I recently picked up a 5070 graphics card, but I ran into a black screen issue right after installation. My setup should be fine: I have a Z690 motherboard and an 850W power supply, and I even got a postcode screen on the motherboard. I can hear the Windows startup sound through my headphones, which indicates that the system is running. I've tried installing the Nvidia drivers and even used my old card to access the system, but nothing seems to solve the problem. While I've seen discussions about similar issues with older platforms, my setup shouldn't have compatibility issues. I ended up returning the 5070, but I'm still eager to try again. Here are my main concerns:
1. I have a version F processor without an integrated graphics core, so I can't just boot up with my old card and juggle drivers.
2. I'm not sure my 850W power supply can handle both my old 2080 and the 5070, plus they're both too big to fit together in the case.
I've heard that using DDU to clean drivers before installing the new card might help, but without integrated graphics, could I end up completely unable to get a display? Is there a solution that doesn't involve having to use another video card to get the 5070 working?
1 Answer
It sounds like the compatibility isn't your main issue here. Are you sure the 5070 card itself wasn’t defective?
Before trying again, it's a good idea to update your BIOS to the latest version—it can prevent compatibility problems, and cards like the 5070 typically run fine even on PCI-E 3.0. Plus, your power supply should handle both GPUs fine. They don’t always draw max power; light tasks generally keep the draw around 50W per card.
I'm sure the card worked perfectly; the store tested it on their setup, but I was frustrated and just returned it. I think I did update the BIOS beforehand. But can BIOS really affect things this much? Also, will running both cards together really work? Seems risky with space issues and power checks.