Troubleshooting a Mysterious GPU Issue: A Techie’s Dilemma

In the ever-evolving world of technology, even seasoned IT professionals can run into perplexing issues—from malfunctioning hardware to software shenanigans. Today, I want to share a recent challenge I faced with a used laptop I had acquired from my workplace, specifically regarding its Nvidia 3060 notebook GPU.

Initially, everything seemed to be running smoothly for about two weeks. The graphics card performed admirably, delivering robust performance for my tasks. However, to my dismay, the situation took a turn for the worse just a couple of days ago. The GPU suddenly stopped functioning, leaving me scratching my head in confusion.

Determined to diagnose the problem, I embarked on a systematic troubleshooting journey. Here’s what I’ve attempted thus far:

1. Driver Reinstallation: I first tried uninstalling the current graphics drivers and reinstalling the latest version to eliminate any possible corruption.

2. BIOS Updates: Next, I updated the BIOS in hopes of addressing any compatibility issues that might have arisen.

3. Windows Updates: I reverted both BIOS and Windows updates, thinking that a recent change might have inadvertently affected the GPU’s performance.

4. Driver Rollbacks: I also experimented with rolling back the drivers to an older version that was functioning properly before the GPU failure.

5. Complete Windows Reinstallation: As a last resort, I decided to reinstall Windows entirely, returning to a prior version that I knew was stable.

Despite my efforts, the Device Manager acknowledges the presence of the graphics card, yet it remains unrecognized by any applications or software. This has led me to seek additional insights.

If you have encountered a similar dilemma or have any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate your input. It’s always rewarding to collaborate and share knowledge within the tech community. Your expertise could be the key to unraveling this mystery!