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takyon writes:

GPUs Unleashed: Intel Releases First Unlocked GPU Driver For OEM Systems

While Intel's integrated GPUs have made immense strides over the past decade, there's been one particular legacy they've been unable to break free from: OEM driver locking. Due to the large degree of customization and optimization that OEMs sometimes do to their systems, some OEMs have insisted on having video drivers "locked" to their platforms, so that only video drivers that they've customized and distributed can be installed.

This structure has always offered at least a modicum of utility, ensuring that newer drivers don't break things or otherwise interfere with those system customizations. But as desktops and laptops live longer than ever, OEM have demonstrated a shorter attention span than Intel when it comes to driver updates. As a result, unfortunate system owners have found themselves stuck in a bind with older (and even some newer) systems, where there are newer drivers with important bug fixes for games and applications, but those drivers can't be installed because they haven't been customized and approved by the OEM.

Thankfully, it looks like the days of Intel OEM driver locking are finally behind us. Yesterday evening Intel released a new version of its Windows 10 GPU driver, version 26.20.100.8141, that's fully unlocked, allowing it to be installed on virtually all OEM systems for the first time. And while there are a handful of catches, ultimately this driver should work with most OEM systems that are running a current, supported version of Windows 10 on top of an Intel Gen9 or later iGPU.

Also at ZDNet and Wccftech.

See also: Intel Sends Initial Linux 5.8 Graphics Driver Updates - Adds Ability For Tapping Full EU Perf, More Tiger Lake Bits
Intel Landing More Driver Work Needed For Discrete GPU Linux Support
Intel Media Driver 20.2.pre1 Released With More Work Towards Gen12 + Discrete GPUs
Intel Gen11+ Graphics See An Easy Bump On Mesa 20.1-devel

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