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. 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
The biggest highlight of this update is that Intel has support for Intel Iris Xe Max Graphics (DG1). Below is a complete list of Intel’s hardware that the new driver update supports:
Supported hardware Intel GPU drivers update 27.20.100.9168 Changelog Known issues Download Intel GPU driver update for January 2021 Closing words
Intel Iris XE Max Graphics (DG1)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.Intel Pentium Processor familyIntel Celeron Processor familyIntel® Core™ Processors with Intel® Hybrid Technology (Lakefield).
Intel GPU drivers update 27.20.100.9168 Changelog
This update was released a little earlier than expected. This is because it caters to various glitches in the gaming experience and screen flickering issues. Here is a list of all the improvements that have been made with this release:
The system-crashing problem when launching Cyberpunk 2077 (DX12) has been fixed.The graphic anomalies observed while playing the following games on 11th Generation Intel Core Processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics have been catered to:Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret FairyNioh 2Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret HideoutShadow of the Tomb Raider (DX12) (with Tessellation ON)Rise of the Tomb Raider (DX12) (with Tessellation ON)Star Wars Battlefront 2 (DX12)One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4Minor graphic anomalies observed while playing the following games on Intel® Iris® XE Max Graphics have been fixed:Shadow of the Tomb Raider (DX12)Star Wars Battlefront 2* (DX12)The problem of the 4K DP monitor flickering on 11th Generation Intel Core Processors with Intel Iris XE graphics after closing the lid and resuming from sleep has been fixed.
Known issues
Here is a list of known issues with the new update that you should check out before you consider installing it:
Users may experience the following games crashing or freezing when changing graphics settings:Cyberpunk 2077 (DX12)Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (DX12)Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (DX12)Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (DX11)Hunt: ShowdownDark Souls IIIDestiny 2Horizon Zero Dawn (DX12)Dirt 5 (DX12)Watch Dogs: Legion (DX12)Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint (DX11)Total War Warhammer 2 (DX12)Metro Exodus (DX12)Some graphical anomalies may be experienced in the following games:Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (DX12)Baldur’s Gate 3Wolfenstein: YoungbloodGears of War Ultimate Edition (DX12)Far Cry: New DawnTom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint (DX11)MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (DX12)ValorantSekiro: Shadows Die TwiceWatch Dogs: Legion (DX12)Hitman 2 (DX12)Minor graphical anomalies may be experienced in the following games when Image Sharpening is enabled in Intel Graphics Command Center:ARK: Survival Evolved (DX11)Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (DX12)Users may experience lag while playing a 4K/2K/ Full HD video in 8K60 tiled mode with application window maximized on 11th Generation Intel Core Processors with Intel Iris XE graphics.Brightness may not be adjusted as expected while in Battery mode on 11th Generation Intel Core Processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics.The screen may display garbage during WMV video playback with high CPU usage on 11th Generation Intel Core Processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics.HDR monitors may display gray color when TBT Gen2 dock or USBC Gen2 dock HDMI port with the “Use HDR” option set to 11th Generation Intel Core Processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics.The screen may flicker when the computer is in PC screen mode only on 11th Generation Intel Core Processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics.
For more information on the fixes and known issues, 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 27.20.100.9168 (.exe) [424.86 MB] Intel Graphics DCH Driver update x64 27.20.100.9168 (.zip) [415.33 MB] To automatically detect which drivers your device may require, use the guide below: 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. However, this month is Intel’s 2nd release for their GPU, and 3rd overall, where one of the releases was for their wireless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi adapters.
