[SOLVED] Gigabyte Z490m malfunctional or GTX 660 too old?

[phip1611]

Hi y'all,

TL;DR: Is my new Mainboard malfunctional and doesn't recognize GPUs at all or is my GTX 660 too old?

I built a brand new pc. The relevant specs for my problem are:

• Mainboard: Gigabyte Z490m
• CPU: i5-10600K
• PSU: 700 Watt be quiet! Pure Power 11CM Modular
• GPU: Gigabyte GTX 660 (no new piece; taken from my old PC to save money)

The problem is that video output from the GPU doesn't work on both PCIe slots. I don't even see the BIOS/UEFI or a booting screen - literally nothing, just black. I tested both ports, HDMI and DisplayPort. GPU fans are rotating. If I remove the GPU from the Mainboard, the DisplayPort-port from the Mainboard, i.e. the iGPU, works fine.
If I plug in the GPU again via PCIe (and the two power cables), but connect the Mainboards DisplayPort-port with my monitor I don't get video signal either, which means that the GPU must be discovered somehow and iGPU isn't used in that case.

The GPU works definitely in my old PC. I just tested it.

My assumption is I have a mal functional Mainboard. I don't think that GTX 660 is too old for the Mainboard. Can a GPU be 'too old at all'? Due to my research each GPU that implements https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/VESA_BIOS_Extensions (so basically all relatively old as well as new ones) work with BIOS/UEFI. So it only can be a defect in the Mainboard, right?
I have some days left to return the piece (I ordered it online). I just want to make sure I didn't miss something, order a new one and the problem still exists. Thanks a lot in advance!

PS: This is my first time on tomshardware.com. I hope I didn't missed any conventions for making a post. Thanks a lot too y'all in advance

 

[ChumP]

Welcome to the forums!

As far as I remember, the GTX 660 doesn't have UEFI BIOS support, only Legacy.
You should go into your BIOS (with your iGPU) and check/find the CSM Support and Secure Boot options.

You need to have CSM Support Enabled and Secure Boot disabled.

 

[phip1611]

Welcome to the forums!

As far as I remember, the GTX 660 doesn't have UEFI BIOS support, only Legacy.
You should go into your BIOS (with your iGPU) and check/find the CSM Support and Secure Boot options.

You need to have CSM Support Enabled and Secure Boot disabled.

Thank you very much @ChumP! Enabling CSM works. I found out my manufacturer offers a firmware update for my GPU to support UEFI. I try to flash the firmware using my old PC and otherwise I buy a new, modern GPU.

 

[ChumP]

Thank you very much @ChumP! Enabling CSM works. I found out my manufacturer offers a firmware update for my GPU to support UEFI. I try this and otherwise I buy a new, modern GPU.

You don't need to update the VBIOS on your GPU... if the card works with CSM you don't need to fiddle with anything more.
When time comes and you're not satisfied with the GTX 660 performance, just upgrade to a newer GPU.