Windows 7: Windows 7 vs manufacturers drivers help please

Hi,

I have just assembled my first PC build, installed Windows 7 and everything seems to be working fine.
I am, however, confused, do I need do download drivers for all my hardware from the manufacturers (i.e Asus, LG, Logitech etc.) or can I just leave the ones that Windows 7 has installed since everything is working OK?
What would be the benefit of installing manufacturers' drivers?

So, far I have only install new drivers for my video card and my printer.

In addition, how do I find the motherboard in Device Manager. I looked under System Devices but there are just so many entries there I'm not sure which one do I choose for the update.

Thank you for your help!



i7-920
ASUS P6T
6GB G.SKILL DDR3-1600
1 TB 7200 RPM
SAPPHIRE RADEON HD 5750 VAPOR-X
SEASONIC S-12 650W
WINDOWS 7, 64 bit

The old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" I would run it a while and see how it runs. Windows drivers are furnished by the manufacturer and then tested by Microsoft for any problems. Any new drivers will take a while to get certified by Microsoft. If there is a problem and the manufacturer writes a new driver to fix that problem, then you can look at it and see if you need the fix. When a manufacture releases a new product (video card) then you may need to use the manufactures driver until Microsoft catches up on the certification.

Jim

Some people say that it's better to go right to the horse's mouth, but I prefer going through Window's drivers, especially for video cards. The latest video card drivers on the card's website may be in a beta stage and could cause problems for people. If the driver is out of beta, it'll be something Microsoft hands you.

Maybe keep the driver installation file nearby just incase you feel you need it. Otherwise, if things are going well I'd say stick with what you have. (It's what I've decided to do myself and so far, so good. )

You can if you want, there is no harm in sticking with what Windows 7's or update your drivers directly from the vendor/manufacturers. Personally i would update to the latest for devices such as video, network and sound. The rest is should be ok to leave as is.

You motherboard device drivers are your chipset drivers. Look under System devices for Intel (R)s. These should also be listed in the USB Controllers section.

Thanks guys!

I decided to update just chipset, LAN, audio and video drivers.
So, the rest is OK to leave as is even if it doesn't recognize the exact hardware?
ie it says generic monitor, mouse etc.

The good thing about Windows is that since ME, you've had the ability to rollback driver installs. It's even easier with system restore as you can roll back multiple driver installs.

Depends on the user, everyone is different, has a different PC etc, so I don't think it's quite so simple to answer imo.

Hi, if it says generic monitor, go to the monitor’s site and download the latest drivers for your monitor.

after the fiasco of vista pre sp1 and microsofts driver program i would play wait and see if microsoft drops the ball with driver updates. personally after vista it is still going to be a long time before i trust driver updates from microsoft.