![]() ![]() In-app advertising aside, IObit Driver Booster PRO is the best driver utility I've tested. Unfortunately, Driver Booster PRO has a dedicated tab you can't remove that's devoted to advertising other IObit products, which is annoying-especially in an app that costs $23. Sure, visual customization doesn't improve the tool's ability to recognize and download fresh drivers, but freedom of choice is always a nice bonus. In fact, I wrote part of this review while looking through Driver Booster PRO as it ran on my PC's desktop. IObit's tool also lets you select one of two interface skins (one light, one dark) and tweak its transparency to customize its appearance. As a result, Driver Booster PRO has easy-to-read information, while using its competitors requires you to do lots of scrolling. That may seem like a basic feature, but SlimWare Utilities DriverUpdater cannot do the same. I like IObit Driver Booster PRO's ability to enter Full-Screen mode. That's a relatively common feature in this category of software. ![]() I deleted several other drivers, and Driver Booster PRO was able to find compatible replacements.ĭriver Booster PRO also has a handy scheduling feature so that you can set a time (either daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) to check for new drivers. After I rebooted the PC, Driver Booster PRO downloaded a replacement driver-Microsoft's High Definition Audio Device-that worked flawlessly when I played MP3 and WAV files. I further tested the software by intentionally deleting the Realtek High Definition Audio driver. Unlike Ashampoo and SlimWare Utilities' software, Driver Booster PRO doesn't prompt you to back up your existing drivers before installing the new ones. It took approximately five minutes for me to install all of the new drivers. ![]() When I clicked the Download All button, Driver Booster PRO began downloading and installing the appropriate drivers. Like Ashampoo DriverUpdate, IObit Driver Booster PRO unearthed 44 driver-related issues on my work PC, while SlimWare Utilities DriverUpdate found just 41. Instead, the utility jumps straight to the most important matter, displaying your PC's out-of-date drivers. It doesn't display your PC's hardware specs as Ashampoo and SlimWare Utilities' offerings do. When you launch Driver Booster PRO, it performs a quick hardware scan. SlimWare Utilities DriverUpdate lacks this feature. Like Ashampoo Driver Updater, IObit Driver Booster PRO leverages Windows 10's Action Center to deliver useful desktop notifications. ![]() IObit's utility is compatible with the Windows 10 ( at Amazon), 8, 7, Vista, and XP operating systems. Note that Ashampoo's paid utility includes a three-PC license for $39.99, as compared with IObit's three for just $22.95. IObit Driver Booster PRO also comes with a three-PC license, which is a plus for folks who live in multi-PC households. For example, the main difference between SlimWare Utilities SlimDrivers (the free version) and SlimWare Utilities DriverUpdate (the paid software) is that the latter lets you download and update all your drivers at once. Of the driver updaters I've tested, IObit Driver Booster PRO shows the largest gulf between its free and paid versions. PRO-only abilities include automatic driver downloads and installation during a PC's idle time (which is good for those who rarely power down their computers) and the ability to prioritize video game-related developer environments and APIs (such as Microsoft Visual C++ and OpenAL, respectively). Both let you download the newest drivers and offer one-click updates, but paying for the $22.95 PRO tier (reviewed here) gets you many other features. IObit offers two versions of Driver Booster: Free and PRO. Competitors Ashampoo Driver Updater and SlimWare Utilities DriverUpdate offer compelling features, but IObit Driver Booster PRO leads the pack. Driver Booster PRO's simple core functionality is made even more attractive thanks to the inclusion of multiple licenses at a very wallet-friendly price, as well as a customizable interface that does a good job of displaying specific hardware-related information. IObit makes many utilities, and Driver Booster PRO, which automatically updates your drivers, is one of its best. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software. ![]()
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