Question Please help! New Mobo & CPU = Red dots on screen, stuck on low resolution, GPU not running ?

[Pyrrhus]

Hope you all can help! Very frustrated, searching for a solution is frustrating; there are multiple symptoms so searches get muddled, and the suggestions always amount to "reinstall and update drivers" which is what I've done all day.

This is a problem with my desktop after upgrading to 13th Gen and Z790, keeping my same GPU. Symptoms and parts below. Long story short, the issues lead me to believe the system is either not properly detecting or utilizing (depending which software you ask) the graphics card, described below. I'm very PC literate so you can throw any suggestions or questions my way--I went through the usual here and then some, tried every kind of BIOS and driver update available, etc.

CPU: i7-13700KF
Motherboard:MSI Pro Z790-P Wi-Fi DDR4
Ram: G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3600
Boot drive: Samsung 850 EVO SSD
GPU: Colorful iGame GeForce RTX 3080 Vulcan OC 10G-V
GPU 2 (Same issue persists): MSI GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Ventus OC
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2, 80+ GOLD 850W, Fully Modular
Chassis: Corsair Obsidian Series 750D full ATX
OS: Windows 11 Home (v22H2)
Monitor: LG - 27” UltraGear QHD Nano IPS 1ms 165Hz HDR Monitor with G-SYNC

Main Symptoms:
-Moving vertical dotted red lines all over my screen, which react to my mouse cursor and don't go away. Note that these also show on the MSI splash screen before Windows boots, you can see them on the MSI logo. (These don't capture in screen caps and in fact disappear while the snipping tool is active--phone photo uploaded here)
-Stuck at 1024x768 resolution, greyed out, cant change
-Tried 2 different GPUs, both listed with (!) icon in Device Manager
-DxDiag says this is error code 43 for the GPU (which, I've learned, is quite vague)
-GPUZ shows the card, but reads its clock speeds as 0Mhz.


Notes
-Intel and Nvidia updates were no help. For a while, driver install attempts would restart the PC and then not install, I eventually got this to stop
-I updated my BIOS to get the mobo to read the CPU in the first place, which I knew I may have to do before I bought.

After MANY Nvidia driver update attempts and clean uninstalls (including using DDU in safe mode), the display adapter now reads "Microsoft basic Display Adapter". I've seen this before, but I have Nvidia drivers installed and the Nvidia GPU is showing in Device Manager. That said, I had the same (!) error and symptoms when the Nvidia GPU was listed as the adapter previously. One difference: Since this, the Nvidia Control Panel prompted for the first time when I installed new drivers, but wouldn't launch with the error "you are not currently using a display attached to an Nvidia GPU" This is where I am currently.

I of course have my display attached to my GPU, and have tried both an HDMI cable and my usual DP cable on both GPUs. I also even tried this custom script I found on a forum to fix error 43 specifically, which I eventually got it to run--it applied a registry fix, then noted the error still exists.

In conclusion, it's not two different GPUs going bac, nor the cables, nor the actual drivers. The new board could simply be bunk, but I always hesitate to assume something out of the box is broken and this smells like some deeper software/driver/communication issue between the GPU and the PC. Is any of this behavior linked to a particular cause even as somewhere else to look? Hope you can help, thanks!

 

[Lutfij]

Parts:
New motherboard: MSI Pro Z970-P Wi-Fi DDR4
New CPU: i7-13700KF
Existing GPU: RTX 3080 (worked on my old board as of this morning), and I tried my older 2080 Super I had around. Identical issues on both.
Win 11, 32GB RAM

When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, please include the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:

What motherboard/processor were you on prior to the upgrade? As for your OS, did you reinstall the OS, when you migrated to the new platform? Lastly, MSI never made a Z970 motherboard of that model, Intel didn't release a chipset under that moniker. There is however a Z790 chipset board.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Parts:
New motherboard: MSI Pro Z970-P Wi-Fi DDR4
New CPU: i7-13700KF
Existing GPU: RTX 3080 (worked on my old board as of this morning), and I tried my older 2080 Super I had around. Identical issues on both.
Win 11, 32GB RAM

When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, please include the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:

What motherboard/processor were you on prior to the upgrade? As for your OS, did you reinstall the OS, when you migrated to the new platform? Lastly, MSI never made a Z970 motherboard of that model, Intel didn't release a chipset under that moniker. There is however a Z790 chipset board.

You're right in the model name--simple typo, the new boards are of course Z790. I was previously running a 9700K CPU on a MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC LGA1151 board, using those same GPUs. I did not reinstall my OS.

I'll repost specs below with that formatting and edit original post:

CPU: i7-13700KF
Motherboard:MSI Pro Z790-P Wi-Fi DDR4
Ram: G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3600
Boot drive: Samsung 850 EVO SSD
GPU: Colorful iGame GeForce RTX 3080 Vulcan OC 10G-V
GPU 2 (Same issue persists): MSI GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Ventus OC
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2, 80+ GOLD 850W, Fully Modular
Chassis: Corsair Obsidian Series 750D full ATX
OS: Windows 11 Home (v22H2)
Monitor: LG - 27” UltraGear QHD Nano IPS 1ms 165Hz HDR Monitor with G-SYNC

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Try reinstalling the OS. Those cpus/boards are roughly 4-5 years apart, different chipsets etc. So that would be a starting point.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Thanks; I ran the "reset PC" built-in reinstall of Windows (I ran the 'keep my personal files' and cloud download option, I really cant full wipe my main PC), no change. Even on the "Installing..." Windows blue screen page, the red dots were present. (Is there a fuller Windows reinstall method you'd recommend?)

 

[Pyrrhus]

What's getting me is the presence of the red lines even before Windows is up and running, making me question if it's a driver issue rather than faulty board? Again my instinct is not to assume a new part is actually broken out of the box....

The fact that it detects and lists the GPU as a display adapter, but with an error, has me perplexed. I assume that's the core cause of every symptom, but I don't know what that error is. Board not reading the GPU? (I tried multiple slots) Failing to communicate with display?

Additional note: When I install the latest Nvidia driver manually, nothing changes. Then I'll install GeForce Experience, and it will say "No driver detected" and prompt me to download the latest game ready driver. But when I accept the driver install, it lists my current version, and it's the same driver as the new one despite claiming I didn't have one.

I install anyway, and when it completes, showing a successful installation popup, it brings me back to the menu. Instead of here saying "your driver is up to date" or "you already have this version" it's prompting custom or express install options again, as if I never installed the driver that just installed? It's a total loop.

 

[Richj444]

What's getting me is the presence of the red lines even before Windows is up and running, making me question if it's a driver issue rather than faulty board? Again my instinct is not to assume a new part is actually broken out of the box....

The fact that it detects and lists the GPU as a display adapter, but with an error, has me perplexed. I assume that's the core cause of every symptom, but I don't know what that error is. Board not reading the GPU? (I tried multiple slots) Failing to communicate with display?

Additional note: When I install the latest Nvidia driver manually, nothing changes. Then I'll install GeForce Experience, and it will say "No driver detected" and prompt me to download the latest game ready driver. But when I accept the driver install, it lists my current version, and it's the same driver as the new one despite claiming I didn't have one.

I install anyway, and when it completes, showing a successful installation popup, it brings me back to the menu. Instead of here saying "your driver is up to date" or "you already have this version" it's prompting custom or express install options again, as if I never installed the driver that just installed? It's a total loop.

Sounds like you've been pretty thorough. You might also try a different monitor if available. It's a long shot, but I'd rule it out before RMA'ing the board.

 

[DRagor]

I really cant full wipe my main PC

I'm afraid it's your only option at this point. If the problem would happen only on one PCIe slot I would call bad mobo. but if it's exactly same on all slots then I don't see how it could be bad mobo (save from some super unlikely event). Besides, backing up your data and doing clean reinstall will take day max, RMAing mobo will certainly take much longer.

You might also try a different monitor if available.

Faulty monitor or cable would not give Code 43 or problems with installing drivers though.

 

[Pyrrhus]

I'm afraid it's your only option at this point. If the problem would happen only on one PCIe slot I would call bad mobo. but if it's exactly same on all slots then I don't see how it could be bad mobo (save from some super unlikely event). Besides, backing up your data and doing clean reinstall will take day max, RMAing mobo will certainly take much longer.

Faulty monitor or cable would not give Code 43 or problems with installing drivers though.

Thanks, yes--FWIW I did also try my 2nd monitor, same issue. Interesting re: slots, I'm not an expert on mobo design so I wouldn't know if they all have individual communication/function or if one aspect of the board isn't working, they all wouldn't work.

I guess it's not the end of the world to back my files up on another drive and do a full fresh Windows install. Do you reasonably think it's Windows related, or just worth trying? I suppose it's clearly a fundamental software or driver issue if no hardware is broken and Nvidia drivers haven't worked, so I may as well. Whole issue is just bizarre to me. Ill try it and report back.

 

[USAFRet]

I guess it's not the end of the world to back my files up on another drive and do a full fresh Windows install. Do you reasonably think it's Windows related, or just worth trying? I suppose it's clearly a fundamental software or driver issue if no hardware is broken and Nvidia drivers haven't worked, so I may as well, it just seems strange to me. I may as well try it and report back.

Changing the motherbaord and keeping the old drive+OS gives 3 possible outcomes:

1. It works just fine
2. It fails completely
3. It "works", but you're chasing issues for weeks/months.

You are firmly in #3.

An OS reinstall should never be the end of the world. You should ALWAYS be prepared for that.
And when changing major parts like the MB....you need to prepare beforehand.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Pyrrhus]

Changing the motherbaord and keeping the old drive+OS gives 3 possible outcomes:

1. It works just fine
2. It fails completely
3. It "works", but you're chasing issues for weeks/months.

You are firmly in #3.

An OS reinstall should never be the end of the world. You should ALWAYS be prepared for that.
And when changing major parts like the MB....you need to prepare beforehand.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

That's fair! I've never need to after 3+ board swaps on this system, but maybe I was just running on good fortune. I'll try it and report back

 

[USAFRet]

That's fair! I've never need to after 3+ board swaps on this system, but maybe I was just running on good fortune. I'll try it and report back

I've personally seen all 3 of those.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Changing the motherbaord and keeping the old drive+OS gives 3 possible outcomes:

1. It works just fine
2. It fails completely
3. It "works", but you're chasing issues for weeks/months.

You are firmly in #3.

An OS reinstall should never be the end of the world. You should ALWAYS be prepared for that.
And when changing major parts like the MB....you need to prepare beforehand.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

Thanks, the guide was helpful (I have done reinstalls before but some good warnings/reminders in there, it's been a while) but unfortunately, the full clean install didn't solve the issue. Fresh Windows install, blank drive, no applications, same issues. Didn't have to get as far as the desktop, immediately experienced the red lines and low res on the fresh first-time Windows setup page.

I went on to install Intel and Nvidia drivers, but no change. I checked device manager immediately after Windows install: GPU listed with same ! error, Microsoft Basic Adapter listed in Windows display settings, can't change resolutions, etc.

Edit: If this at all helps, I notice I have no "sleep" option when going to the power options, just shut down and restart. Some googling mentions this can be due to outdated display drivers, I also downloaded DriverFix and it reads that the GPU is connected and drivers are up to date, all good. It did suggest my Monitor's drivers were very old--2006 even though it's only a few months old--and I updated them from LG's site. It listed them as up to date after this, but issue did not fix.

Ultimately need to crack this issue where the display is running from the Microsoft Basic Adapter rather than off the GPU, which the PC detects, but seemingly won't use the drivers for. Or it's a hardware/board issue, frustratingly hard to tell.

 

[DRagor]

Well, was worth the try anyway. Did you tried different versions of GPU drivers?
Not sure if you mentioned it anywhere, but are those red lines appear also while you are in BIOS?

 

[Pyrrhus]

Well, was worth the try anyway. Did you tried different versions of GPU drivers?
Not sure if you mentioned it anywhere, but are those red lines appear also while you are in BIOS?

I did try some older drivers as well to no avail. The lines do also show up in BIOS, which muddies the role Windows or its drivers are playing I feel

 

[DRagor]

I did try some older drivers as well to no avail. The lines do also show up in BIOS, which muddies the role Windows or its drivers are playing I feel

If it happens in BIOS too then it looks like hardware issue. And it seems it has to be motherboard. Although I must admit I can't explain what kind of failure it could be to affect all PCIe slots.

 

[USAFRet]

I did try some older drivers as well to no avail. The lines do also show up in BIOS, which muddies the role Windows or its drivers are playing I feel

If its also in the BIOS, this is a hardware issue.

 

[Pyrrhus]

If it happens in BIOS too then it looks like hardware issue. And it seems it has to be motherboard. Although I must admit I can't explain what kind of failure it could be to affect all PCIe slots.

If its also in the BIOS, this is a hardware issue.

Any chance it's a PSU issue perhaps, dirty power delivery? The power budget is perhaps not ideal, but should be enough (I think), and probably wouldn't present like this if so. Especially the less power-demanding 2080S. Grounding issue?

Or, simply, the new board is a bad board. I can probably source a mobo to try without buying one, I suppose I'll try that before anything else unless there are other suggestions.

 

[DRagor]

Any chance it's a PSU issue perhaps, dirty power delivery?

I was thinking about that too. But that PSU was already used with those GPUs with previous motherboard without problem, right? And while dirty power could possibly explain red lines, it should not affect installing drivers at all.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Any chance it's a PSU issue perhaps, dirty power delivery?

More likely - bad video cable or bad monitor.

You said, you tried HDMI and DP cables.
Are you using any video cable adapters?

Try changing monitor refresh rate?
Try disabling G-Sync in monitor options.