Graphics Card Troubleshooting

Graphics card not detected

Graphics Card, Video Card, or GPU not being detected is a common problem that plagues many users around the world on occasion. It is a very annoying issue in which your graphics card is not detected during the boot process or your GPU is not detected or recognised within Windows. This problem can arise when you install a new graphics card, or even without any major changes to the system.

This problem can be fixed easily if you know the right cause. So here on this page, we'll provide some solutions to hopefully solve the issue for your PC.

There are generally two types of issues that you can face when a GPU is not detected by your PC:

• Graphics Card Not Detected during Boot – Here the graphics card is not detected right from the beginning when you start or power on your PC. There will be no video signal on your monitor and a blank/no signal or black screen is all that's seen. This error may be accompanied by information showing up on your motherboard's Debug LEDs (if applicable).
• GPU Not Detected in Windows – In this scenario your computer will have a display and boot into Windows, but your graphics card model or GPU will not be detected in the Windows Display Settings or in Device Manager and it may be shown as "Standard VGA Graphics Adapter". You might also not be able to select the optimal screen resolution/refresh rate in this instance.

Solution to 'Graphics Card not detected' problem

Here are the various software and hardware solutions that you can try to fix the "graphics card not detected" error for both Nvidia and AMD graphics cards.

Check Display Cable

Firstly, ensure that you are plugging your display cable into the graphics card and not the motherboard's video outputs!

Check the display cable(s) from your graphics card to your display(s) and see if it is connected correctly and fully Also check the length of the cable and the connectors for signs of defects. Sometimes old or poor-quality cables can cause issues despite appearing fine from the outside, so sometimes it's best to try with a different (known good) cable to be sure it's not part of the issue.

Check Graphics Card Installation

[WARNING] Before handling any internal components of your PC, ensure the PC is completely shutdown & disconnected from wall power.
NEVER open the power supply unit at any time as capacitors may still be holding hazardous levels of charge long after the cable is disconnected.
NEVER attempt to handle internal components while the PC is running.
Laying the PC down on its side is often the easiest way to work within a PC rather than leaving it standing where it may topple over.

We've got another help doc page all about how to check this - check it out here: Graphics card removal and installation

Check BIOS Settings

For Evatech customers, you shouldn't have to do any of this, but if you've gone in there and tinkered with settings in the past then this may be necessary. You can usually reset all settings to default which should put things in the most compatible state possible. Just ensure that you re-change any changes you actually need, such as for Windows 11 compatibility, etc.

Ensure PSU (Power Supply Unit) Compatibility

If your PSU is underpowered for your new graphics card then it will not be able to provide sufficient power to the graphics card and thus your graphics card may not be detected by your PC or in Windows. Also, if your graphics card requires 6-pin or 8-pin PCI-E power connector(s) then make sure to connect them with your PSU so as to provide sufficient power to your graphics card for its correct functionality. 

Install/Update Correct & Latest Video Drivers

We've got a dedicated page on this too! Check out Getting the latest graphics drivers.

Defective Graphics Card

If your graphics card is defective or has developed a fault then this problem is bound to arise. Here you can check your graphics card in another PC and see if it's working properly or not - as well as checking if a different GPU works in your PC. If it is not working in other PCs then you can either get it repaired or replaced if it's still under the warranty period.

Defective Motherboard / PCI-E x16 Slot

Lastly, because it is very rare, but it could happen that the motherboard PCI-E x16 slot is not working properly or it has gone bad. You can check your graphics card in another computer and if it is working there then there could well be something wrong with your motherboard.