While Intel’s built-in GPUs have made immense strides over the previous decade, there’s been one explicit legacy they’ve been unable to interrupt free from: OEM driver locking. Due to the big diploma of customization and optimization that OEMs typically do to their programs, some OEMs have insisted on having video drivers “locked” to their platforms, in order that solely video drivers that they’ve personalized and distributed will be put in.
This construction has at all times supplied at the least a modicum of utility, making certain that newer drivers don’t break issues or in any other case intervene with these system customizations. But as desktops and laptops reside longer than ever, OEM have demonstrated a shorter consideration span than Intel in terms of driver updates. As a end result, unlucky system homeowners have discovered themselves caught in a bind with older (and even some newer) programs, the place there are newer drivers with vital bug fixes for video games and purposes, however these drivers can’t be put in as a result of they haven’t been personalized and permitted by the OEM.
Thankfully, it seems like the times of Intel OEM driver locking are lastly behind us. Yesterday night Intel launched a brand new model of its Windows 10 GPU driver, model 26.20.100.8141, that’s totally unlocked, permitting it to be put in on just about all OEM programs for the primary time. And whereas there are a handful of catches, in the end this driver ought to work with most OEM programs which might be working a present, supported model of Windows 10 on high of an Intel Gen9 or later iGPU.
Going by Intel’s launch notes, the important thing growth right here, in addition to seemingly throwing warning into the wind and telling OEMs to step again, is the now widespread use of Microsoft’s newer Declarative Componentized Hardware (DCH) video driver format. First launched alongside Windows 10 1803 nearly two years in the past, DCH is a more recent, modularized driver format that amongst different issues, permits for extra piecemeal distribution of the elements inside a driver. For Intel and NVIDIA customers, for instance, their respective graphics management panels are distributed and put in through the Windows Store when putting in a DCH driver.
Critically, OEM-specific customizations are modularized beneath DCH as effectively, which means that these customizations are not a part of the base driver package deal, in Microsoft parlance. This implies that it’s doable to distribute and replace the bottom driver as a generic package deal, disposing of the necessity to make OEM-specific builds that incorporate their customizations. Ultimately, unlocked drivers have been a part of Microsoft’s massive plan for drivers since Windows 10 1803 shipped, and this week Intel is lastly placing that plan additional into movement with the discharge of their first unlocked driver set.
Meanwhile, though Intel is distributing unlocked drivers, they’re being cautious about it, at the least initially. At the very high of the motive force description, earlier than the rest, is the next warning textual content.
WARNING: Installing this Intel generic graphics driver will overwrite your Computer Manufacturer (OEM) personalized driver. OEM drivers are handpicked, personalized, and validated to resolve platform-specific points, allow options and enhancements, and enhance system stability. The generic driver’s intention is to briefly check new options, sport enhancements, or verify if a difficulty is resolved. Once testing is full Intel advises reinstalling the OEM driver till they validate it and launch their very own model.
For now, at the least, Intel is looking these unlocked drivers check drivers. But as long as they work accurately, there’s going to be no need to return to utilizing pre-baked OEM drivers. Intel strikes sooner than the OEMs, and sometimes the corporate updates its generic…
