New Graphics card, Windows 10 <Not happy!>

pENdr4gON

pENdr4gON

pENdr4gON

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23 Nov 2007
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Pompey
Last week I ordered a new graphics card, a nVidia 980 Ti from overclockers

The green logo light up and the fans span but no output to the monitor. I was expecting an issue or two with drivers and such but I couldn't even get into the BIOS!

It never got to the point of booting Windows for drivers to become a problem.

I spoke to Overclockers and they suggested I send it back to be tested. The RMA process was painless enough. It arrived back with them yesterday and I have just gotten off the phone with them now. There is nothing wrong with the card! This is a Windows 10 issue...

When you install Windows 10 it writes to your UEFI and it's this that locks the hardware config down. So the answer would be to clear the CMOS and clean install Windows or at least boot from the install media and attempt to "repair" the install. This is speculation at this point but it could be a way to resolve the issue of the UEFI locking the hardware out.

Then there is the issue of the licence. When installing Windows 10 your key is injected into the UEFI. As you have just cleared the CMOS this key has been lost. Fingers crossed a quick call to MS will resolve this.

Thing is this a lot of extra steps with a few "if's" along the way. It makes upgrading your graphics card a much trickier proposition.

When talking to the tech at overclockers it was something they were aware of and he said that they should have a addressed within 48 hours.
 
How were you connecting the monitor to your card?

If it was DP did you try with DVI if available until you booted into Windows?
 
It's got nothing to do with Windows 10 or its license if you can't get into the UEFI/BIOS. Irrespective, the key is tied to the motherboard, not the graphics card, and it will merely flag up as "not genuine" until you do put in a valid key, or call Microsoft. It doesn't render your PC unusable.

Those systems where the key is stored in the firmware aren't affected by clearing the CMOS. The key is protected from that.

This is a hardware compatibility issue of some description, possibly ranging from an insufficient power supply all the way down to merely lacking a dual-link DVI cable.
 
Last edited:
this_is_gav said:
It's got nothing to do with Windows 10 or its license if you can't get into the UEFI/BIOS. Irrespective, the key is tied to the motherboard, not the graphics card, and it will merely flag up as "not genuine" until you do put in a valid key, or call Microsoft. It doesn't render your PC unusable.

Those systems where the key is stored in the firmware aren't affected by clearing the CMOS. The key is protected from that.

This is a hardware compatibility issue of some description, possibly ranging from an insufficient power supply all the way down to merely lacking a dual-link DVI cable.
Click to expand...

Indeed. The whole Win 10 explanation is implausible at best.
 
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