Troubleshooting an Invisible Nvidia GPU: A Personal Experience

If you’ve ever found yourself in a tech-related predicament, you know how frustrating it can be. As a current owner of an Asus Rog Strix GL553VW laptop, I encountered a significant issue that left my graphics capabilities compromised. With both an Intel HD Graphics 530 and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M, I inadvertently removed the Nvidia GPU from the device manager. Now, it seems to have vanished completely, leaving me without any trace of its existence, despite several attempts to rectify the situation.

My Attempts to Restore the Nvidia GPU

In my quest to revive the missing GPU, I undertook numerous strategies, all of which yielded no success. Here’s a rundown of my efforts:

1. Manual Driver Installation: I started by extracting the Nvidia drivers and attempting to install them manually. Unfortunately, the installer failed to recognize my GPU.

2. Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU): I booted my laptop in safe mode to utilize DDU, aiming to clean my system of any lingering Nvidia drivers before trying to reinstall. Sadly, this too did not bring my GPU back to life.

3. Windows 10 Reset: In a bid for a fresh start, I reset Windows 10. However, my Nvidia GPU remained elusive.

4. BIOS Battery Reseating: In desperation, I even went as far as to remove and reinsert the BIOS battery, hoping this would somehow help in recognizing the GPU again.

Despite these efforts, my laptop seemed to have lost its graphics prowess, rendering it practically unusable.

The Reality Check

After many troubleshooting attempts and a lot of frustrations, I recently came to a rather sobering conclusion: the problem is likely hardware-related rather than a software glitch. Given that my laptop is second-hand and out of the original manufacturer’s warranty, I realized that the most prudent course of action would be to seek professional repair services. I’ve identified that the issue appears to stem from poor soldering on the manufacturer’s end.

A Call for Insights

I want to extend my gratitude to everyone who offered assistance throughout this ordeal. If you’ve faced a similar situation or have insights to share, your experiences and advice would be greatly appreciated.

For anyone stumbling upon this post facing a similar issue, remember: sometimes, a solution lies beyond our immediate control, and seeking expert help can ultimately save time and stress.

Thank you for taking the time