Troubleshooting a Struggling Nvidia 3060: A Tech Support Journey

As an IT professional, I often find myself at the nexus of technology and problem-solving. However, I recently encountered a puzzling issue with a used laptop I purchased from my previous employer, and I could use some guidance from the tech community.

The laptop, equipped with an Nvidia 3060 notebook GPU, performed flawlessly for the initial two weeks. Just when I thought everything was smooth sailing, the GPU suddenly ceased to operate a few days ago. Frustrated yet motivated, I embarked on a quest to diagnose the problem.

I undertook several troubleshooting steps to restore functionality. These included:

• Reinstalling the GPU drivers: I ensured the drivers were up-to-date, but the problem persisted.
• Updating the BIOS: I hoped that a BIOS update might resolve any potential conflicts.
• Rolling back updates: I attempted to revert both BIOS and Windows updates in case a recent change caused the problem.
• Uninstalling and downgrading drivers: I removed the current drivers and reverted to older versions, hoping for a different result.
• Reinstalling Windows: As a last resort, I performed a clean installation of the operating system, even reverting to an earlier version.

Despite my efforts, the device manager recognizes the GPU without issue; however, it remains unacknowledged by any other software. It’s a frustrating standoff that leaves me puzzled and in search of effective solutions.

If you’ve encountered a similar situation or have ideas on what might be causing this anomaly, I would greatly appreciate your insights. What next steps should I consider? Let’s band together and troubleshoot this mystery!