Which drivers should I install first ?

[D0M1N13]

Hi there !

Maybe this is a stupid question, but I have just build a new system and was wondering what drivers to install first, second, third, etc...
These are the components that I have:

Processor: i7-3930K
Motherboard: Asus P9X79 Deluxe
Graphics Card: XFX 7970 GHz Edition
Memory: 16 GB Corsair Vengeance
SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB
Hard Drive: WD 1TB Caviar Black
Monitor: Asus PB278Q
Case: CoolerMaster Cosmos II
CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro H100i
Power Supply: Thermaltake Grand Toughpower 1050W
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B5ST

I know that the order of the drivers matter, and don't want to mess anything up with my first build.

 

[BrightCandle]

The order doesn't really matter. I usually let Windows update itself, reboot a bundle of times and then start with the motherboard drivers and then Graphics. After that I don't worry about order at all. But having spoken with AMD and NVidia support neither of them require drivers to be installed in any particular order, they don't claim to care about OS patches either. I think the days of very specific driver install orders are long behind us.

 

[boochi]

1. Motherboard Chipset
2. SATA Controller (IF APPLICABLE)
3. Video
4. Audio
5. Network
6. Modem (IF APPLICABLE)
7. USB 3.0 (IF APPLICABLE)

Then Windows Updates

 

[fyb3r]

1. Motherboard Chipset
2. SATA Controller (IF APPLICABLE)
3. Video
4. Audio
5. Network
6. Modem (IF APPLICABLE)
7. USB 3.0 (IF APPLICABLE)

Then Windows Updates

This. Always do chipset first, otherwise some of the drivers you go to install may not take since the motherboard (which controls how everything communicates) wasnt installed.

usually from there it does not matter. I prefer to do mobo then network drivers so i can pull updated drivers from the site after that.

once everything is installed driver wise i update to the latest STABLE bios.

Then windows updates

 

[adreamer]

Agree..always chipset first and make sure you download the latest chipset for your MB. Usually the ones on the disk are quite old.

I don't usually bother with the BIOS unless I am having a problem..or I read that there are a lot of revisions..which include bug fixes. I wouldn't bother upgrading the bios if the only change was new hardware compatibility..especially if I am not using that hardware.

 

[Ketchup]

Another agreement. 1 and 2 are the most important in order for the rest to work correctly, which don't have to be that exact order.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

I used to follow the "order of install" stuff. But in the last 10 years or so i just install in any order i want and have yet to have an issue as a result.

 

[Automaticman]

1. Motherboard Chipset
2. SATA Controller (IF APPLICABLE)
3. Video
4. Audio
5. Network
6. Modem (IF APPLICABLE)
7. USB 3.0 (IF APPLICABLE)

Then Windows Updates

Agree with this. I usually go through and download all of the drivers I'll need and pu them on a thumb drive before hand so I have the latest versions all ready to go.

Also, if the windows Install DVD you have does not have SP1 built in, I highly recommend downloading the SP1 .iso from the intel digitalriver site and installing it from a thumb drive. The install will go faster from a flash drive and you will spend a fraction of the time installing windows updates.

 

[mj79]

Sorry to go off topic here for a second OP!!! But, is there any good guides, youtube step by steps, to building your computer, installing OS, drivers etc.. This will be my first ever computer build, and while the build may not be too difficult, I just want to make sure I dont give myself a bigger headache than Im preparing for

Its just when the BIOS pops up, Im sure Ill get a little nervous lol

 

[Ketchup]

I have heard good things about this one:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/274745-31-step-step-guide-building

 

[Cerb]

1. SATA, if applicable. Preferably during setup. You shouldn't need to, though.
2. Network. This is the only driver, with most systems, that you can't get the newest version of, before having it.
3. Windows update.
4. Chipset.
5. Windows update, again, if any are there.
6. Everything else, in any order.

Why? Because you can't get the current versions of the other drivers prior to having network, without using another computer and sneakernet. Also, if your SATA driver is applicable, you can't install outside of IDE mode without it. It either needs to go in during setup, or it can wait until you feel like.

You'll need the chipset driver before many other drivers can be installed, as well, and quite often, they are all available as optional updates (that said, Realtek audio drivers can still benefit from having the Realtek driver installed, as the MS ones don't have the control panel, should you utilize it). Drivers on disc are often quite outdated, and/or branded, such that you won't be notified of updates to reference versions that get to Windows Update, which sometimes can matter.

 

[HeXen]

Any order, never an issue. That's old school ways of thinking. Usually I don't even install chipset drivers, since I went to Windows8, it seems to manage everything well, I can just run all the WU's and reboot a few times and nothing shows in the devices as missing, works fine so meh, screw the time wasting crap.

 

[Cerb]

Any order, never an issue. That's old school ways of thinking. Usually I don't even install chipset drivers, since I went to Windows8, it seems to manage everything well, I can just run all the WU's and reboot a few times and nothing shows in the devices as missing, works fine so meh, screw the time wasting crap.

Bah. In a couple of years, you'll have to go back to that, "old school," way of thinking, all over again, using Windows 8, when it doesn't have chipset n+1's drivers included. By getting network first, you don't end up installing drivers unnecessarily, that Windows can do for you through Windows Update.

The same cycle repeats over and over again, with each new Windows.

 

[HeXen]

Bah. In a couple of years, you'll have to go back to that, "old school," way of thinking, all over again, using Windows 8, when it doesn't have chipset n+1's drivers included. By getting network first, you don't end up installing drivers unnecessarily, that Windows can do for you through Windows Update.

The same cycle repeats over and over again, with each new Windows.

No issues and i've had W8 since release day.

 

[Cerb]

No issues and i've had W8 since release day.

Windows 8 hasn't been out for even a year. It will be an issue when you have hardware newer than the OS. That barely exists, today, and doesn't yet exist for chipset, network, etc.. When XP was released, when Vista was released, when 7 was released, etc., you also needed few to no drivers for any hardware of the time or older.

 

[MustISO]

I typically just allow Windows to install the drivers during installation. I don't see too many issues with Windows 7 not already having the drivers. Video is really the only driver I install now after Windows is fresh installed.

 

[HeXen]

Windows 8 hasn't been out for even a year. It will be an issue when you have hardware newer than the OS. That barely exists, today, and doesn't yet exist for chipset, network, etc.. When XP was released, when Vista was released, when 7 was released, etc., you also needed few to no drivers for any hardware of the time or older.

Show me where I was talking about some future hardware that I don't have now? You seriously can't be that stupid to not understand my initial post. It was quite clear. Let me retard that post down for you.
"Install drivers in any order. I'm using W8, so I didn't have to manually install them"

Is that better? can you comprehend now?...no you just want to turn it into something you can argue about. Facepalm is on you.

 

[Cerb]

Show me where I was talking about some future hardware that I don't have now?

Right here:

Any order, never an issue. That's old school ways of thinking. Usually I don't even install chipset drivers, since I went to Windows8, it seems to manage everything well, I can just run all the WU's and reboot a few times and nothing shows in the devices as missing, works fine so meh, screw the time wasting crap.

Bah. In a couple of years, you'll have to go back to that, "old school," way of thinking, all over again, using Windows 8, when it doesn't have chipset n+1's drivers included. (em. added) By getting network first, you don't end up installing drivers unnecessarily, that Windows can do for you through Windows Update.

No issues and i've had W8 since release day.

Windows 8, using a yet to be released chipset, was the context of what you quoted. For instance, you might need to go find and install drivers when the 8-series chipsets come along, which should be later this year.