Conexant audio driver for Windows
Conexant audio chips are in many laptops and are now part of Synaptics, which bought Conexant in 2017. Get the Conexant audio driver from your laptop maker's support page for your exact model. If no driver is offered, Windows' own High Definition Audio driver can play sound as a fallback.
Checked October 30, 2026 against the manufacturer's own pages.
Driver downloads
| Driver | Version | Released | Size | Windows | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conexant audio driver: use the laptop maker's package for your model | See maker page | See maker page | See maker page | Windows 10 and 11 | Download from synaptics.com |
Values copied from the manufacturer's page on October 30, 2026. The file always downloads from the manufacturer, never from this site.
The short version
What to install and where it comes from. Every link goes to the manufacturer or Microsoft, never to a copy.
Official files only, nothing bundled
Step by step
Confirm it is Conexant
In Device Manager open the audio device's Properties, Details, Hardware Ids. A line with VEN_14F1 means a Conexant codec. Other codes mean another maker.
Note the laptop model
Find the exact model name or serial number on the base of the laptop. Maker driver pages are sorted by model.
Open the maker's audio section
On the laptop maker's support site, open Drivers, then Audio. Download the Conexant or Synaptics audio driver listed for your Windows version.
Install and restart
Run the installer as an administrator, then restart. Open Sound settings and test speakers, headphones and the microphone.
Fall back to Windows' driver if needed
If the maker driver fails, choose Update driver, Browse my computer, Let me pick, and select High Definition Audio Device.
Who makes the Conexant driver today
Conexant was a long-running maker of audio codecs, and a lot of business laptops carry them. In 2017 Synaptics bought the company, so what used to be Conexant SmartAudio drivers now come with Synaptics branding, or with both names. You may see Conexant in older driver lists and Synaptics on the Driver tab. They are the same family of hardware.
On the PC, a Conexant codec reports a hardware ID with 14F1 in it. The vendor ID also appears in the public PCI ID Repository as Conexant Systems, Inc.
Why the laptop maker comes first
Audio drivers for these codecs are customised by the laptop maker. The settings for speakers, the microphone array and jack detection are tuned for one model. A generic file from another source may install yet sound wrong or lose the microphone. We found no public Conexant download page on Synaptics’ site, which fits this pattern: the maker’s support page is the real source.
Security and updates
Synaptics has published a security advisory for its Sound Device Driver, and that is a good reason to take updates from the laptop maker when they appear. Windows Update may also supply newer audio drivers, so check Optional updates.
If sound stops
Roll back the driver, or switch the device to Microsoft’s High Definition Audio Device. That gets basic playback working while you look for the maker’s package. Microsoft says its class driver can manage a standard audio codec when the vendor supplies none, though it lacks the extras.
Questions
Is there a public Conexant download page?
We did not find one on Synaptics' site today. Laptop makers distribute the audio driver tuned for each model, so start with them.
Is Conexant the same company as Synaptics?
Conexant's audio business was acquired by Synaptics in 2017. Newer driver packages and security notices carry the Synaptics name.
Are there security notices for these drivers?
Synaptics has published a Sound Device Driver security advisory. Keep the audio driver current by taking the newest package from your laptop maker.
The microphone stopped working after an update.
Check Settings, Privacy and security, Microphone. Then reinstall the maker's audio driver. If it still fails, roll back to the previous version.