Intel first started publishing an updated set of drivers aimed at Windows 10 back in November, which are optimized for the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). First referred to as Windows Modern Drivers or Universal Windows Drivers, they're now simply being referred to as DCH Drivers, and the company has just released version 25.20.100.6519.
This is the first release in 2019, and it should ensure compatibility for games such as GRIS, Bladed Fury, and Sega's Catherine Classic. If you have an Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU or better, you'll also be able to play ATOM RPG: Post-apocalyptic indie game. Aside from that, it also brings the audio driver up to version 10.26.00.05, a minor step up from the previous version, 10.26.00.04.
As far as new features go, there's only one thing to look forward to - improved support for the Windows 10 Ambient light sensor framework. This should enable better brightness adjustments based on your environment, as long as your hardware supports it.
There are a few key performance improvements in this release, however:
- Improved shader cache performance of DirectML metacommands for Microsoft WinML- based applications on 7th Generation Intel® Core processor and higher.
- Performance improvements and optimizations for F1 2018* (DX 12*) on 6th Generation Intel® Core processors or higher.
- Functional and performance improvements in Vulkan driver.
Additionally, Intel fixed a number of issues with this release, specifically some crashes that were affecting Battlefield V. Here's the full list:
- Intermittent crashes or hangs may occur in Battlefield V* (DX12*).
- Minor graphics anomalies may be observed in Farming Simulator 2019*.
- Optimization checkbox for gaming tuning in the Graphics Control Panel does not refresh after restoring settings in some systems.
- Video profile settings in Intel® Graphics Control Panel may not apply after white balance or color balance.
- Power consumption may be higher after disconnecting HDMI 2.0 display.
- 4K resolution may be lost when switched between HD and 4K monitors during sleep mode.
- Brightness compensation may be applied when in SDR (Standard Resolution) mode.
- Performance may be slightly lower on certain graphics workloads in full screen after resuming from sleep.
Even with that list of fixes, this release isn't without problems, and there are a couple you'll want to look out for:
- Intermittent crashes or hangs may occur in Cinema4D* application, and some games.
- Minor graphics anomalies may be observed in Battlefield V* (DX11*), and other games.
This driver is only compatible with the latest Windows 10 releases, starting with the Fall Creators Update, or version 1709. It supports Intel Core processors from the 6th generation onwards and related processors with Intel HD Graphics 510 or higher, Intel Iris Graphics 550 or higher, or Intel UHD Graphics 610 and up. Intel Xeon E3 processors with Intel HD Graphics P530, as well as Intel Pentium and Celeron processors with HD Graphics 500, 505, 600, and 605 are all also supported.
It's worth noting that, due to major changes to the drivers, Intel wants users to transition from legacy drivers to the DCH ones using its own installer. As such, this release still isn't available as a ZIP package, and users are advised to avoid installing the driver using the INF file and the 'Have Disk' method.
You can grab the driver from the Intel Download Center, or check out the full release notes here.
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