Question Do I need to install a chipset driver for an old Intel board?

Chicken76

Senior member
Jun 10, 2013
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I've done a clean reinstall of Windows 10 on a Haswell-generation computer and the motherboard manufacturer's support page provides a chipset driver from 2014.
Now I'm wondering if it's a good idea to install such an old driver or does Windows (version 2004) install a newer driver automatically?
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,585
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The in-box Windows 10 driver should be newer. NEVER (*) install drivers OLDER than the OS release date, if they would replace drivers INCLUDED with the OS.

(*) Unless the in-box drivers are themselves crashing, or lack features compared to older drivers (say, installing Win7 drivers into Win10 for a printer or video card, because the Win10 in-box drivers are stripped-down feature-wise or crashing).
 

BarkingGhostar

Diamond Member
Nov 20, 2009
8,410
1,617
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You might want to consider Intel's website and see if they have a newer chipset driver than what the motherboard manufacture is offering. Doubtful, but who knows you might get lucky.
 

AnitaPeterson

Diamond Member
Apr 24, 2001
6,022
561
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The in-box Windows 10 driver should be newer. NEVER (*) install drivers OLDER than the OS release date, if they would replace drivers INCLUDED with the OS.

(*) Unless the in-box drivers are themselves crashing, or lack features compared to older drivers (say, installing Win7 drivers into Win10 for a printer or video card, because the Win10 in-box drivers are stripped-down feature-wise or crashing).

Interesting advice. I could see how that applies with Windows 10, but Win7 still needed corrections :)
 

Leeea

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2020
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Sometimes it is just an .inf "driver", and I would say a person should install that.

An .inf driver is just a text file that tells windows what hardware is on the board. Windows will usually do the rest then.