Replacing a graphics card: driver questions

[Pamellaaa]

I currently have an MSI Nvidia 750Ti Graphics card and I am replacing this with a Gigabyte 980 which has arrived today, I have a couple of questions about drivers for this:

What is the best way to change the drivers, should I boot the machine with no GPU, remove all current drivers, install new GPU and install drivers from there, or is Nvidia's control panel software (GeForce Experience?) smart enough to figure out something has changed without throwing a strop and breaking everything?

Further to this the card I have got has a factory overclock, would I be best using Nvidia drivers or getting these from Gigabyte?

Thanks in advance for all advice.

 

[Flex0r]

1. Download drivers for the new graphics card
2. Place the new graphics card
3. Deinstall old drivers
4. Remove NVIDIA leftovers with Display Driver Uninstaller (it's preferred to run in safe mode)
5. And install drivers for the new graphics card.

I personally do not always execute step 4 maybe because I'm a stubborn idiot, but it is recommended at least once in a while.

 

[Pamellaaa]

1. Download drivers for the new graphics card
2. Place the new graphics card
3. Deinstall old drivers
4. Remove NVIDIA leftovers with Display Driver Uninstaller (it's preferred to run in safe mode)
5. And install drivers for the new graphics card.

I personally do not always execute step 4 maybe because I'm a stubborn idiot, but it is recommended at least once in a while.

Thanks, which drivers would you use? Nvidia or Gigabyte?

 

[ULTRAVIOLENZZ]

Always download and use the latest driver for your videocard from the GPU manufacturer. In your case, Nvidia. That's the way it is. Also as Flexor said, always uninstall your previous drivers using DDU. I got lot of problems because in the past I always overwrite or sometimes uninstall the driver using the "uninstall programs" in Windows. My games will stutter, freeze, and sometimes will blackscreen or just lockup my PC. Always fresh install drivers.

 

[Flex0r]

Thanks, which drivers would you use? Nvidia or Gigabyte?

^ what he said.

The only thing slightly useful on the cd's/dvd that get shipped with graphic cards are the monitoring/fan control/etc. tools.

 

[Pamellaaa]

Thanks both, Nvidia drivers downloaded ready for installation later, final question:

I got lot of problems because in the past I always overwrite or sometimes uninstall the driver using the "uninstall programs" in Windows. My games will stutter, freeze, and sometimes will blackscreen or just lockup my PC. Always fresh install drivers.

Is DDU instead of the Windows uninstall programs routine or in addition to it.

 

[ULTRAVIOLENZZ]

Thanks both, Nvidia drivers downloaded ready for installation later, final question:



Is DDU instead of the Windows uninstall programs routine or in addition to it.

Yes. Use DDU instead of Windows Uninstall. And if you want to, you can clean the registry after you used the DDU and restarted the PC, using CCleaner. You don't have to, but just to clean it "further" before you install the new driver.

 

[Pamellaaa]

Yes. Use DDU instead of Windows Uninstall. And if you want to, you can clean the registry after you used the DDU and restarted the PC, using CCleaner. You don't have to, but just to clean it "further" before you install the new driver.

Many thanks.

 

[Flex0r]

As I always used Driver Sweeper, I assumed that DDU worked the same.
Again "Assumption is the mother of all 🤬 ups."