Graphics card and BIOS issues...

Here’s the gist of my issue:
I went into the BIOS and set the primary graphics card to PCI Express, but the PC keeps booting up using the integrated graphics—meaning that's the only thing I can actually use...

I know for a fact the GPU (an Nvidia GT-240 with 512 MB RAM) isn't dead—the system actually boots using it once in a while instead of the integrated graphics (that crappy Nvidia GeForce 6150SE nForce 430/integrated/SSE2)...

So now, is this a motherboard failure (ASRock ALiveNF6G-VSTA), or am I just missing some obscure setting in the BIOS? 🤔

It’s always something with ASRock, but fine... let's try it.

Does that extra graphics card need its own power cables? Is your power supply actually strong enough?

Have you tried a CMOS reset? It might help.

Did you try a different port on the card?

If that fails, try a CMOS reset and don't touch any BIOS settings. Should I just look for an external graphics card instead?

...check if there’s an "Integrated graphics" setting in the BIOS and just flip that to OFF (Disable)

Sandra Cook60 said:It’s always something with ASRock, but fine... let's try it.

Does that extra graphics card need its own power cables? Is your power supply actually strong enough?

Have you tried a CMOS reset? It might help.

Did you try a different port on the card?

If that fails, try a CMOS reset and don't touch any BIOS settings. Should I just look for an external graphics card instead?

The graphics card doesn't need extra power—it worked perfectly fine for two years without any issues like this...

Tried the reset—pulled the jumpers, put them back—same exact story...

I've only got one slot for a card—meaning just one single PCI Express slot...

Even after the reset, it won't detect the card; it's just running on integrated graphics...

wearymason4 said:...check if there’s an "Integrated graphics" setting in the BIOS and just flip that to OFF (Disable)

There isn't an option like that—all I have is a setting where I choose between PCI Express, PCI, or integrated graphics...

Hey, is your BIOS version up to date? I think I saw somewhere that older BIOS versions can actually cause some headaches. Also, I’m not even worried about whether the card itself is the v2.0 model or not—just do me a favor and look into it.

wearymason4 said:Hey, is your BIOS version up to date? I think I saw somewhere that older BIOS versions can actually cause some headaches. Also, I’m not even worried about whether the card itself is the v2.0 model or not—just do me a favor and look into it.

Yeah, I already flashed the latest BIOS...

What’s this "v2.0" business all about? It worked perfectly fine in this exact setup—same BIOS, same components—for over two years straight...

At this point, something on the motherboard probably just kicked the bucket. And honestly, what else can you expect from a piece of junk that's seven years old anyway? 🕺

Anyway, thanks for the input...

Sarah Martinez46 said:The graphics card doesn't need extra power—it worked perfectly fine for two years without any issues like this...

Tried the reset—pulled the jumpers, put them back—same exact story...

I've only got one slot for a card—meaning just one single PCI Express slot...

Even after the reset, it won't detect the card; it's just running on integrated graphics...

That isn't a reset if you just moved the jumpers!
Read the manual. If you actually perform a proper reset, the system clock and date will revert to old years.

Looking at the photos online, it seems this card lacks external power connectors. Fine.

It might be a bad connection in the slot. Try reseating it a few times to scrape the contacts clean.

Or it could be dead. Graphics cards fail often; there is too much delicate tech on them.

Sandra Cook60 said:That isn't a reset if you just moved the jumpers!
Read the manual. If you actually perform a proper reset, the system clock and date will revert to old years.

Looking at the photos online, it seems this card lacks external power connectors. Fine.

It might be a bad connection in the slot. Try reseating it a few times to scrape the contacts clean.

Or it could be dead. Graphics cards fail often; there is too much delicate tech on them.

I did reset it—the date went back to 2007, and after that, the system froze up several times...

The card definitely works—I tested it in another PC and it runs fine...

I'll try reseating it a couple of times, that's worth a shot...

Did you actually set the BIOS to use the PCI Express card? Look for the PEG setting or whatever it’s labeled as.
And did you plug the monitor cable into the right port on the external card?
Don't leave the cable plugged into the integrated graphics while the dedicated card is installed. Some BIOS versions get confused about where the monitor is connected, which causes everything to crash. You'll just end up needing a CMOS reset anyway.

Sandra Cook60 said:Did you actually set the BIOS to use the PCI Express card? Look for the PEG setting or whatever it’s labeled as.
And did you plug the monitor cable into the right port on the external card?
Don't leave the cable plugged into the integrated graphics while the dedicated card is installed. Some BIOS versions get confused about where the monitor is connected, which causes everything to crash. You'll just end up needing a CMOS reset anyway.

Look, I've tried everything... nothing works. I'm done. I'll just stick to the integrated graphics until I can finally afford a whole new PC...🤦

Hello,
I have a question. My PC powers on, but the monitor stays black. I tested the monitor and the cable on another computer and everything works fine. Does this mean my graphics card is dead?

Thanks,

Donna Lopez9 said:Hello,
I have a question. My PC powers on, but the monitor stays black. I tested the monitor and the cable on another computer and everything works fine. Does this mean my graphics card is dead?

Thanks,

It's definitely possible...
I had an Nvidia 8500 GT in this junker of a rig I own, and when it finally kicked the bucket, nothing showed up on the screen—I was stuck using the Integrated graphics until I picked up an Nvidia GT-240. That one still works, but because this motherboard is absolute garbage, I can't even use it anymore...😠

Alright, thanks... I'll just pick up something for $33 and call it a day : ) It's really just a basic machine for browsing the web, catching a movie, and that sort of nonsense

Donna Lopez9

Is it possible your BIOS glitched out? Maybe the battery is dead or dying... which could have forced the system over to integrated graphics if you have them.
Check the back of the tower for other slots. Consult the manual and try plugging the monitor in there instead.

That’s how graphics cards usually fail—the PC won't POST, sometimes triggering a beep code, sometimes not. But it won't boot normally if the card is shot. It's rarely the video output chip itself that dies; it's usually the GPU. When that goes, there's no signal to the BIOS, so the BIOS won't even get to Windows.
So, if Windows actually starts loading, you're hearing some kind of sound, right?

Hey everyone, I’ve run into a really frustrating issue with my graphics card lately that I just can't seem to shake. Basically, out of nowhere, the card spikes to a 100% full load even when I don't have a single application running on my PC; then, after a bit, it just settles back down to normal, and this whole cycle repeats itself roughly every ten minutes or so. I actually went ahead and flashed my BIOS to the latest version recently, so I have a nagging feeling that might be the culprit, though I can't say for sure. My motherboard is a http://uk.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/G...DS3H-rev-10#ov and I'm running an Nvidia GTX 650. Since my current BIOS version is F11a—which I pulled directly from the official Gigabyte site—and the release notes specifically mention they "Improve PCI Express x16" slot compatibility, I'm starting to suspect the BIOS is at fault here. If anyone has dealt with something similar, I would truly appreciate any help you can offer. I've already tried performing a CMOS reset by pulling the battery, cleaned the card thoroughly, reapplied the thermal paste, and installed the latest drivers, but none of that seems to have made a dent in the problem; it's still happening just like before.

I don't think your BIOS has anything to do with this... I can see you've already tried just about everything else. Have you thought about formatting the hard drive and doing a fresh install of Windows? If it still isn't working after that, then we might be looking at an issue with the graphics card itself..

Joshua Cruz74 said:Hey everyone, I’ve run into a really frustrating issue with my graphics card lately that I just can't seem to shake. Basically, out of nowhere, the card spikes to a 100% full load even when I don't have a single application running on my PC; then, after a bit, it just settles back down to normal, and this whole cycle repeats itself roughly every ten minutes or so. I actually went ahead and flashed my BIOS to the latest version recently, so I have a nagging feeling that might be the culprit, though I can't say for sure. My motherboard is a http://uk.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/G...DS3H-rev-10#ov and I'm running an Nvidia GTX 650. Since my current BIOS version is F11a—which I pulled directly from the official Gigabyte site—and the release notes specifically mention they "Improve PCI Express x16" slot compatibility, I'm starting to suspect the BIOS is at fault here. If anyone has dealt with something similar, I would truly appreciate any help you can offer. I've already tried performing a CMOS reset by pulling the battery, cleaned the card thoroughly, reapplied the thermal paste, and installed the latest drivers, but none of that seems to have made a dent in the problem; it's still happening just like before.

If you haven't performed a clean installation of Windows or wiped your drive, and you previously had drivers installed that weren't thoroughly removed, it is possible that remnants of the old drivers are conflicting with the new ones.

In that case, try cleaning everything out using DDU and then perform a fresh installation of the latest update.

Make sure to revert to the default BIOS settings before installing the driver.