Download Intel GPU Driver Update For January 2021 with Better Benchmark Results

Intel released an update to its line of GPUs this January. This update applies to Windows 10 version 1709 and above platforms only, as these are DCH Driver packages that are meant to run on Universal Windows Platform (UWP) based editions of the OS.

The driver version for the supported GPUs will change to 27.20.100.9126 after installing this update.

It is important to keep your system’s drivers up to date for bug fixes and performance enhancements. Let us see what the new update has to offer and what devices are supported.

Supported hardware

Below is a list of Intel’s hardware that the new driver update supports:

• 11th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors with Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (Tiger Lake).
• 10th Generation Intel® Core™ processors with Intel Iris Plus graphics (Ice Lake).
• 10th Generation Intel® Core™ processors with Intel UHD Graphics (Comet Lake).
• 9th Generation Intel® Core™ processors, related Pentium®/Celeron® processors, and Intel Xeon® processors, with Intel UHD Graphics 630.
• 8th Generation Intel® Core™ processors, related Pentium/ Celeron processors, and Intel Xeon processors, with Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 and Intel UHD Graphics 610, 620, 630, P630.
• 7th Generation Intel® Core™ processors, related Pentium/ Celeron processors, and Intel Xeon processors, with Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, 650 and Intel HD Graphics 610, 615, 620, 630, P630.
• 6th Generation Intel® Core™, Intel Core M, and related Pentium processors with Intel Iris Graphics 540, Intel Iris Graphics 550, Intel Iris Pro Graphics 580, and Intel HD Graphics 510, 515, 520, 530.
• Intel Xeon processor E3-1500M v5 family with Intel HD Graphics P530.
• Pentium/ Celeron processors with Intel HD Graphics 500, 505 and Intel UHD Graphics 600, 605.
• Intel® Core™ Processors with Intel® Hybrid Technology (Lakefield).

Intel GPU drivers update January 2021 Changelog

This update focuses more on the general performance of its drivers, as opposed to previous releases that focused more on user gaming and streaming experience, such as in December update.

Here is a list of all the significant changes and improvements this new GPU driver update has to offer:

• The issue of low scores obtained during SPECViewperf 13 Benchmark test by 11th Generation Intel Core processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics has been fixed.
• The problem with YouCam Camera Preview and Video Playback resulting in black on 10th Generation Intel Core processors or higher has been addressed.
• A spontaneous error code that occurred when playing Netflix on Microsoft Edge and hot-plugging/unplugging an external display on 11th Generation Intel Core processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics has been eliminated.
• The issue of a flash on a 3D monitor when “3D display mode” is enabled on 11th Generation Intel Core processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics has been addressed.

Known issues

With each release comes many known problems, which are sometimes new and sometimes continuing from previous releases. Here is a list of known issues with the new update you should check out before you consider installing it:

• Iris Xe Graphics: Users may experience the following games crashing or freezing:
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Hunt: Showdown
  • Dark Souls III
  • Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
  • Horizon Zero Dawn
  • Dirt 5
  • Watch Dogs: Legion (when the new campaign starts)
  • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
  • Halo 3: ODST (during mission loading).
  • Total War: Warhammer 2 (When loading campaign)
• Iris Xe Graphics: Users may experience minor graphic discrepancies in the following games:
  • MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
  • Star Wars: Battlefront 2
  • Wolfenstein: Youngblood (Vulkan)
  • Gears of War – Ultimate Edition
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Far Cry: New Dawn (when starting from a saved file)
  • Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout
  • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint.
  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider
  • Valorant
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
  • Watch Dogs: Legion
  • Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
  • Hitman 2
• Iris Plus Graphics and higher: Users may experience the following games crashing or freezing:
  • Destiny 2 (with anti-cheat enabled)
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  • Metro Exodus
• Iris Plus Graphics and higher: Users may experience minor graphic discrepancies in the following games:
  • Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
  • Yakuza: Like a Dragon
• Iris Xe Graphics:
  • Minor Graphic Anomalies may be seen in ARK: Survival Evolved and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare when Image Sharpening is enabled in Intel Graphics Command Center.

As you may notice, many of these known issues came from a previous update in December 2020. Nonetheless, we have also observed that several of these have been addressed. For more information, see the release notes by Intel.

Download Intel GPU driver update for January 2021

The update can be downloaded and installed through Intel’s Support Assistant or as a standalone driver.

Use the links below to download the driver:

Intel Graphics DCH Driver update x64 27.20.100.9030 (.exe) [423.13MB]

Intel Graphics DCH Driver update x64 27.20.100.9030 (.zip) [413.65MB]

To automatically detect which drivers your device may require, use the guide below:

1. Download Intel’s Support Assistant.
2. Double-click on the downloaded package to install the Support Assistant. On the first screen, agree to the terms and conditions and click Install.
   
3. On the next screen, choose whether to Accept or Decline an Invitation to Intel’s Computing Environment Program. This will not affect the installation.
   
4. Once the installation is complete, click on Launch.
5. The Support Assistant will now take you to a web browser where you can see your computer’s details, as well as any recommended drivers to be installed. Click Download/Install beside the recommended driver.
   

If, for some reason, you are unable to update to the new driver version, refer to this guide by Intel for troubleshooting tips.

Closing words

It is recommended to update all your system drivers frequently, and not just for GPU. These often include fixes and other minor improvements that you might not normally see when playing a game or performing heavy rendering tasks.

Intel releases an update for their trending GPUs every month of the year. You can keep track of their changelog and issues to make an informed decision on whether it is the right time to update your driver to play your game with max performance and detail.