware IDs that identify the device.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Right-click the unknown device.
3. Select Properties.
4. Open the Details tab.
5. Choose Hardware Ids from the Property menu.

Microsoft explains that Windows uses these hardware IDs to match devices with compatible driver packages. See Microsoft’s hardware-ID documentation .

What if a new driver causes problems?

Newer does not always mean better for your exact PC.

If sound, networking or graphics worked correctly before an update and failed immediately afterward, Windows can often roll the driver back.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Right-click the affected device.
3. Select Properties.
4. Open the Driver tab.
5. Select Roll Back Driver if available.
6. Restart the PC.

Microsoft documents driver rollback specifically as a troubleshooting option when a problem begins after an update.

Should you uninstall old drivers before installing new ones?

Not as a blanket rule.

For an ordinary update from one working chipset, network or graphics driver to the next, the vendor’s installer is normally designed to handle the update.

A clean removal becomes more useful when:

• the existing installation is corrupted,
• the new installer repeatedly fails,
• you are troubleshooting a specific driver conflict,
• you changed GPU vendors and old software is causing a problem.

Microsoft provides a normal Device Manager uninstall/reinstall path, while AMD’s installer also has reset/clean-install options for troubleshooting.

Should you use a third-party driver updater?

Do you need to update every motherboard driver regularly?

No.

There is a difference between keeping a system supported and constantly changing working drivers.

I would check for an update when:

• you just installed Windows,
• you replaced the motherboard,
• you upgraded the CPU or GPU,
• a device is missing or malfunctioning,
• a driver release fixes a problem you actually have,
• a security issue affects your installed version,
• a game or application requires newer graphics support.

I would not spend every week manually reinstalling audio, Ethernet and chipset packages on a PC that is already stable.

Do motherboard drivers improve gaming performance?

Sometimes indirectly, but do not expect a motherboard LAN or audio driver to suddenly add 20 FPS.

The important drivers for gaming performance are usually:

• the GPU driver,
• the chipset/platform package,
• and any driver needed to make the actual hardware operate correctly.

Chipset updates can contain platform fixes and power-management changes. Graphics drivers frequently add game-specific support and optimizations.

But if the system is already functioning correctly, installing an Ethernet driver with a larger version number does not automatically make the CPU or GPU faster.

Installing motherboard drivers without internet

The live version of this article previously treated internet access as almost a requirement.

It is helpful, but it is not required to get the first network driver installed.

Once networking works, connect the new PC and let Windows Update handle its normal discovery process before manually filling any remaining gaps.

Do you need a motherboard driver CD?

No.

Some older boards shipped with optical media containing drivers. A modern gaming PC often has no optical drive at all.

Even if your motherboard includes old installation media, I would treat it as an emergency copy—not as the preferred source for a fresh 2026 installation.

The online support page can contain much newer packages and fixes.

Motherboard drivers after replacing the motherboard

A motherboard replacement is different from reinstalling one network driver.

Windows 11 can often detect the new platform and load enough drivers to boot, but a large platform change can leave behind software and device packages from the previous board.

After a motherboard swap:

1. Boot Windows if the existing installation allows it.
2. Run Windows Update.
3. Install the new platform’s chipset package.
4. Install the new board’s network/audio/platform drivers.
5. Remove old motherboard utilities you no longer use.
6. Check Device Manager for missing devices.
7. Test stability.

For a very large platform change—especially when troubleshooting unexplained instability—a clean Windows installation can be the cleaner solution.

Motherboard drivers vs BIOS updates

This distinction deserves repeating because it causes so many avoidable mistakes.

Modern motherboard firmware has become far more important as platforms have become more complicated. If you want the wider historical context, see our refreshed History of Motherboards .

Do you need motherboard manufacturer’s automatic driver software?

Not necessarily.

MSI, ASUS, Gigabyte and ASRock all have utilities that can help find or install updates.

For example, MSI documents its Driver Utility Installer and MSI Center Live Update as supported driver-installation methods.

They can be convenient, but I would still understand what is being installed rather than selecting every utility simply because the software offers it.

For a lean gaming PC, Windows Update plus the small number of relevant official driver packages is enough.

The complete new-PC driver checklist

Common mistakes to avoid

Useful Best Motherboard Zone guides

Motherboard driver FAQ