This GPU shows properly only in Windows with no drivers or in safe mode, while the 3090 functions flawlessly
This GPU shows properly only in Windows with no drivers or in safe mode, while the 3090 functions flawlessly
EDIT: For those in the future with this problem, I was able to resolve it by replacing my motherboard with an ASUS TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS. This ridiculous saga has come to a close This is my second ASUS TUF RTX 4090, as my first one would not display at all ever. My second one allows me to see BIOS and the splash screen, but the second Windows is done loading, the swirling dots freeze, and Windows loads on the iGPU from my 7700x. If I go into safe mode, it displays just fine, and reads as a 4090 in device manager. If I use DDU while in safe mode, the 4090 will also display in normal boot, but obviously as a Microsoft Display Adapter in device manager. The second I install Nvidia drivers, the 4090 is once again bricked. My RTX 3090 on the other hand works flawlessly all of the time. This is a new build, with only the drives being reused. Things I have tried on the first GPU off the top of my head: Many CMOS resets Four different versions of my BIOS (I'm currently on the latest Beta one) Reseating RAM, and only using one stick of RAM Reseating GPU countless times and checking 12VHPWR connections (I am using four separate PCIe power connectors, no daisy chaining) Checking device manager for hidden devices Migrating to Windows 11, and back to Windows 10 Booting on a separate copy of Windows 10 I had on another drive from another PC Switching between Game Ready and Studio drivers from Nvidia Toggling many BIOS settings (RAM speed, 4G Encoding, CMS, TPM (Which stopped Windows from booting altogether), PCIe generation (4, 5, and auto), and probably a few other things I'm forgetting) DDU Things I have not tried on my second GPU that I tried on my first: Changing BIOS versions Reseating RAM Other copies of Windows, or Windows 11 Toggling PCIe generation Something I only tried on the second GPU, I updated my GPU UEFI Firmware while in safe mode. I later checked it, and the update seemed to have held My specs: Maingear Ignition 1200W PSU AsRock X670e Pro RS (BIOS Version: 1.14.AS06) AMD 7700x ASUS TUF RTX 4090 (Driver Version: 527.56) G.Skill DDR5 2x16GB 6000 CL36 Windows 10 Home (Version: 22H2) Edited January 26, 2023 by Yuiop
I hadn't attempted it before, though I just gave it a try. I tested PCI Gen 3, 4, and 5 without any results. If I'm on the incorrect screen, I attached a photo. There seems to be no other way to adjust it. When I activated CSM, it showed an option for a limiter with choices like UEFI Only, Legacy Only, and Do Not Launch (intended for no restrictions). I selected UEFI Only when CSM was on, but nothing changed. I attempted Do Not Launch with the limiter enabled via CSM, yet Windows failed to boot. I didn't explore Legacy Only, though I'm unsure what it does. I simply tried booting using the integrated graphics and installing drivers. Still no improvement. Specifically, I followed these steps: 1. Activated Safe Mode in MSConfig 2. Shut down the PC 3. Disconnected the 4090 and connected the DisplayPort cable to the iGPU 4. Restarted the PC into BIOS 5. Changed the preference to Internal Graphics 6. Saved and restarted the PC 7. Ran DDU 8. Restarted again 9. Deactivated Safe Mode in MSConfig 10. Shut down the PC 11. Installed 4090 12. Restarted the PC with the latest Nvidia driver 527.56 13. Shut down the PC 14. Restarted from the PC's login screen 15. Shut down and then restarted the PC 16. Set preference to External Graphics 17. Saved changes and shut down again 18. Disabled Safe Mode in MSConfig 19. Shut down and restarted the PC 20. Moved the DisplayPort cable from iGPU to 4090 21. Restarted the PC again 22. The GPU displayed a splash screen, swirling dots froze, with no further updates 23. Shut down completely 24. Connected the second monitor cable to the iGPU 25. Restarted once more 26. The same issue occurred, but after freezing, Windows booted on the integrated graphics 27. I sighed. Switching to the 3090 resolved the problem completely. This makes my 4090 appear non-functional, though it's my second unit.
It’s rare to get two bad GPUs in a row, though it could definitely indicate an issue beyond the hardware itself. The fact that the BIOS is showing up is a red flag. I’d recommend reinstalling Windows if you haven’t already done so on this card—there might be corrupted files causing the boot problems. Make sure it’s not from a donor PC by testing it on a different one.
I had only tried my other Windows install on the first card, but I just tried it on this second card. No change. I feel that this rules out Windows as the culprit, short of doing a true fresh copy of Windows on an otherwise blank drive. I can't imagine two separate installs of Windows would have the same exact problem though. Both work fine until Nvidia drivers are installed, and then it's lights out. Maybe I need an older driver? At this point I think it has to be (a) a bad Nvidia driver, (b) a BIOS/vBIOS issue, or © a GPU/Motherboard compatibility issue I just tried that on my old PC's PSU, and it did not change anything sadly. Swirling dots still froze, and display switched to iGPU. I'm running out of possibilities here
It seems the BIOS is displaying while Windows loads the loading screen, indicating a potential driver-related problem. The NVIDIA driver works but then fails. Your Windows runs smoothly with IGPU, though there are reports on AsRock forums about crashes when using the GPU. It might not be the card itself, but rather the motherboard or BIOS causing the issue. Have you checked AsRock forums or contacted them directly?
I haven't checked, actually I searched for my motherboard name but the results weren't great. I saw a few folks with similar issues, but their discussions were either closed or fixed using DDU. I think JayzTwoCents had a comparable problem, though he resolved it by switching to a different GPU—his was an FE 4090, not a 3090. I'm planning to contact Asrock, though I've noticed they often shift blame and don't always follow through
Place it in the first position, configure PCIE to version 4.0 instead of Auto.