Only when paired with a riser does the GPU appear.
Only when paired with a riser does the GPU appear.
I upgraded my GPU from a 1080 Ti to a 7900 XTX. In my previous setup, I used a riser for the 1080 Ti to keep it vertical. Now I’m handing the 1080 Ti to a friend who’s assembling a PC. After finishing the build, the GPU won’t display properly. I’ve tried reseating RAM, testing the monitor, swapping cables—nothing helps. Once I connected it with a riser, it works. The motherboard is an MSI PRO B660M-G. Any suggestions on why this happens?
The BIOS doesn’t have a direct setting for forcing PCIE 3; the riser handles negotiation between versions. When you insert it directly, PCIE 4 works without issues. Your concern about compatibility might stem from the riser behavior.
Make sure the BIOS indicates the PCIe slot is configured differently than automatic, and verify the cable connects to the correct port. Your previous GPU had a port failure.
The answer lies in reviewing the PCI riser's specifications. It might only support PCIe 3.0, or it could use just one, four, or eight lanes and then convert them into an x16 port. After obtaining the details, verify if your PCIe slot is faulty or improperly set up.