Z77 Extreme4 drivers
Printed From: ASRock.com
Category: Technical Support
Forum Name: Intel Motherboards
Forum Description: Question about ASRock Intel Motherboards
URL: https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2090
Printed Date: 14 Jul 2025 at 6:51am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Z77 Extreme4 drivers
Posted By: Snurf
Subject: Z77 Extreme4 drivers
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2016 at 12:21pm
|
Hi, Was just wondering which of the drivers for the Z77 Extreme4 are operating system dependent. I ask because I'm currently using the drivers off of the disc for my installation of Windows 7- 64 bit. And when I go to the download page looking for updates I see that the drivers listed for Win7-64 are all quite old, some older than the ones provided on the disc. I also noticed that the version of the INF driver that I have installed (from the disc) is listed as "Win8/Win8-64" only on the site, but seems to be working fine. So should I just download the most recent drivers from the site regardless of what OS they're listed under? Thanks |
Replies:
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2016 at 1:15pm
|
New INF, IME, and other drivers are mainly needed for the new Intel chipsets and newer Windows compatibility. You will see some crossover between Windows versions for some things, which means no changes were needed for those versions. Driver updates are not always meant for older chipsets like the Z77. As I said above, there is a point where the driver updates are specifically for the new chipsets. That of course happens when those new chipsets are made available. Most if not all driver and software installation programs provided by Intel check the platform they are being run on, and adapt the result with the appropriate driver files. Other manufactures do the same thing. That you can use new driver installation programs on older platforms is because the installer has some intelligence built into it. My point is most if not all of the changes in "new" drivers are not meant as improvements for earlier platforms. They are there to accommodate the new features or changes in the new chipset hardware. You can use drivers identified for use with newer versions of Windows, but they will likely be no different than the older ones when it comes to your hardware. Some users complain that another company provides "new driver versions" for their older hardware. But the result of using those newer installation programs rather than the original ones for their boards is zero difference in what is actually installed. Some new Intel drivers have features your chipset cannot support. The IRST version 14 drivers that can work with PCIe NVMe SSDs in RAID simply will not work with your board without other updates to the UEFI/BIOS. Other features cannot be made to work. New drivers are really for new hardware. Use whatever works for you, but realize it is not long before the new drivers do not contain updates that apply to your hardware. ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow"> 
|
Posted By: Snurf
Date Posted: 27 Feb 2016 at 5:31pm
|
Thanks for the quick response. I understand that I can't just go and download the newest thing direct from Intel since it wont be compatible due to hardware limitations. I just wasn't sure if it would behoove me to download the most recent version Asrock offers specifically for my board. Although, it seems from what you've said, that the newer versions listed on the Asrock download page only offer compatibility for newer OS and no actual benefits over the original drivers. So, unless I'm mistaken, the best course of action would be to keep using the original drivers provided by the disc unless I decide to upgrade Windows. Please let me know if I've misunderstood you anywhere. Thanks again.
|