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The supported way to keep a GeForce RTX 5090 driver current is NVIDIA’s own NVIDIA App. Open its Drivers tab, check for the offered Game Ready or Studio package, install it, and restart when requested. You can also download the exact driver manually from NVIDIA’s GeForce driver pages. The process is assisted rather than guaranteed to be a silent, unattended update on every PC.
What “automatic update” means for an RTX 5090
NVIDIA’s software can check for a newer driver and take you through installation, but NVIDIA does not promise that every RTX 5090 update installs invisibly in the background. Windows may request a restart, the installer may ask you to confirm options, and a failed installation can require a manual download or rollback.
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The RTX 5090 launched with a new GeForce Game Ready driver on January 30, 2025. NVIDIA told owners to download and install that driver through NVIDIA App or GeForce.com: NVIDIA’s RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 launch-driver announcement. Current NVIDIA driver pages continue to list the RTX 5090 as supported.
Before you update
Confirm that Windows sees the correct GPU
- Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager.
- Expand Display adapters.
- Confirm that the entry identifies an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. If it appears as Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, or has a yellow warning icon, resolve the detection problem first; an updater cannot reliably choose a driver for hardware Windows has not identified correctly.
Save work and close graphics-intensive applications
Close games, video editors, 3D applications, browser tabs playing video, and monitoring or overclocking utilities before installation. The display can flicker or go black briefly while the driver resets. Save anything unsaved before starting.
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Choose the driver branch you actually need
| Branch | Best fit | What to select |
|---|---|---|
| Game Ready Driver | Players who want support for newly released games and game updates | Choose Game Ready Driver in NVIDIA App or on the GeForce download page. |
| Studio Driver | Creators whose priority is validated support for supported creative applications | Choose Studio Driver instead of Game Ready when your workflow benefits from that branch. |
Both branches are official NVIDIA packages. Do not switch branches merely because one has a larger version number; select the branch that matches your primary workload.
Set up NVIDIA App for driver updates
Install or open the app
NVIDIA describes NVIDIA App as the companion for keeping GeForce Game Ready and Studio drivers updated. Download it from NVIDIA’s official software page, install it, and sign in only if the app requests an account for a feature you intend to use. The driver update route is the Drivers tab. NVIDIA’s August 2025 update documentation describes that workflow here: NVIDIA App update 5 and driver information.
Migrate from GeForce Experience when necessary
If GeForce Experience is installed, open NVIDIA App rather than maintaining two NVIDIA front ends. NVIDIA says that some GeForce Experience versions cannot automatically update themselves to NVIDIA App and warns that critical GeForce Experience web servers will be switched off in the near future. Follow NVIDIA’s migration guidance at Upgrade to NVIDIA App. If the migration does not appear, install the current NVIDIA App directly, then restart Windows before checking the Drivers tab.
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- Launch NVIDIA App.
- Select Drivers in the left navigation.
- Allow the app to check for available drivers. If it shows both branches, select Game Ready or Studio according to your workload.
- Read the displayed version number and release date. Confirm that the package lists the GeForce RTX 5090 among supported products before installing.
- Select Download, then choose the install command NVIDIA presents. Keep the app open while the package downloads.
- If the installer offers installation choices, use the default option unless you have a specific reason to perform a clean installation. A clean installation resets NVIDIA driver profiles and can remove custom settings, so record any game-specific settings you want to recreate.
- Wait for the display driver, audio driver, and other selected components to finish. Do not power off the computer during this step.
- Restart Windows if NVIDIA App or Windows requests it. Even when the desktop returns without an immediate prompt, restarting is a sensible way to ensure every driver component loads together.
NVIDIA App is the supported convenience path, not a promise that every update is unattended. You may still need to approve the installation, close a conflicting application, or restart manually.
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Check the installed version after the restart
Check in NVIDIA App
Return to Drivers. The app should show the installed package and indicate whether a newer package is available. Record the version and date if you need to report a problem to a game developer or NVIDIA support.
Check in Device Manager
- Press Windows key + X, then open Device Manager.
- Expand Display adapters and double-click the RTX 5090.
- Open the Driver tab. Windows displays the provider, driver date, version, and signing information.
The number shown in Device Manager can be formatted differently from NVIDIA App. Compare the full version rather than relying on the date alone.
Know which RTX 5090 driver is current
NVIDIA’s release pages provide the authoritative version and date. The following entries are documented milestones, not a promise that they remain the newest release after publication:
| Driver | Release date | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Game Ready driver | January 30, 2025 | RTX 5090/5080 launch announcement |
| 581.08 WHQL | August 19, 2025 | NVIDIA App update 5 article |
| 591.86 | January 27, 2026 | NVIDIA driver result page |
| 610.74 | July 7, 2026 | NVIDIA driver details page |
At the time covered by the cited page, driver 610.74 is listed for the RTX 5090. Check NVIDIA’s live Drivers tab or download page for a newer release when you perform the update.
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Use NVIDIA’s website when the app cannot update
A website download is still an official update, but it is manual rather than automatic.
- Open NVIDIA’s GeForce driver search.
- Select the GeForce RTX 5090, your Windows edition, and the Game Ready or Studio branch you want.
- Submit the search and verify the result’s supported products, version, and release date.
- Download the installer, close running graphics applications, and run the file from your Downloads folder.
- Accept the license, select the offered installation type, and let the installer complete.
- Restart Windows if requested, then verify the version in NVIDIA App or Device Manager.
Use NVIDIA’s own download result rather than a repackaged installer. The cited NVIDIA pages establish official distribution and RTX 5090 support; they do not establish that an unrelated updater is safer or more current.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When to choose a clean installation
A normal update preserves more of your existing configuration. Consider the installer’s clean-install option when you are replacing a different GPU, changing driver branches, recovering from persistent graphics corruption, or repeatedly seeing installation failures after ordinary updates.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute- Write down custom NVIDIA Control Panel settings and application profiles first.
- Close overlays, capture tools, and overclocking utilities.
- Run the RTX 5090 installer and select the clean-install choice if it is offered.
- Restart Windows, then recreate only the settings you still need.
A clean installation is not automatically better for a healthy system. It resets preferences and can make it harder to identify which setting caused a later problem.
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Troubleshoot a failed or unstable update
The update will not download
- Check that Windows has a working internet connection and enough free storage for the downloaded package and temporary installation files.
- Close another NVIDIA installer window, reboot, and try the Drivers tab again.
- If NVIDIA App still fails, use the official GeForce driver search and install the package manually.
The screen flickers, goes black, or the installer hangs
- Wait several minutes before forcing a shutdown; display-driver replacement can temporarily interrupt the desktop.
- If Windows remains responsive, use Ctrl + Alt + Delete and restart normally.
- After rebooting, check Device Manager for the driver version and warning icon.
- Disconnect unnecessary displays and close GPU monitoring or overclocking tools before retrying.
Games crash after the update
- Restart Windows once more and test the game with overlays disabled.
- Install the latest patch for the affected game and verify its files using the game launcher.
- If the problem began immediately after the driver change, open Device Manager, open the RTX 5090’s Driver tab, and use Roll Back Driver when Windows makes that option available.
- Record the driver version, game version, crash symptoms, and whether a clean installation changed the result before reporting the issue.
Rolling back is a diagnostic step, not proof that every crash is caused by the NVIDIA driver. Game updates, overlays, operating-system changes, and hardware instability can produce similar symptoms.
Windows reinstalls a different driver
Windows Update and NVIDIA App can offer drivers on different schedules. If Device Manager shows an unexpected version, compare it with NVIDIA App and the official NVIDIA release page. Install the intended NVIDIA package again through the official installer, then restart and verify the result.
How often should you check?
For a gaming PC, checking NVIDIA App before a major new game or a graphics-heavy update is practical. If your current games are stable, there is no requirement to install every release immediately. Read the release notes and keep a restore point or other recovery plan before a major branch change. NVIDIA’s release pages, rather than a fixed calendar, determine whether a package supports the RTX 5090 and your chosen branch.
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The Bottom Line
Use NVIDIA App’s Drivers tab for the supported RTX 5090 update path, select Game Ready or Studio for your workload, restart when requested, and verify the installed version. If the app fails, NVIDIA’s official GeForce driver page provides the manual fallback.
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