The "Intel(R) Chipset Device Software" (formerly named "Intel(R) INF Update Utility") seems to be the most overestimated "driverpack" for Intel Chipset system: Only a minority of the Intel Chipset users know, that the on-board Intel Chipset devices are working fine without any "Intel(R) Chipset Device Software". In various Forums you can read the advice to install the "latest Intel Chipset Drivers" as first and much important step after the installation of any Windows Operating System. Otherwise the users will never get a stable and performant system.
The reality is quite different:
Although the Device Manager shows the information files as "drivers", the "Intel(R) Chipset Device Software" doesn’t contain any real driver (= .SYS file), but just textmode (= .INF) files, which
a) let the OS know, that for the related Intel Chipset Device a driver is neither needed nor available and
b) gives the user the information, that the related device is an Intel one.
None of the Windows Operating Systems needs the .INF files for a proper functionality.
The Intel Chipset "drivers" don’t have any impact on the performance of the related system.
My conclusions:
The installation of any “Intel(R) Chipset Device Software” or their included INF files is only useful, if the Device Manager shows a yellow mark at an Intel (VEN_8086) device with a "missing driver".
Since the newest Windows Operating systems are able to detect and to name by their own all Intel chipset devices, which were on the market at the release of the OS, there is usually no need at all and no benefit for the users to install or update the Intel chipset device INF files (often named by mistake "Intel chipset drivers").
Only users with a brandnew Intel chipset (from 8-Series up for Windows 7, from 9-Series up for Windows 8/8.1) or a very old Windows OS should install the latest suitable *.INF files for their specific Intel Chipset Devices to get rid from the "missing driver" message within the Device Manager.
Forcing the installation of a not required or already present Intel Chipset Device INF file (e.g. by using the " -overall" command) doesn’t make any sense, but will blow up the user’s registry and the Windows\inf folder with garbage (unused resp. unusable oemxx.inf files). Furthermore the forced installation of unusable drivers generally may overwrite actually in use other drivers and can cause degraded performance or a lack of features.
Download links to the latest Intel(R) Chipset Device INF Files (often wrongly named “Drivers”)
(with installer or as “pure” *.INF files) compressed by using WinRAR from v5.xx up (last updated: 11/06/2024)
A. Latest Intel Chipset Device Software Sets (only usable as Installer for certain Intel Chipsets)
For very old Intel Chipsets (usable up to 5-Series):
>Intel Chipset Device Software Set v9.4.2.1020< (>MIRROR<) This Set is dated 08/27/2014 and the latest of the v9 development line, which had been designed for older Intel Chipsets and Operating Systems from XP up to Win7 (32/64bit). Note: All included *.INF and CAT files have been compiled by Intel already in 2013 or earlier. That means, that the “drivers” (= *.inf files) themselves are much older than the package.
This installer package is dated 10/07/2024 and contains the latest currently available *.INF files for modern Intel CPU Series.
This Set contains a new installer, the first *INF files for Intel Chipset systems with the upcoming ArrowLake CPU and updated *.INF files for Intel chipset systems with a LunarLake or a ApolloLake CPU.
All updated INF files have been digitally signed by Microsoft on 27th July 2024.
Although the INF files are much newer and created/updated at different dates, all of them have been misleadingly dated by Intel 07/18/1968. Despite the misleading shown date this Set contains the latest available Intel Chipset Device INF files for all modern Intel chipsets from 100-Series up.
B. Latest “pure” Intel Chipset Device *.INF files: (for the manual installation, recommended for all Intel systems from 6-Series up)
For users, who know the CPU platform of their system and
just want to get the latest available Intel Chipset Device INF files for their specific system installed
don’t want to search for them in different packages and
don’t want to get any bloatware installed (Software installer and not matching *.inf and *.cat files),
I am offering a new “All-in-One” package, which contains just the latest original Intel Chipset INF files (and the *.CAT files with the WHQL stamp).
Here are the download links:
AIO package dated 11/06/2024 for all Intel Chipsets from 6-Series up: (with the latest original Intel Chipset Device INF files):
Contrary to the official Installer Sets this AIO package contains the latest "pure" INF files for all currently available Intel Chipsets from 6-Series up.
The included *.INF files have been finalized by Intel at different times, but they all are misleadingly dated 07/18/1968.
This is the easiest way to use this package:
Run the Device Manager (if you see any yellow flagged devices, begin with them).
Expand the Device Manager section (preferably "System Devices"), where the Intel Chipset Devices are listed. Tip: Many of them are shown with a name beginning with "Intel".
Right click onto the related Intel device and choose the options "Update Driver Software …" > "Browse my computer for Driver Software" and make sure, that the option "Include subfolders" is checked.
Hit the "Browse" button and navigate into the root of the downloaded and unzipped package and hit "OK".
Hit "Next". If there is any newer/better INF file for the related Intel Chipset device within the package, you will get it installed (and nothing more!). Don’t worry about getting a wrong "driver" installed. The OS Device Management knows the best, which INF file matches the related device and is newer than the currently in-use "driver".
Important remark: The offered RAR archives can only be extracted by using the new compression method of the latest WinRAR versions (from v5.00 up) or 7-Zip (from v1800 up).
I found that everything above 9.x is not made for our “old” chipsets. I tried every release since the alpha of 10 came out but they’re just not made older chipsets.
I don’t know, but you can try it, if you want. If the INF files are not usable for your Z87 mainboard, nothing will be installed. So there is nothing to worry about. By the way: The latest Intel Chipset Device Software is v10.0.20 WHQL, which I have attached (credits go to Station-Drivers).
Regards Fernando
EDIT: I have set the word "driver" of the thread title in quotation marks, because these INF files are no real drivers.
Thanks, I installed the one from MSI and it looks like it worked, everything was named correctly in device manager and the Intel(R) 8 Series/C220 Series SMBus Controller - 8C22 shows driver version 10.0.16.0
EDIT by Fernando: Unneeded quoted text deleted (to save space)
Hey Fernando : I wanted to say thanks for the post about header removal when flashing a modded UEFI.
If you have some ex time in the next week or two, can you please extract the INF files from the 10.0.22 Intel chipset setup and upload them. I have tried a thousand times with CMD and so sick and tired of trying.
I can’t stand seeing microsoft 2006 on a 9 series chiipset. Thanks, if not no big deal.
I cannot extract the INF files either. Even the tool named "Resource Hacker" doesn’t find any of them within the SetupChipset.exe. The only thing I can do for you is to attach the INF file I got within my Windows\Inf directory after having executed the SetupChipset.exe. Furthermore I have added a chipset.cat file I found within my system drive. It is interesting to read the content of the INF file with an editor like notepad and to compare it with the Intel SMBus inf files v9.x.x.xxxx.
I thought I was doing something wrong. I don’t get it, in the older setup there were INF files for each chipset, like with X79, they were called PAT, and all the ICH and other INF files.
I only get the Intel INF to load for the SMbus host, all the others will not load a INF, they all show Microsoft 2006. A 9 series with 2006, LOL.
Again, thanks. You saved me when I got the security error can’t flash UEFI.
I’ve updated my Intel Chipset Driver .INF on a Asus Z77 platform with the latest found on Intel’s site v10.0.13.0 and a i5 Core 3570K…Ran the Command Prompt: SetupChipset.exe -overall
It gave me a new string updated within the “Intel(R) 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family SMBus Host Controller - 1E22” (capture.jpg) Date: 25/02/2014; Pilote version: 10.0.13.0
[[File:Capture.JPG|none|fullsize]]
And wrote new OEM.inf files (capture1.jpg)
[[File:Capture1.JPG|none|auto]]
So i guess this had been useful at least for this Intel Chipset version 10.0.13.0.
PS: Don’t know why the .jpg pics are not correctly displayed…
EDIT by Fernando: The second pic has been resized by me (was too wide).
@ N607: Thank you for your interesting contribution, but please forgive me, when I am going to reduce your happiness about having successfully installed an Intel chipset device INF file v10.x.x.xxxx onto your Intel 7-Series chipset machine. By the way: All v10.x.x.xxxx Intel Chipset Device Software Sets are only designed by Intel for being used with Intel 8- and 9-Series chipsets. Nevertheless you were able to install the INF file onto your 7-Series chipset system, because you had forced the installation by using the "-overall" command extension.
You are right regarding this point. All INF files of the "Intel(R) Chipset Device Software" v9.4.4.1006 are dated 08/01/2013. Intel 7-Series chipset users, who want to get the "newest" INF files, should better take the "Intel(R) Chipset Device Software v9.3.2.1020, because all included INF files are dated 02/27/2014. Now lI would like to ask you very seriously:
Have you recognized any benefit for your system after having forced the installation of the information file v10.0.13.0 for your "Intel(R) 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family SMBus Host Controller - 1E22"?
What do you expect from an update of an INF file, which does nothing else than to give the device an Intel name and tells the Device Management, that no driver is needed?
Please compare the content of the INF file v10.0.13.0 you got installed now (you can find it named as oemxx.inf within the Windows\inf folder of your drive C) with the attached "old" original INF file v9.3.0.1029 named PantSMB.inf dated 07/25/2013, which is within both above mentioned "Intel(R) Chipset Device Software" Sets (v9.4.4.1006 and v9.3.2.1020) and will do nothing else than to give the "Intel(R) 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family SMBus Host Controller - 1E22" its name within the Device Manager.
Mainly is the installer that have changed. The Release Notes between v9.3.2.1020 and v10.0.13.0 are similar.
"Features Added in Baseline 10.0.13 - February 26, 2014 ID Description 1 Installer baseline version changed from 2.0 to 3.0. 2 Re-add IvyTown E7 brandings strings. 3 Add new IvyTown devices 0E45, 0E47, 0E85, and 0E95. 4 Added additional Broadwell-E devices and updated descriptions. 5 Added additional Baytrail-I devices and updated branding strings. 6 Allow Baytrail-I devices to install on Windows 8."
and
"Features Added in 9.3.2.1020 – March 6 2014 ID Description 1 Re-add IvyTown E7 brandings strings. 2 Updated to latest Chipset 9.x readme, including Windows 8.1 support. 3 Add new IvyTown devices 0E45, 0E47, 0E85, and 0E95."
You’re right, I have attached file of the oem52.inf after latest official Intel’s 10.0.13.0 version installed.
Sorry Fernando, but the -overall switch doesn’t override VID/PID identify, if it’s not in the .inf, it will not be loaded; it just overrides files in \drivers folder and force windows to reload chipset drivers.
The "-override" command cannot override files in the \drivers folder, because within the \drivers folder are only real drivers (=*.sys files) and the Intel chipset INF files are no drivers. It would be no problem, if the already existing oemxx.inf files with an earlier or even the same version would be simply overwritten, but the reality is, that with the "-override" command all chipset related INF files will be freshly installed (even when the same INF file with the same version is already preasent within the Windows\Inf folder).
Looks when you are using the -overide command you mainly have to reinstall the third party driver, if you’re using such Intel Rapid Storage Technology.
-OVERALL = Updates ALL INF drivers on all available devices even if third party drivers are currently installed. This flag works in Interactive Mode only.
-OVERIDE = Updates the storage drivers even if a third party storage driver is currently installed. This flag works in Interactive Mode only.
Also looks this -OVERIDE command doesn’t exist anymore on v10.0.xx.xxxx Intel Chipset Utility Driver, might be because of their new installer. It’s also a matter how they do speak on to, and on v10.0 they do call it "Overwrites all drivers" !!!
@ Fernando Hey guy I have a question for you. A while back I was visiting some forum that I don’t remember now and you did replay someone in regard to how to extract and install those drive to the chipset manually. If I’m not mistaking you mention to download the chipset driver then get 7Zip and extract the file, then go to update driver tab in system property and search manually for the driver in WHAT FOLDER thats the step that I don’t remember could help me out and refresh my memory, Thanks.
It depends on the OS you are running. If it is Windows XP, it’s the folder named "All", if it is Vista, Win7 or Win8, it is the folder named "Win7", where to search for the suitable INF files.
I,m using Windows 8.1 Pro, and I had follow your guide like I said before were was posted in another forum and it did work like a charm. That setup I have to secure erase the drive to star from scratch I bought a new version of Windows 8.1 Pro with the SP1 or the update pack whatever they call it, but anyways guy is Windows 8.1.
For users with an Intel 7-Series Chipset desktop system I recommend to concentrate their interest on INF files, whose names are starting with "pant". The newest Intel Chipset Device INF and CAT files for Z77 mainboards running Win7/Win8 are attached.
