If you’ve just installed a new graphics card and it is not being detected by your computer, don’t worry. There are a few quick fixes that will have you back up and running in no time. These tips can be used for any graphics card, whether Nvidia or AMD.
If you are experiencing a graphics card not detected in your computer, then there will be a message on the screen that says the graphics driver is out of date or missing. This can happen with laptop computers as they have limited space for graphics cards and CPUs.
There is an explanation for everything that takes place in your PC, including the error messages. If you’re playing a graphically intensive game for more than thirty minutes, your graphics card may overheat and shut down. Sometimes it doesn’t come back on and the screen goes black temporarily.
Modern motherboards (or CPUs) come with an integrated graphics card, which is invariably a top performer. If you have a monitor connected to a different output than your video card, switch the monitor to the correct connection.
As you might know by now, modern gaming requires more processing power than your average video editing or office workstation does; even if you're just using it as an HTPC (Home Theater PC).
A GPU that’s built into your motherboard may suffice for simple tasks such as web surfing, but this isn't going to cut it when playing games in 1080p on 144Hz monitors with resolutions up to 3440x1440px wide screens.
For these situations, gamers need powerful discrete GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) which they attach to their PCs. One of the most important aspects in determining whether a GPU is powerful enough for your setup or not, is understanding how many graphics cards can be used with it at once.
When you first come across this issue, the first step should be checking to see if your graphics card is disabled in the device manager. If you’re having the problem mentioned, clicking on your GPU will provide a button called ‘Enable device.’
Sometimes the Device Manager won’t recognize your discrete GPU and instead will just show properties of the integrated one. To do this, you’ll need to check your BIOS/UEFI configuration.
Installing new drivers can sometimes result in an error, but this is a fairly easy fix. Many components of your PC rely on the drivers that you install, and this is doubly true for the driver that controls video output.
Manufacturers cannot be blamed for bad drivers. If you choose the wrong graphics driver, carefully examine your computer's GPU and download the appropriate one.
Due to differences in driver installation between AMD GPUs and NVIDIA graphics cards, make sure you are following a clear guide as to which process is applicable for your system.
However, as GPU technology is advancing, manufacturers are starting to prefer the method of having a GPU management software installed automatically when a new card is inserted. The software then takes over updating drivers.
This issue can happen after a Windows update. If you encounter this problem, your only solution is to roll back the update and wait until the issue goes away. Check related forums or communities for updates on common problems so that you can try a manual update if there are no posts about your specific problem yet.
You need do install the latest driver for your graphics card, in order to make sure that the drivers are compatible with your operating system.
Install latest driver from manufacturer's website:
BIOS should be the first logical step in determining if your GPU is disconnected. If your monitor is not detecting the graphics card, you can use the onboard GPU to access BIOS.
If you’re able, your BIOS will detect the presence of a discrete card and all you have to do is enable it by changing its status from disabled.
If your graphics card is not detected and the bios is showing its PCIe slot as empty, you have a more serious problem on your hands. But don’t worry, for every computer issue, there's a solution.
Many manufacturers use a different BIOS or UEFI so solving this issue will vary depending on the motherboard.
If you are unable to find an option to enable the graphics processor, refer to your motherboard manual.
You can try your computer command prompt for solving this problem. Try entering these commands at the command prompt:
Some people have found that the cause of a graphics card not detected is due to, in part, an outdated graphics driver. Try reinstalling the GPU driver for your specific graphic card and see if this fixes your issue with no video output or display on screen.
Uninstall old drivers by going into Add/Remove Programs (Windows XP) or simply go to Device Manager > Display Adapters > "NVIDIA GeForce" and click on "Uninstall".
Or use Control Panel > System & Security > Automatic Updates tab to update drivers automatically. Then download new drivers from NVIDA's website here.
Uninstall old drivers by going into Add/Remove Programs (Windows XP) or simply go to Device Manager > Display Adapters > "AMD Radeon" and click on "Uninstall". Then download new drivers from AMD's website.
You need to check your power connection on the graphics card. Check your power connections first to make sure they are plugged in all the way and not loose. Check that there is no physical damage on the connectors like bent pins or a broken wire inside of it.
Check your PSU if you want to make sure it can provide enough power for the GPU. For the average PC, it's generally assumed that a GPU will draw approximately 40% your PSU's max power, which allows it to draw 50% when running heavier operations.
You need to check the PCIe x16 lane on the motherboard to see if there are any problems.
Check for debris or cables that may be interfering with it, and make sure that your graphics card is inserted correctly into the slot. Check to ensure that all connections are secured properly, as well.
Note: If you have an older computer, you'll likely need a PCI Express Slot as well, so make sure there's one available before buying your new graphics card! And always consult a professional technician if you're unsure about how to install something like this yourself; these cards can get really hot when they work hard, which means you don't want any unnecessary risks during installation time.
If you’ve been unable to identify the problem with your GPU, then it may be time to either test it in another functional PC or see if it is still under warranty for a replacement.
If the graphics card is working properly, then either your motherboard or power supply has an issue. It could be a problem with the processor, but that’s very unlikely so we won’t count it as an option.
Fix the broken hardware and you'll be done with this issue.
If your GPU doesn’t work in another PC either, it is likely that the damage occurred during transit. In this case, you should contact your warranty provider to see about coverage for any damages or will be looking for a new graphics card.
Question: Graphics Card Not Detected?
Answer: Graphics card not detected is a common problem. To resolve this issue, you need to make sure that the graphics driver has been installed correctly. If your drivers are up-to-date and Windows detects the device as it should be, then try rebooting your computer before installing any other updates or applications.
Question: I downloaded the latest drivers from my graphics card manufacturer’s website, but they still aren't detected.
Answer: It is a common misconception that you should always download your graphics driver directly from the manufacture's website because it will be more up-to-date than if you were to install them through Windows Update.
This doesn't mean this has never been true in the past, but as time goes on and operating systems get updated (especially with major updates like Windows Redstone), manufacturers are taking longer and longer to release new drivers for older hardware.
which can lead to unnecessary frustration later down the line when you're trying to update an old system or game that requires specific hardware support.
Only not receive any of those required updates because the manufacturer has stopped releasing drivers for that hardware.
This can be a frustrating situation to find yourself in, but thankfully there are workarounds available!
We recommend using the Driver Booster software by IObit. Which will search all of the manufacturers' websites and download any updates it finds automatically (or manually).
We have also found that this is an excellent way to not only keep your graphics card up-to-date, but also ensure you're receiving optimal performance from all of your other PC components as well.
Question: How to update an old graphics card?
Answer:
Question: How do I know if my Graphics card is not detected?
Answer: Check the Device Manager. If you see a yellow exclamation point next to ‘Display Adapters’, or any of your graphics cards listed there, then it means that Windows cannot load the driver for this device and hence does not detect the card in question.
One possible reason could be an outdated driver. Another cause might lie with hardware conflicts due to faulty BIOS settings so check these before diagnosing your problem further.
You can also try installing all other drivers on your computer from manufacturer website and run Hardware Troubleshooter (included with Windows)to fix problems automatically without going deep into troubleshooting process yourself.
To solve the graphics card not detected problem, you need to find and uninstall any drivers that are associated with your old graphics card. Once these have been uninstalled then install a new driver which should be compatible for your current machine hardware configuration.
Should this fail, there is a possibility it's an issue with Windows update or simply just corrupted files on your computer. In either case, using some of the tips provided in this article will help keep frustration at bay while waiting on other professionals to diagnose the problem.