I will never, ever forget the day Starfield finally launched. I’d been hyped for months, had it pre-loaded, and was ready to dive in the second it went live. I hit play, and… it was a complete disaster. A stuttering, crashing nightmare. My PC wasn’t a supercomputer, but it was definitely supposed to handle the game. After stewing in frustration for an hour, a buddy on Discord hit me with the simplest question imaginable: “Did you update your drivers?” The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. I ran the update, restarted my PC, and just like that, the game was running perfectly. That one single moment showed me just how important it is to know how to update AMD drivers.
This guide is for anyone who’s been there. We’re going to cover everything, from the dead-simple automatic method to the more hands-on manual install. You don’t need to be a tech genius—you just need to want your games to run better. This is the complete playbook for keeping your AMD card happy.
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Why Should I Even Bother Updating My AMD Drivers?
That’s a totally fair question. If your games seem to be running okay, why mess with a good thing? The old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” comes to mind. But here’s the thing with PC gaming: “not broke” is a long way from “running its best.” Your graphics drivers are the middleman between your games and your graphics card. Using old drivers is like having a bad translator—the message gets through, but it’s slow and clunky.
These updates aren’t just fluff. They often pack in huge performance improvements for new games. They also fix the bugs that cause those bizarre graphical glitches or random crashes that make you want to throw your keyboard. Basically, keeping your drivers updated is like getting a free power-up for your GPU.
Will new drivers give me more FPS?
A lot of the time, yeah, they will. When a big new game drops, AMD and Nvidia are right there with a “Game Ready” driver. This isn’t just a regular update; it’s specifically built to make that one game run as smoothly as possible. I’ve personally seen my frame rate jump by 10-20% in some games just by installing the launch-day driver. It’s one of the easiest ways to make sure you’re getting every single frame your card is capable of pushing out.
Can outdated drivers cause my games to crash?
Oh, absolutely. It’s one of the top reasons for games being unstable. Games are always being updated, and if your driver is ancient, it might not have a clue how to handle the new code. That miscommunication is what leads to freezing, stuttering, and crashing straight to your desktop. If a game is giving you constant trouble, the very first thing you should always do is check for a driver update. You’d be surprised how often that’s the simple fix.
What’s the Easiest Way to Update My AMD Drivers?
AMD has made this whole process pretty painless these days. You don’t have to go digging through sketchy websites anymore. It’s almost all done for you with just a few clicks inside the AMD Radeon Software. This program is the command center for your graphics card.
You should already have the software on your PC. If not, you can just download it from AMD’s site. Once you’ve got it, you’re golden.
How to Update AMD Drivers Using Radeon Software?
This is the way to go for pretty much everyone. It’s safe, it’s fast, and it works.
Just follow these simple steps:
- Right-click anywhere on your empty desktop.
- Click on “AMD Radeon Software” from the menu that pops up.
- When it opens, find the little gear icon in the top-right and click it to get to Settings.
- In the Settings, click on the “System” tab.
- You’ll see your driver version and a big button that says “Check for Updates.”
- The software will look for a new driver. If it finds one, just click “Download” and follow the instructions. The installer takes care of the rest.
What’s the Difference Between Recommended and Optional Drivers?
When you check for an update, you might see two choices: Recommended and Optional. It can be a little confusing, but here’s the simple breakdown.
- Recommended: This is the official, stable version. It’s been tested like crazy and is certified to be reliable. For most of us, this is the one you want to pick.
- Optional: This is usually a newer beta version. It might have support for a brand-new game that just came out, but it hasn’t been through as much testing. Think of it as the early-access driver. Only grab this if you absolutely need it for a new release and you’re okay with the small chance of running into a bug.
How Do I Manually Install AMD Drivers?
The auto-update is great, but sometimes you need to do things the old-fashioned way. Maybe you’re troubleshooting and need a specific older driver, or you just did a fresh install of Windows. Doing it manually gives you total control.
It just means you have to go to AMD’s website and grab the file yourself. It sounds harder than it is.
How to Update AMD Drivers from the AMD Website?
The only tricky part here is making sure you download the right file for your graphics card.
Here’s the game plan:
- Know Your GPU: You have to know what graphics card you have (like a Radeon RX 7800 XT). If you’re not sure, open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), click the “Performance” tab, and then click on “GPU.” It’ll tell you right there.
- Head to AMD’s Website: Just google “AMD Drivers and Support” and go to the official page.
- Pick Your Product: The site has a little tool where you pick your card from a few dropdown menus. Just follow the prompts: “Graphics” -> “Radeon RX 7000 Series” -> “Radeon RX 7800 XT,” for example.
- Download It: Once you’ve picked your card, it’ll take you to the download page. Make sure you select your operating system (like Windows 11) and download the latest “Recommended” version.
- Run It: After it’s downloaded, just double-click the file and follow the installer’s instructions.
Should I Do a ‘Clean Install’ of My AMD Drivers?
You’ll see the term “clean install” pop up on forums all the time. All it means is that you completely wipe out your old drivers before you put the new ones on. This is a great troubleshooting step if you’re having weird issues that a normal update doesn’t fix.
The logic is that sometimes, leftover files from an old driver can cause conflicts with the new one. A clean install just clears everything out so you’re starting fresh. If you want to get really nerdy about how GPUs work, MIT’s OpenCourseWare has some cool stuff on Computer Graphics that’s pretty fascinating.
What is the AMD Cleanup Utility and When Should I Use It?
To make this super easy, AMD has its own tool called the AMD Cleanup Utility. It’s a tiny program that zaps every trace of AMD drivers from your PC. You’d want to use this if you are:
- Having really bad graphical bugs or crashes.
- Jumping from a really old driver to a brand new one.
- Getting ready to swap in a different graphics card.
Just download it from AMD, run it, and let it work its magic. It’ll reboot your computer and get it ready for a fresh start.
After a Clean Uninstall?
After the cleanup tool does its job and your PC restarts, your screen is going to look big and blocky. Don’t freak out. That’s totally normal because you don’t have any graphics drivers installed.
From here, you just do the manual install we talked about before. Run the driver file you downloaded from AMD’s site. It’ll do a fresh installation, and after one more restart, everything will be back to normal.
What If Something Goes Wrong After an Update?
It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes a new driver can cause problems. A game that was working fine might start crashing, or your whole system could get a little wonky. If this happens, don’t panic. It’s almost always easy to undo.
Usually, the problem is a weird conflict with one specific game. But whatever the issue, you can usually fix it by just going back to the driver that was working before.
How Can I Roll Back to a Previous AMD Driver Version?
Windows actually has a handy “undo” button for drivers built right in.
- Open up Device Manager. (Just search for it in your Start Menu).
- Click the little arrow next to “Display adapters.”
- Right-click on your AMD graphics card and choose “Properties.”
- Click on the “Driver” tab.
- You should see a button that says “Roll Back Driver.” Click it.
- Windows will ask why you’re rolling back, just pick an option and click yes. Your screen will flash, and you’ll be back on your old, stable driver.
This little trick is a total lifesaver and a must-know for anyone learning how to update AMD drivers without fear.
Frequently Asked Question
What steps should I take if the screen stays black after updating AMD drivers?
If your screen remains black after an update, restart Windows in Safe Mode to uninstall or rollback the problematic driver using removal tools like the AMD Cleanup Utility or Display Driver Uninstaller, then reinstall the correct driver version to resolve the issue.
How do I manually update my AMD drivers from the official website?
To manually update AMD drivers, visit the AMD Drivers and Support page, select your graphics card model and operating system, download the latest driver package, and run the installer following the prompts, ensuring you perform a clean installation if necessary.
What is the difference between recommended and optional AMD driver updates?
Recommended drivers have been extensively tested for stability and are suitable for everyday use, while optional drivers may include the latest features and support for new games but could contain some bugs, so they are best used if you need access to new features immediately.
How can I automatically update my AMD drivers effectively?
To automatically update AMD drivers, open the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, check for updates in the Settings menu, and select the latest recommended driver to download and install, which is the easiest method for most users.
Why is it important to update your AMD drivers regularly?
Updating your AMD drivers is important because it ensures your computer runs smoothly, fixes bugs, adds new features, improves gaming performance, and keeps your system secure from potential vulnerabilities.
