Old motherboard, new GPU?
Old motherboard, new GPU?
Hello everyone,
I’m seeking some guidance on upgrading an old computer that’s quite outdated.
I purchased a prebuilt desktop about 11 years ago and have been thinking about improving it for some time.
Details
Hardware:
- Motherboard: MSI Z87-45
- CPU: i7-4790 @ 3.60 GHz
- GPU: 2 x MSI GTX 770 TwinFrozr in SLI
- RAM: originally 16GB, now increased to 24GB
- Power Supply: FSP 750W
I plan to replace the existing GPU with a Nvidia Gigabyte 3060, since my current graphics card can’t handle DirectX 12. I checked specs and compatibility, and a friend suggested using ChatGPT for more insight. They mentioned that PCIe support is backward compatible from version 3.0 to 4.0, which gave me hope.
I attempted the installation, but when the machine powers on, the GPU fans initially spin up briefly before slowing down and stopping completely. My monitor also fails to receive a signal over HDMI.
Given the age of this system, I’m concerned about potential bottlenecks. Should I upgrade the motherboard as well? Are there other components I should replace to ensure everything functions smoothly?
Thank you in advance for your help. I hope this message finds you well.
Fred
Is this a new or used card? Are you certain it's functioning properly? Which manufacturer or model is it? Gigabyte offers around 20 different RTX 3060 variants.
It’s a brand new card, nvidia GeForce rtx 3060 windforce oc 12 gb
I’ll be honest, I’ve no idea if it’s properly working. My old gpu needs two of the 8 pin connectors per card, and I tried all four of them in the new card with the same result. It’s like it’s kickstarting the card, then it shuts off again.
Is your system running in legacy mode?
It will appear as black-and-white with plain text, not a colorful webpage.
New graphics cards require UEFI mode to be detected.
It might help to see if a motherboard BIOS update resolves the problem.
I know these problems well.
This was the challenge I faced when attempting to run a GTX 780 on an Asrock A785GM-LE (AM3).
(Resolved = Purchased a new motherboard)
UEFI & Legacy
See video: https://youtu.be/ezubjTO7rRI
TECHPOWERUP indicates the MSI Z87-45 has an "AMI EFI BIOS with 64 Mb Flash ROM"
EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) was an early form of what later became UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)
In my situation, after replacing the old ASRock and installing the new 990FXA-UD3 (rev. 4), it worked perfectly.
For you, Fred, you might need to look for an Intel Z97 motherboard.
There are many options available on eBay for purchase between $50 and $60.
I wouldn't recommend settling for LGA 1150 at this stage. If you're planning a board change, it might be worth exploring other options you can acquire. You could potentially locate a reasonably priced AM4, LGA 1200, or even an LGA 1700 configuration. Nonetheless, I strongly advise confirming that the system is running in UEFI mode rather than legacy, as the RTX 3000 series and newer models don't support legacy boot. You might also consider getting an RX 6600 or 7600, which do offer legacy boot compatibility.
If you're ready to try something new, you could install an Nvidia GT 710 and follow the tutorial in the video to integrate it or use another card to get the RTS 3060 running on your older system. I have around a dozen of these cards saved just for this purpose.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMF_SPcLL0Y