Should I get Drivers from CD or from the Web?

[SouljaAC]

Hi, I didn't know if I should get my drivers rite from the CD, or from the internet. Anyways, I dont' know where to get it from the web.

Here are my specs, please help me on where to get the drivers:

1. Gigabyte GAHIXP (RDRAM) MotherBoard
2. Samsung 172T LCD (if there are drivers from the monitor)
3. ATI Radeon 9500 Pro(do I have to only download the Catalyst Drivers, and nothing else? cuz there alotta sh*t on the cd taht i don't know if i need it or not)
4. Creative Audigy 2
5. HP5550 Printer
6. Is there anything else taht is important (such as Intel Application Accelerator [i heard that this is unneccesary and hurtful to my computer?]) that I should download?

Finally, what else do I do for my computer after I download my drivers?

 

[spanky]

if i can... i usually get all my drivers from the net. as for ur radeon... u should also download the ati control panel. when u go to download the drivers from ati... the ati control panel should be right under the link for the drivers. as for other things u should download... i would assume windows updates and patches.

 

[Confused]

Web.


Will always be the latest, have the best performance and fixes.

However, if it's for something like a network card, which you need to get on the web, then install that from CD, then get update from web once done



Confused

 

[Insidious]

It would be a rare event indeed to find that the drivers you were provided with ANY piece of hardware are up to date.

As a matter of course, for each piece of hardware you buy, go to the website for the manufacturer of that hardware and look
for driver updates.

In the case of Video cards and Motherboards, I find that I have the best luck going to the website of the chipset manufacturer for drivers.

(examples: www.nvidia.com for a GeForce video card. www.ati.com for a radeon video card. For motherboards, most mfgr. websites will have links to the chipset drivers you want.)

read the instructions and follow them exactly at the websites and/or in the readme.txt files included with your downloads.

-Sid

PS: Welcome to the AnandTech Forums!

 

[AtomicDude512]

Web will have latest drivers, always.

 

[SouljaAC]

So u guys are saying this?:

1. MotherBoard - Only download chipset drivers and nutin else.
2. Monitor - No drivers needed?
3. Video Card - Just download the latest Catalyst drivers and the Control Panel and nutin else.
4. Sound Card - Only the Driver Pack and nutin else.

Also please answer if there is anything else I should do after installing drivers!

Thankx so much!

 

[spanky]

usually... i used the drivers from the cd just to get things up and running. then i will eventually update the drivers with the ones from the net. i don't download drivers for my monitor, unless i am having problems. same goes with soundcard... i don't download drivers unless i have to address some kinda problem. video card tho... is a definite download.

 

[Insidious]

Well, what I was saying was go to the manufacturer website for the hardware you have and see what they are recommending

There is no set rule. For example my (Viewsonic) monitor does have drivers which I updated at www.viewsonic.com

You need to continue asking these good questions, but you also need to do some legwork at these websites to see what they are telling you to do.

for instance I know that if you go to www.hp.com, you will find drivers for your printer.


-Sid

 

[Viper96720]

Go to gigabyte's website and you can get all the drivers for your motherboard.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Make sure to get all of them ones on Windows Update first, since that will have some driver updates too.

 

[StraightPipe]

IT's a good Idea to save copies of all of your drivers (upates too). If you have a system crash or have to format you'll really appreciate them. I keep them on CD-RW or just CD-R ad leave the session open.

 

[GregMal]

I agree with spanky. I usually use the C/D drivers to get the thing
up and running. Then if there are problems you can get updated
drivers from the web.
Remember, just because they're newer, doesn't mean they're
better...........Greg

 

[Siddhartha]

The installation CD should have a link to the vendor's website.

 

[Trashman]

Guess it depends on what version of windows you installing, I just build a system identical to yours, I created a bootable Windows XP Installation CD Slipstreamed with SP1 updates.
That pretty much eliminated the need for the motherboard install cd, then just headed over to Intel to download Intel app. acc and the Intel Chipset INF.
But if your installin Win98 or even Win2K, then for those OS's I would most definetly use the mobo cd.
As far as the ATI card and the Audigy....i installed drivers and software from the CD first then updated from downloading drivers from their sites.
Just a bit of advice to through out as well, when restarting system, and windows detects either the video card or sound card, and wants to look for drivers...hit cancel....just run the install from the cd.

 

[moonshinemadness]

Driver Guide They pretty much stock every driver new and old, you have to register but its free. Use it only as a last resort
ATI Catalyst Ati's site for the catalyst and control panel.
Creative For th Creative site, have a search around
For the printer i dont think drivers are re released for them (If im wrong please tell me) So your probably ok sticking with the disk drivers.

Edit: Ill never understand HTML Links fixed
Edit 2 : Third time lucky.....