Question Thunderbolt 3 card disabling my GPU output on MSI x299 creation mboard?

[Kimone]

Hi folks.

I'm having a bit of an issue trying to get Thunderbolt 3 working, which I am hoping to use for a UAD audio interface. Hoping someone can help.
I am running an MSI X299 Creation mboard with an i9-9920x cpu.

When I enable thunderbolt in BIOS and plug in the thunderbolt 3 card that came with the motherboard, I am unable to boot up properly. Everything seems to be working fine as far as I can tell (no nasty post-beeps or anything) but my monitors get no signal. My GPU (2080ti) just stops outputting a signal. It's as if the PC is defaulting to a non existent output from the thunderbolt card or something? Or it's possible it's just not booting at all but it's hard to tell..

When using an older version of BIOS, when I remove the TB3 card and boot up again, it powers up, then reaches a certain point and turns off, resets itself, then starts up using the GPU correctly and I get my monitors back.

When using the newest version of BIOS, same problem occurs but when I remove the card it never corrects itself, cannot boot, even to bios., and I am forced to flash.

I am running a 44 lane CPU and aside from my GFX card in the top slot and two m.2 drives have no other PCIE devices connected. So I feel like lanes shouldn't be an issue, unless I'm missing something..?

I have fiddled with every setting I can think of for quite a few hours and have had absolutely no luck. Hoping someone here might have some insight.
Cheers.

EDIT: I should add, when I boot with the TB3 card in and turned on in BIOS, I get the error code EF on the mboards LED debug display. But in the manual and online everywhere I can find that is listed as "Reserved for future AMI error codes 31 ". So I have no idea what it means....

 

[Vic 40]

Can try and set the default for video in the bios to the pcie slot if it is on a "Auto" setting.

Which slot do you use for the addon card? Tried different slots?

 

[Kimone]

Have tried both the available pcie slots (gfx card is in the top one but covers two) and have the same result.

Have looked all through BIOS as well and can't find any default video/video related settings. Had another real good look just now after you suggested it but there just doesn't seem to be anything like it. Which I guess might make sense since the board doesn't have integrated graphics? Not sure though, possible I'm missing something there but it doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[SkyNetRising]

possible I'm missing something there but it doesn't seem to be the case.

Did you read motherboard user manual about, how to use thunderbolt card?
(page 49)

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/MEG-X299-CREATION#down-manual

 

[Kimone]

Yep, sure did.

 

[Vic 40]

But what happens if you use one of the display ports on the card if you have connected it to the gpu as per the instructions?

Might find pcie as default under.

Advanced Mode Press Setup Mode switch or F7 function key can switch between EZ Mode and Advanced Mode in BIOS setup. ->SETTINGS -> Advanced f PCI Subsystem Settings Sets PCI, PCI express interface protocol and latency timer. Press Enter to enter the sub-menu.

 

[Kimone]

The DP ports on the TB card are DP-IN only. Whether or not I connect a DP cable from the GFX card to the DP IN on the TB3 card I get the same result. It's possible it's trying to send a monitor signal out from the TB3 card via usbc thunderbolt but I can't test this because neither of my monitors have a TB connection. It was also never my intention to use the card to connect to my monitors, the goal is to use those slots to connect to an audio interface. It would seem a bit odd, though not impossible I guess, for MSI to require someone to get a TB3 compatible monitor or TB-DP adapter in order to get the thunderbolt card running at all just so they can use it for a different purpose?

I'll have another look in that section of BIOS now but I don't think there is anything to do with default video in it/the ability to select PCIE. Since the mboard has no integrated graphics it seems like the option just doesn't exist.