Do you need an NVMe driver?
Most NVMe SSDs need no download. Windows includes its own NVMe driver, StorNVMe (stornvme.sys), available since Windows 8.1. A vendor driver is needed in two cases: an older Samsung SSD that Samsung's driver supports, or a PC using Intel VMD or RAID mode where Windows setup shows no drives.
Checked October 30, 2026 against the manufacturer's own pages.
Hardware IDs on this page
| Hardware ID | Device name |
|---|---|
PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_5762 | RTS5762 NVMe SSD Controller |
PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_5763 | RTS5763DL NVMe SSD Controller (DRAM-less) |
PCI\VEN_144D&DEV_A808 | NVMe SSD Controller SM981/PM981/PM983 |
PCI\VEN_144D&DEV_A80A | NVMe SSD Controller PM9A1/PM9A3/980PRO |
Match the first line of Hardware Ids in Device Manager (Properties, Details) against this list. Names come from the public PCI ID Repository.
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
See what Windows uses
Open Device Manager and expand Storage controllers. A Standard NVM Express Controller means the Microsoft driver is in use.
Check the drive appears
Open Disk Management. A drive that shows there with a size is working. If it is raw, initialise it only if it is new and empty.
Update the BIOS and SSD firmware
Slow or missing drives are more often a firmware matter. Use the PC maker for the BIOS and the SSD maker's tool for the drive.
Add a vendor driver only for a reason
Use Samsung's driver for a listed 950 to 970 drive, or Intel's RST for VMD. Otherwise stay with StorNVMe.
Reinstall setup media if drives are hidden
If Windows setup lists no disk, the PC probably uses VMD or RAID mode. Load the maker's storage driver from a USB stick.
The driver Windows already has
Microsoft describes StorNVMe (stornvme.sys) as the system supplied storage miniport driver for high speed NVMe devices. It has been part of Windows since 8.1. Microsoft’s pages list the commands it supports from Windows 10 version 1903 on, and add support for vendor specific features in later releases. In practice this means a new NVMe SSD is detected on its first boot and appears in Disk Management with no download.
When a vendor driver is needed
Two cases remain. The first is older Samsung drives. Samsung published its own NVMe driver, version 3.3, for the 950 PRO up to the 970 EVO Plus, and the page lists Windows 7, 8.1 and 10. The second is a PC where the drive hides behind Intel VMD or a RAID mode. Windows needs Intel’s or AMD’s storage driver there, and setup shows an empty disk list until it is loaded.
What the table shows
The four hardware IDs are NVMe controller chips from Realtek and Samsung, with names copied from the public PCI ID Repository. They show that the chips differ while the Windows driver stays the same. Other drive makers publish no separate Windows driver we could verify, so go by the PC maker and the SSD maker’s firmware tool.
Questions
Where do I download the generic NVMe driver?
You do not. StorNVMe comes with Windows 8.1 and later. Microsoft documents it as the system supplied driver for NVMe devices.
Which drives need Samsung's driver?
Samsung's page lists the 970 PRO, 970 EVO, 970 EVO Plus, 960 PRO, 960 EVO and 950 PRO, for Windows 7, 8.1 and 10.
My SSD is not seen during Windows setup.
On Intel systems this is often VMD. Intel's article tells you to load iaStorVD.sys at the setup screen. See the Intel RST page.
Can a wrong NVMe driver hurt?
It can. Intel warns that removing the VMD driver can cause a blue screen. Stay with the driver your PC already uses unless you have a clear fault.