My graphics card is recognized by my computer but I don't know if it's working or not?

Question

To be more specific. I want to know if my graphics card is being used or has an error. I'm new to gpu's and I don't really have a full understanding of building or how the GPU works.

I have a Gigabyte G1 Sniper A88X, it has "APU with integrated AMD Radeon™ HD 8000/7000" and I read somewhere it has dual graphics technology. So I went to buy a Gigabyte Geforce GTX 960 2GB.

I plugged it into the PCI slot and I turned it on. The fan is moving and it seems to be working. I tried to plug my monitor in the DVI slot it had but the monitor did not find it. I plugged the DVI cable to the slot I used previous and it worked fine.

I never installed a GPU, but my friend said that a BIOS is supposed to come up at start up, that never happened. So I just did the next thing and put the CD in and it installed everything until it got to the NVidia Geforce Experience, it would not install for some reason. My solution was to run a driver update using the Device Manager found under My Computer/Properties and it finally recognized my card. Now however, is my problem.

I got the NVidia Geforce Experience to work but the driver update: Geforce Game Ready Driver, just seems to want to keep installing. I restarted my computer three times but it seems like its not working. Then under Device Manager/Display Adapters, I see the Radeon Integrated Graphics and the NVidia GTX 960, but the 960 has an error warning on it saying that "Windows stopped this device because it found problems CODE 43" I tried disabling the Radeon, didn't work. Now I am lost. My computer recognizes the card but does that mean that it's working? I don't know. Can Someone please help?

Solution 1

Windows stopped this device because it found problems CODE 43

No, your device is not working.

...let's fix that.

1. To open Device Manager, click Start, click Search programs and files, and then type Device Manager. A list of available matching items appears above the search box; click Device Manager. Device Manager opens with your computer name at the top and a list of devices that are installed on your computer beneath your computer name.
2. Locate the malfunctioning device in the list of devices, right-click the device, and then click Uninstall. When a warning message appears that you are uninstalling a device from your system, click OK. Device manager uninstalls the device.
3. Right-click your computer name in Device Manager and click Scan for hardware changes. Device manager scans your system and automatically reinstalls your device.
4. Right-click the device and click Properties. On the General tab of the device Properties dialog box, in Device status, you should see the message This device is working properly.

Solution 2

... it has "APU with integrated AMD Radeon™ HD 8000/7000" and I read somewhere it has dual graphics technology.

AMD's APU's can work in combintion with other AMD based cards.

So I went to buy a Gigabyte Geforce GTX 960 2GB.

Which is a Nvidia based card...

I plugged it into the PCI-e slot and I turned the PC on.

OK, now the desktop has two cards. One of those is set to the primary card and should show the output of the motherboard POSTing, output from plug in cards with their own firmware (e.g. RAID cards, NICs with PXE, ...) etc. etc.

I never installed a GPU, but my friend said that a BIOS is supposed to come up at start up, that never happened.

Yup, see above

I just did the next thing and put the CD in and it installed everything until it got to the NVidia Geforce Experience, it would not install for some reason.

I have the same experience with a GTX 960. Installing the driver bundle worked until it reached the NVidia Geforce Experience part. I had to log what it was trying to access over the net and cut and paste that URL manually into a browser. Strage enough it worked when I did that.

Regardless, the GFE is a nice add-on. It is not needed to get a working setup. You should be able to install just the required driver software and get output from the GTX 960 card. Depending on your OS you may also need to enable output to that card. In windows 7 you do that by right clicking on the desktop and selecting screen resolution.

That should show you a screen like this:

But first you need to have the right driver installed. Without that thhe card will either not output anything, or it will fall back to max 800x600.

"Windows stopped this device because it found problems CODE 43".

This needs to be fixed first.

I tried disabling the Radeon, didn't work.

Correct. The problem is not in the Radeon. Disabling that will not change the 960's problem.

Now I am lost. My computer recognizes the card but does that mean that it's working? I don't know. Can Someone please help?

It recognises that a card is present. It recognises what type it is.
It still needs instructions on how to deal with that specific device (drivers).

Easiest solution at this point it to go to the device and either select to update the drivers (via windows automated searching), or update drivers and manually point it at the drivers on your CD, or to tell windows to look for hardware changes. The last should trigger the first action for the 960.

Comments

[Frank Thomas]

look in your bios/firmware. Many motherboards will ignore an expansion card and use the on-board/on-chip GPU, unless told explicitly to use the expansion card. it is likely under a menu titled "integrated Peripherals" but that varies from firmware to firmware.

[Sculper]

Unrelated to your problem, but you may want to do some further research on the AMD dual graphics technology - it doesn't do what you think it does: amd.com/en-us/innovations/software-technologies/…

[David Schwartz]

Did you connect to card's two 6-pin power connectors?