RTX 4070 in x8 PCIe lanes 4.0 configuration
RTX 4070 in x8 PCIe lanes 4.0 configuration
Hey everyone, I've been searching for answers everywhere but most people don't seem to grasp what's going on. Just a quick recap: my PC setup is relatively new, I've been using it for about a week with a brand-new Gigabyte RTX 4070 (specs say x16 4.0). My components are: GPU – RTX 4070 Eagle V2 OC, CPU – 7800X3D, RAM – 32GB DDR5 (G.skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 6000MHz CL30), and motherboard – B650 MSI TOMAHAWK WIFI. The BIOS is the latest beta, and I'm running Windows 11 Pro. Storage includes two NVMe drives, with one main drive in the top M2 slot and another in the third M2 slot powered by the chipset.
I've tried swapping out the M.2 slots, using just one for the OS, and even changing the GPU to see if it improves things. The card is stuck in x8 PCIe mode and won't run at x16. I estimate a performance drop of 2-3%, though it might improve in certain tasks. It feels unfair since I paid for top-tier performance.
Additionally, I sometimes see a white VGA light indicating a GPU issue, but I can fix it by disconnecting the display or HDMI port from the GPU and letting the PC boot through to OS before reconnecting. After that, it works until the next reboot.
According to your manual, PCI_E1 doesn<|pad|>, doesn't share bandwidth with any PCIe or M.2 slots, so the problem isn't related to their positioning or other cards. It's likely the GPU is in the top slot since lower slots only support x2 and x1 connections. The VGA light points to a more serious issue. Have you tried removing and reinstalling the GPU?
It's set up in the silver armored PCIe_e1 port nearest the CPU. I attempted to re-seat the GPU, cleaned the pins with isopropyl alcohol, and checked for dust using a phone camera. The pins appear fine and the PCIe slot looks good. From what I can see, the issue persists even after switching two motherboards with the B650 chipset. The display still shows no signal and the VGA light is white/red, even with monitor cables connected. My Steelseries headset DAC also behaves this way. I think the fix was letting cables in except for the headset, and I've tried DDU three times.
After testing several motherboards, I'm nearly certain the GPU is faulty and not related to software problems. Please return it promptly.
When the system boots completely works, I ran timings and benchmark tests, and games performed well without any issues. If the card is very new or underperforming, it might be a GPU problem.
Typically I'd run a test on a different motherboard to confirm the problem. The ongoing issues strongly suggest a GPU-related fault. It might also be due to faulty motherboards, but that seems less likely. Another step could be re-seating the CPU and inspecting the socket for bent pins, though the most probable cause appears to be a hardware issue with the GPU.
I repositioned it this time a bit more relaxed, and it remains there. IGPU functions properly in x16 4.0 mode, and the PC operates smoothly without the GPU inside.
It's frustrating because the RMA request from Gigabyte came across as unreliable—it didn’t confirm anything and just sat there without any response. I ordered the GPU from their German site, which means it was shipped directly from there to me. The device looks brand new, with no damage or issues inside.
Review your NVMe drives and verify the PCIe lanes assigned to your GPU. You can do this in the BIOS after rebooting.