Intel 5/6/7/8/9/100/200/300/400/500/600 Series Chipset (Desktop) And Intel X58 Express/X79 Express/X99/X299 Chipset (High End Desktop) Driver Support For Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10/11

This Web page lists the Intel 5/6/7/8/9/100/200/300/400/500/600 Series Chipset (Desktop) and the Intel X58 Express/X79 Express/X99/X299 Chipset (High End Desktop) driver support for Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10/11, including Windows drivers for the motherboard chipset's chipset, LAN, audio, and graphics devices.

Device drivers can be divided into two classes:

• Generic device driver: Provides basic device functionality. Provides plug-n-play capability. Devices critical to computer functionality (e.g., hard drive, chipset, display, and graphics) are developed to function with a generic device driver. Included in BIOS/UEFI and Windows. Do not require user manual installation.
• Device specific driver: Provides full device functionality. Developed by the device manufacturer. Devices not critical to computer functionality (e.g., LAN and audio) are typically not developed to function with a generic device driver and, therefore, require installation of device specific drivers in order to function. Sometimes included in Windows and/or Windows Update. If not included in Windows and/or Windows Update, require user manual installation.

Motherboard manufacturer's do not develop the motherboard chipset's chipset, LAN, audio, and graphics device specific drivers. The motherboard chipset device manufacturer (e.g., Intel), the motherboard LAN device manufacturer (e.g., Realtek), the motherboard audio device manufacturer (e.g., Realtek) and the motherboard graphics device manufacturer (e.g., Intel) develop the device specific drivers. The motherboard chipset, LAN, audio, and graphics device manufacturers provide their drivers to motherboard manufacturers and to Microsoft. Motherboard manufacturers package the drivers in installers, and provide the driver installers on their web site and on a disc included with the motherboard. Microsoft provides generic device drivers, and some of the most common device specific drivers, in Windows. Microsoft also provides some of the most common device specific drivers in Windows Update.

To provide an optimal graphics experience as soon as possible; 1.) Windows Update includes a graphics device specific driver for almost all graphics devices, and 2.) Windows 8/8.1/10/11 run Windows Update specifically for a graphics device specific driver soon after Windows 8/8.1/10/11 is first placed online. Therefore, if the display's initial screen resolution is less than the display's native screen resolution, simply place the Windows 8/8.1/10/11 computer online and wait a few minutes (typically less than 15 minutes) for Windows Update to automatically install the graphics device specific driver. Upon installation, the display's screen resolution automatically changes to the display's native screen resolution, and the graphics device listed under Device Manager | Display adapters changes from the generic Microsoft Basic Display Adapter to a device specific entry such as Intel UHD Graphics 630.

Motherboard manufacturers do not produce motherboards for all supported versions of Windows. For example, motherboard manufacturer A might produce Intel 200 Series chipset motherboards for Windows Windows 7 (32/64), Windows 8.1 (32/64), and Windows 10 (32/64), but motherboard manufacturer B might only produce Intel 200 Series chipset motherboards for Windows 8.1 (64) and Windows 10 (64). Therefore, before getting a motherboard, it is strongly recommended to check the motherboard manufacturer web site and confirm the availability of chipset, LAN, audio, and graphics device specific drivers for your version of Windows.

In 2014 Intel stopped manufacturing Intel desktop motherboards and Intel high end desktop motherboards based on their own Intel desktop chipsets and Intel high end desktop chipsets. In addition, in 2019 Intel stopped providing Intel desktop chipset and Intel high end desktop chipset device specific drivers for download from downloadcenter.intel.com. As a result, the only remaining ways to obtain Intel desktop chipset and Intel high end desktop chipset device specific drivers are from motherboard manufacturer web sites and driver archive web sites.

1.1.  Abbreviations

• LAN = Local Area Network (a.k.a., ethernet, wired network).
• NA = Not applicable.

Key for the tables below:

• Discontinued = Device specific drivers are no longer being developed and released.
• Active = Device specific drivers are still being developed and released.

Key for the table below:

• + = One or more motherboard manufacturer's released a device specific driver for the version of Windows. Therefore, before installing Windows, go to the motherboard manufacturer web site and download and copy the driver to removable media. Then, after installing Windows, install the driver from removable media.
  i

  It is strongly recommended that ethernet users download and copy the LAN specific driver to removable media before installing Windows; for, if Windows does not provide a LAN specific driver, you will not be able to connect to the Internet via ethernet to download the LAN specific driver or to run Windows Update.
• - = Apparently no motherboard manufacturer released a device specific driver for the version of Windows. Therefore, users cannot go to the motherboard manufacturer web site to download a driver. Instead, the user has three options. First, perhaps a device specific driver released for an adjacent version of Windows will work on your version of Windows. For example: 1.) Windows Vista and Windows 7 are similar enough that a driver for Windows Vista may work on Windows 7, and vice versa; 2.) Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are similar enough that a driver for Windows 8 may may work on Windows 8.1, and vice versa; and 3.) Windows 10 and Windows 11 are similar enough that a driver for Windows 10 may work on Windows 11, and vice versa. Second, perhaps the device manufacturer released a device specific driver for the version of Windows that motherboard manufacturers decided not to support. Here, go to the device manufacturer web site, not the motherboard manufacturer web site, and try to find a device specific driver to download for the version of Windows. Third, perhaps Windows and/or Windows Update includes a device specific driver for the version of Windows that motherboard manufacturers decided not to support.

• ARK (ark.intel.com)
• Intel Desktop Chipsets (ark.intel.com)
• Microsoft Lifecycle Policy (docs.microsoft.com)
• Product Discontinuation Notice For Intel Desktop Board Downloads (intel.com)