Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD4 + GTX760 = "no signal"?

[polyjack]

Hello all,
I've been given for graphic card Nvidia GTX 760 OC 2GB DDR5 by Zotac and I'm trying to start it on my PC since few weeks. The result is the same every time - monitor says "no signal". I did so many tests excluded all other PC components. Let me describe the problem in details. The initial PC configuration is:
Intel core i5-2400 / Gigabyte Z68XP-UD4 / DDR3: HyperX 1866Mhz 4GB / PSU: Zalman 460W

At the beginning I would say about the procedure.
Every time I connect both PCIE plug to GTX card. Zalman has both PCIe plugs from one wire, other PSUs I used, have one PCIE plug so I use special wire: 2xMolex -> 1xPCIE. I always plug video cable to card socket(I have no VGA/DVI/DP socket on mainboard). The BIOS has been updated to latest F6, and last time to UEFI U1L. The battery was off many times, therefore default settings are still in use. The mainboard has 4 diagnostic leds, which lights when PC starts, and then, after few seconds, they go off all at the same time.

Now lets say about test I made to check the condition of the GTX graphic card:
I connect LCD monitor via VGA cable with DVI->VGA adapter - no signal
Used 2 DVI cables to other 2 monitors - no signal
Put the GTX card to second slot PCIe x4 - no signal
Install the card to other PC with 1156 mainboard, core i7 and Chieftec 450W PSU - there is signal, it works!!!

So, the GTX760 card seems to be in good condition. Ok, now take the GTX card back to first PC with Z68XP mainboard for excluding tests:

I replaced PSU with Corsair VX450W and OCZ500SXS2 500W - no signal
I replaced RAM memory with other memtest checked modules: Patriot 1066Mhz 2GB and Kingston 1333MHz 4GB - no signal
Finally I replaced GTX with GF 8600 GTS and GF 8600GT to initial PC config as I described few row below - there is signal in both! So, the PCIe slots seems to be OK and in general, there should be no problem with all other components... but PSUs - because both older graphic card 8600GT and 8600GTS didn't used all the power available.

Next test is check PSU Corsair 450W with secondary PC(1156 socket i7) equipped with GTX 760 card - of course, there is signal!
My result is all the PC components looks like OK. Lucky me? Not at all, still donno what is wrong with this graphic bastard from Zotac.

Today I went totally other way. On the 8600GT card I started the Windows (8.1, 64bit) and configured vnc server. Then I prepared the network enviroment and invited PC with my base notebook there. Then I installed GTX card, start PC and used the notebook to estabilished vnc connection with the PC. What I saw is Windows desktop normally working. I opened device manager/graphic cards and there was onboard intel graphic card only. So, it looks like GTX is totally not seen by the system/mainboard. I scanned for new devices - no result. Used AIDA64 software to show PC configuration - showed all devices but GTX card. Knowing nothing sensible to do next, I run UEFI bios and disabled onboard graphics, set priority to PCIe graphic card and start the VNC connection again. This time there was very low desktop resolution (640x480) and no any video cards in device manager.

My conclusion is there is some compatibility issue between mainboard and graphic card or maybe there are some option to adjust I don't know about? Is it possible to change some settings in GTX card on other PC to improve compatibility with some mainboards? Or maybe any firmware replace? Or the same to UEFI bios?

Sorry for so long description, but the story is long too. I would appreciate very much if someone here could read it all and maybe know how to solve the problem.
Thanks, Jack

 

[junkeymonkey]

maybe ?? you may need that latest beta bios for that uefi support ??

don't know what revision board you got but there 2 listed 1.0 and 1.3

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3977#bios

lot of guys had issue with the 900 cards and z68 like when the gtx 970 came out had motherboard bios compatibility issues ?

that's about the best I can tell you , used the latest beta bios and try

 

[polyjack]

junkeymonkey, thanks for brainstorming!
My mainboard is 1.0 and yes, the latest UEFI beta bios from Gigabyte listed under Your link is U1L I updated to. Actually my update schedule was: initially F1 was updated to F6 few weekes ago, then I did most of the checks/tests and finally I put U1L UEFI today, but the result was the same and I only found to test remode desktop connection.
I read few threads about similar problems, but couldn't find the answer, unfortunately.

 

[Multipack]

The molex to 6 pin pcie power cable could be the problem. They aren't too reliable. Did you use a different power cable when it worked on the second computer?

 

[polyjack]

Multipack,
I used the same 2molex->PCIE wire, during both succesful tests on secondary PC. I have only one wire at all, so I used it every time I test PSU with one PCIe plug(Corsair 450W, Chieftec 450W OCZ 500W).
Your suggestion is insufficient power may cause this problem? Hmm.. I read at the Gigabyte webpage: "GIGABYTE's cutting edge 16 phase power VRM design utilizes the highest caliber components to provide unadulterated, smooth power to the CPU.". Is it possible these all features of Z68XP UD4 causes it loads PSU far more than cheaper mainboards, so that there is not enough power reserve for graphic card? I thought 450-500W PSUs should be safely enough, especially on start without any additional coolers, disc and optical drives, with one slow DDR3, etc.. But if it is not, it could be the answer why it worked on other mainboard with same PSU. What do You think about this?
Jack

 

[Multipack]

Multipack,
I used the same 2molex->PCIE wire, during both succesful tests on secondary PC. I have only one wire at all, so I used it every time I test PSU with one PCIe plug(Corsair 450W, Chieftec 450W OCZ 500W).
Your suggestion is insufficient power may cause this problem? Hmm.. I read at the Gigabyte webpage: "GIGABYTE's cutting edge 16 phase power VRM design utilizes the highest caliber components to provide unadulterated, smooth power to the CPU.". Is it possible these all features of Z68XP UD4 causes it loads PSU far more than cheaper mainboards, so that there is not enough power reserve for graphic card? I thought 450-500W PSUs should be safely enough, especially on start without any additional coolers, disc and optical drives, with one slow DDR3, etc.. But if it is not, it could be the answer why it worked on other mainboard with same PSU. What do You think about this?
Jack

No you will have enough power, and yes 450w will be plenty. The actual 4 pin molex to pcie power convertors are just not very reliable, but if it worked on a different PC and you have tried several PSU's it probably isn't that.

Have you definitely cleared CMOS? And set your BIOS to default? In BIOS, what do you have selected under the option 'Init Display First'?

 

[junkeymonkey]

what psu in in your computer ?? if you got the chieftec in yours and the rest you tested were in the other computers you may need to swap the psu's in to your computer to see if it is a psu issue

to be honest aall I really see is 900 and up cards due to the bios seem 700 series should be ok ?

with that in mind I now see guys trying 750ti's that use to work fine but the latest ones are not due to the uefi bios thing [ some cards came with a legacy / uefi switch but the same model made today don't have it anymore so guys are now finding the 750 ti's now may not work out as well ]


I was also thinking maybe the bios was not changed from onboard to card use but then you say different test vid - cards work well just not the 760 ??
so I guess that's not at issue

ya, I don't know thing aint so plug and play anymore like it use to be and I feel a lot of manufactures are trying to stop supporting older stuff to the point in a year or 2 it maybe down to new everything and win-10 or nothing if you need there hardware to work proper


like here with a later board needed a bios up date for the board so the 700 card would work ?

http://www.overclock.net/t/1415089/gigabyte-z77mx-d3h-wont-boot-with-new-gpu/10

seems to me that beta bios should have you covered though ??

http://forums.evga.com/GTX-770-Motherboard-Compatibility-Issues-Official-Thread-m1959163.aspx

after looking at this

http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=11940.0

goes to show the cards vbios got to handshake with the motherboards as well ?

anyway all that flashing to make something as simple as your vid card to work is sorry support and dumps a lot of risk in ''YOUR'' lap as in bricking it or your motherboard .. and none of that is covered , and all on you

 

[polyjack]

(...)Have you definitely cleared CMOS? And set your BIOS to default? In BIOS, what do you have selected under the option 'Init Display First'?

I did it just now, to be sure.
Put old nvidia GF8600GT into PCIe x16 -> clear via CMOS jumper(I fount it on mboard ) -> start PC and see the message about bios defaults -> enter the bios and press F7 to "load optimized defaults" -> set "Init display first" parameter to PEG -> save and exit bios. I have the video on VGA->DVI untill I replace old nvidia with GTX760. After I switch back to GF8600GT and enter bios the 'Init display first' value is again 'Auto'.
I don't know what is 'IGFX' value, but tested once on GF8600GT and the result was no video at post, even if i hit 'Del' key, the screen was black until I plug back SSD and let Windows load. On GTX no signal at all.

I have another monitor with DVI cable - while I plug DVI cable into any of GTX two DVI ports, the monitor wakes up for a while just to tell me "no signal", and simply goes to sleep after few seconds.

I'm still wondering isn't it the issue related to some feature of these generation Gigabyte mobo, called Lucid Virtu? I remember I was interested in it some time before. The point was to simplify video configuration. Both video cards, onboard, and 3D PCIe are active, but when the PC was in windows desktop mode, PCIe graphic card was in deep sleep state saving power and just transmitting video signal from onboard, while after launch a game, or graphic software it was automatically activated. This feature was not well known, as they retired the idea in next chipsets. Even if it could be the problem I am still out of idea how to fix that.

 

[Multipack]

Igfx is integrated graphics. I think its more to do with the compatibility between GPUs myself.. because they use different PCIE versions or something. Have you tried clearing CMOS then booting with the GTX760? If that doesnt work, what options do you have altogether under init display first?

 

[junkeymonkey]

its looking like to me just a video card bios and motherboard bios don't jive

notice here at zotac the 760 is not even listed ? so what card do you have [part number ? store sales page link ? ] I googled zotac 760 oc and got nothing lots of 760 amp's but no 760 oc ??

thing is you know that card works in other computers and psu's so pretty muck the card does work then you got outher cards that work as expected in your computer but not the 760 ?

so far to me just sounds like card / motherboard bios incompatibility ?

NVidia calls for a 500w min psu in there specs of the reference card I'm sure a oc'ed card may need a tad more ? then you seemed to have covered that seeing the card works fine in other systems


https://www.zotac.com/gb/product/graphics_card/all


@ Multipack

heres the manual look at it your self [page 49 ] nothing fancy just set to

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/453802/Gigabyte-Ga-Z68xp-Ud4.html

 

[polyjack]

junkeymonkey, sorry not answer Your previous post, now I'll do it:
Yes, it was the situation when the card works fine with other PC combined with my PSU. Actually there is Zalman in my PC case, but I mostly use Corsair 450W for tests and that is the one tested GTX succesfully on secondary PC.
I was hoping there could be some switch on GTX card, but I don't think so. The part number of the card is ZT-70405-10P, it looks similar to 'AMP! edition', but there is a difference in number. Probably this one: https://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/b2420/zotac-gtx-760-oc
Every other PCIe video cards I have works fine at any configuration(just always) on Z68XP, no matter if Init display first is set to 'PCIe' or 'Auto'.

Multipack, after I clear CMOS and try to boot with GTX760 I switch it to 8600GT to see bios config at next boot. Then the Init display first value is 'Auto'. I also found other settings like M.I.T/Miscellaneous Settings/PEG - GEN X with values of 'Auto'/'Gen1'/'Gen2'/'Gen3' - all tested just before. In Power Management I found options for Internal Graphics Standby Mode and IG Deep Standby Mode, but changing both not affect. Every bios change is done on 8600GT then test possible after switch to GTX. I should become the master of graphics cards quick replacing and my PCIe x16 slot could be named of mostly used slot in the world.
Btw. I'm afraid of kind of compatibility too, especially when followed links from junkeymonkey about fake support of PCIe 3.0 on my Z68XP v1.0 mainboard. :0

I followed some links and found that AMP! edition of GTX760 by ZOTAC has 600W PSU in specs... WOW :0 Could not find my version, but it looks it may be very similar. Maybe I try to find some bigger PSU, just for tests. VBIOS issue sounds hopefully too, but unfortunatelly I cannot see clearly bios for my product. And yes, it is not so good, when customer has to do risky things, like flashing bios. I do not like to do this. :/

 

[Multipack]

Yeah but thats my point. When you swap GPU's that run in different PCI modes, not only do you use different drivers but your board needs to be reset because it may be in PCI gen 2 mode for example. Its a common problem when switching cards and a CMOS reset usually does the trick, and you need to not plug any card except the 760 in after a BIOS reset or you will have the same problem over and over again.

A CMOS clear resets the BIOS so no need to then do it manually as well. Just attach the 760, clear CMOS, then switch on with the display attached to 760. It should be that simple. Drivers arent a factor for BIOS display, only when you boot into Windows, and all those other settings should all be defaulted and irrelevant.

You really should be able to plug n play as far as your BIOS and the 760 goes. When it comes to the OS, you may get driver issues but should still have a display. The fact you dont means your BIOS settings are wrong, and every time u switch cards it causes the same problem. If you just slowly do that without then rushing around changing everything I am sure we cant get it working, but every time you do it just makes it almost impossible to help you.

 

[polyjack]

Multipack, whatever You say - I'm executing.
Turned off PC, plug out power cord -> install GTX760 -> join CLR CMOS pins for a 5s -> plug in power cord and start the PC = still no signal :/
Maybe there is still some basic procedure more I forgot about? Or maybe video bios is the answer? I did't work on flashing bios other than mainboard yet. But at least I could try if I find any manual.

PS. You suggest I'm doing it all in a hurry. Well, if I do anything in a hurry I belive I couldn't reach so many cycles, or I'm sure I could broke something in case of every cycle routine. The whole testing, which I done for many, many hours in many days before, I do, not to finish every time as fast as possible to prove my right on forum, but to be sure the procedures are saved and I really verified what I was supposed to. I switched graphics card many times, because it was only way to verify every bios change I was suspect would help.
I think I could say about me I am very, very patient, and positive motivated to solve problem with not newest PC, especially having other mainboard Asus one, (cheaper, with less equipment) waiting for her turn. I could just use Asus any time and forget(if it will work with GTX760 of course ) about the problems for ever. But I really prefer Z68XP and do belive there should be some way to work her with GTX760 together.
And I appreciate Your helpful very much, I know it is Your time to read, think, maybe search for solution and write down here a post. Really nice from You both, Multipack and junkeymonkey.

 

[RobCrezz]

Is the 760 confirmed as a working card? Have you tried it on another computer?

 

[polyjack]

RobCrezz, yes, i put it onto another PC with the same PSU Corsair 450W and tested with all DDR3 modules I have "on stock" - always showed post screen.
//edit
Made next test just before: GTX760 installed to next test PC with Asus P5KC + C2D E7500 and same Corsair 450W PSU -> reset bios -> start PC = post screen showed!

 

[junkeymonkey]

I googled that ZT-70405-10P and it looks to be a regionally sold card like eu ,asia areas ?? and not listed at zotac anymore discontinued . not only that zotac's home page don't even show up in the search results for there own card ???

i'll just stick with you unlucky on the bios handshake . then like I said this was common with z68 and 900 cards and form that evga link I gave look at the posters in it most of them had giga boards as well ?? just to show that this has happened to others and 700 cards

http://forums.evga.com/GTX-770-Motherboard-Compatibility-Issues-Official-Thread-m1959163.aspx

see your not alone , but still no real answer on a true resolve -