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SM Bus Controller: what it is and which driver it needs

DeviceInBox editorial team · Last updated September 17, 2026

After installing or reinstalling Windows you may find "SM Bus Controller" under Other devices in Device Manager, with a yellow mark and the status "The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)".

It isn't an expansion card or anything you plugged in. SMBus, short for System Management Bus, is a slow bus built into the chipset. The motherboard uses it to read information from memory modules, temperature and fan sensors and a few other management chips. The controller doesn't actually need a special driver to work. Windows simply has no INF file that gives it a name, so it ends up in the unknown devices list.

Other devices with SM Bus Controller, PCI Simple Communications Controller and a data acquisition controller
These three appear together and one chipset package fixes all of them.

Can you leave it as it is?

Usually, yes: the computer runs normally. We still recommend fixing it, because the missing chipset package typically leaves other devices unnamed too, and some monitoring and power management features rely on the chipset drivers being present.

Check who made the chipset

Right-click SM Bus Controller, choose Properties, open the Details tab and select "Hardware Ids". The VEN code in the first line tells you which package you need (how to read hardware IDs):

Hardware ID of an Intel SMBus controller split into vendor and device codes
The vendor code tells you whose chipset package you need.

Intel: Intel Chipset Device Software

This package, also known as the Intel Chipset INF Utility, installs identification files for chipset functions such as SMBus, PCI Express root ports, thermal and LPC controllers. Once it is installed, the device gets a proper name along the lines of "Intel(R) 100 Series/C230 Series Chipset Family SMBus - A123" and the warning disappears.

  1. Download the package and run the setup file as administrator.
  2. Accept the license, finish the wizard and restart.
  3. If the SMBus device is still unknown, the package doesn't cover your chipset generation. Use the table below to find a driver that lists your exact ID.

Intel SMBus controllers in our catalog:

Hardware IDDeviceDrivers
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_A323SMBus Driver6
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_A2A3SMBUS - A2A37
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_A123Sunrise Point-H SMBus10
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_9D23Sunrise Point-LP SMBus9
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_9DA3SMBus Driver7
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_8C228 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller12
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_9C228 Series SMBus Controller10
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1E227 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller15
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1C226 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller16
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_3B305 Series/3400 Series Chipset SMBus Controller11
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_293082801I (ICH9 Family) SMBus Controller11
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_283E82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller6
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_27DANM10/ICH7 Family SMBus Controller7
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1D22C600/X79 series chipset SMBus Host Controller8
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_8D22C610/X99 series chipset SMBus Controller4
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_A0A3Intel(R) SMBus - A0A34
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_02A3SMBus - 02A34
System devices list after the chipset package is installed, with Intel SMBus named
After the install the device moves to System devices with its real name.

AMD: the AMD chipset driver

On AMD systems the SMBus controller (PCI\VEN_1022&DEV_790B on Ryzen platforms) is handled by the AMD chipset driver package, which also installs the GPIO, PSP and power plan components.

Laptops and branded PCs

Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS and Acer publish chipset drivers on their support pages, usually in the Chipset category. They are tested for the specific model, which makes them the safest choice when the generic package refuses to install.

Three steps: chipset package, restart, identify what is left
Install the chipset package first, then deal with whatever is left.

If the device is still listed

  • Make sure the setup actually finished and that you restarted.
  • Right-click the device, choose Update driver and then "Search automatically for drivers". Windows will pick up the INF you just installed.
  • Look for a chipset entry under Settings, Windows Update, Advanced options, Optional updates.

Two other chipset devices tend to appear at the same time: PCI Simple Communications Controller and PCI Data Acquisition and Signal Processing Controller.

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