Troubleshooting GPU Issues: A Journey into the Unknown

As an IT professional, confronting unexpected tech issues can be both frustrating and confusing. Recently, I found myself in exactly that position after purchasing a used laptop equipped with an Nvidia 3060 notebook GPU. For the first two weeks, everything functioned perfectly; however, without any warning, the GPU ceased to operate effectively.

In my quest for a solution, I’ve employed a range of troubleshooting strategies. I began by reinstalling the graphics drivers, but this did not yield any improvements. Next, I updated the BIOS, hoping that could resolve the issue. When that didn’t help, I reverted to previous BIOS and Windows updates to see if rolling back could restore functionality.

Despite my efforts to uninstall the current drivers and revert to older versions, the situation remained unchanged. I even took the drastic step of reinstalling Windows and trying earlier versions, all in hopes of rekindling my GPU’s performance.

Interestingly, the device manager still recognizes the graphics card, but none of the software applications are able to detect it. This has left me scratching my head.

If anyone in the tech community has faced a similar dilemma or has insights that could help, I would greatly appreciate your advice. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the ones we overlook. Let’s collaborate and see if we can crack this case!