Troubleshooting a Missing Nvidia GPU on My Asus ROG Strix Laptop: A Personal Experience

Experiencing technical issues with your laptop can be incredibly frustrating, especially when it involves crucial components like your GPU. Recently, I found myself in such a predicament with my Asus ROG Strix GL553VW, which features both Intel HD Graphics 530 and Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M. In an unfortunate mishap, I accidentally removed the Nvidia GPU from the Device Manager, and it vanished completely from my system.

Despite numerous attempts to rectify the situation, the Nvidia GPU remained elusive. Here’s a rundown of the troubleshooting steps I undertook in hopes of restoring its functionality:

1. Manual Driver Installation: I attempted to unzip the Nvidia drivers and install the initial components manually, hoping to coax the GPU back into recognition.

2. Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU): Using DDU in safe mode, I performed a thorough cleanup of any residual driver files, followed by reinstalling the drivers. Unfortunately, the installer failed to recognize my GPU during this process.

3. System Reset: I even considered a more drastic approach by resetting Windows 10 entirely, but this too didn’t yield any positive results.

4. BIOS Battery Reset: After reseating the BIOS battery in hopes of refreshing the system, I was still met with silence from my GPU.

Despite my best efforts, I started to suspect that the issue might not be a software-related glitch at all. A critical realization dawned on me – the problem likely stemmed from hardware malfunction, potentially due to subpar soldering from the manufacturer. Given that this was a second-hand laptop and out of the original warranty period, the most sensible course of action became apparent: seeking professional repair services.

In closing, this experience has served as a humbling reminder of the complexities involved in laptop hardware. While I received a lot of valuable suggestions from the community, it turns out that sometimes, a hardware issue requires a different kind of intervention. I’m grateful to everyone who offered assistance, and I now look forward to getting my laptop professionally repaired to restore its former glory. If you’re facing similar issues, I encourage you to consider both software troubleshooting and hardware evaluation as part of your approach.