The Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility (also known as the Intel Chipset Device Software) is often referred to as the chipset driver or chipset drivers. This is a common misconception.
What is a driver?
A driver is a program that allows a computer to communicate (or talk to) a piece of hardware. The Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility, however, is not a driver, nor does it include drivers. It contains information files (INFs).
What is an INF?
An INF is a text file that provides the operating system with information about a piece of hardware on the system. In the case of the current Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility, that information is primarily the product name for the piece of hardware. This allows the operating system to show the correct name for that piece of hardware in Device Manager.
Is an INF useful?
If a chipset is released well after an operating system, the INF allows the operating system to identify all the pieces of the chipset. Intel and Microsoft* work together to include information on both current and future chipsets in new operating systems so, in many cases, the operating system will recognize all the pieces of the chipset even without the INF.
Do I need to install the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility then?
The best rule of thumb is that, unless you are installing an operating system, you don't need to install the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility. If you do install the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility after installing the operating system, and the installation program recognizes that some or all of the product names in Device Manager match the product names in the included INF files, it just won't install those INF files.
The Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility supports the following Intel chipsets:
Intel 5 Series Chipsets
- Mobile Intel PM55 Express Chipset
- Intel P55 Express Chipset
- Intel X58 Express Chipset
Intel 4 Series Chipsets
- Mobile Intel GM45 Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel GL40 Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel GS45 Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel PM45 Express Chipset
- Intel G41 Express Chipset
- Intel G43 Express Chipset
- Intel G45 Express Chipset
- Intel P43 Express Chipset
- Intel P45 Express Chipset
- Intel Q43 Express Chipset
- Intel Q45 Express Chipset
- Intel X48 Express Chipset
Intel 3 Series Chipsets
- Intel G31 Express Chipset
- Intel G33 Express Chipset
- Intel G35 Express Chipset
- Intel P31 Express Chipset
- Intel P35 Express Chipset
- Intel Q33 Express Chipset
- Intel Q35 Express Chipset
- Intel X38 Express Chipset
Intel 900 Series Chipsets
- Intel 910GL Express Chipset
- Intel 915G Express Chipset
- Intel 915GL Express Chipset
- Intel 915GV Express Chipset
- Intel 915P Express Chipset
- Intel 915PL Express Chipset
- Intel 925X Express Chipset
- Intel 925XE Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel 910GML Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel 915GM Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel 915GMS Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel 915PM Express Chipset
- Intel 945G Express Chipset
- Intel 945GT Express Chipset
- Intel 945GZ Express Chipset
- Intel 945P Express Chipset
- Intel 945PL Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel 940GML Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel 943GML Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel 945GM Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel 945GMS Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel 945PM Express Chipset
- Intel 946GZ Express Chipset
- Intel 946PL Express Chipset
- Intel 955X Express Chipset
- Intel 975X Express Chipset
- Intel G965 Express Chipset
- Intel P965 Express Chipset
- Intel Q963 Express Chipset
- Intel Q965 Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel GL960 Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel GM965 Express Chipset
- Mobile Intel PM965 Express Chipset
Intel 800 Series Chipsets
- Intel 848P Chipset
- Intel 865G Chipset
- Intel 865GV Chipset
- Intel 865P Chipset
- Intel 865PE Chipset
- Intel 875P Chipset
Intel Server/Workstation Chipsets
- Intel E7210 Chipset
- Intel E7220 Chipset
- Intel E7230 Chipset
- Intel E7320 Chipset
- Intel E7520 Chipset
- Intel E7525 Chipset
- Intel 3000 Chipset
- Intel 3010 Chipset
- Intel 5000P Chipset
- Intel 5000V Chipset
- Intel 5000X Chipset
The latest version of the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility supports the following operating systems:
- Microsoft Windows 7, 32-bit*
- Microsoft Windows 7, 64-bit*
- Microsoft Windows Vista*
- Microsoft Windows Vista x64 Edition*
- Microsoft Windows Server 2008*
- Microsoft Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition*
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003*
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition*
- Microsoft Windows XP*
- Microsoft Windows XP x64 Edition*
- Microsoft Windows 2000*
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