After uninstalling my NVIDIA graphics drivers, I factory-reset my MSI Pulse GL66 11UGKV to get them back. The NVIDIA software now appears in my installed applications, but I still can't download or update any NVIDIA drivers. The NVIDIA app reports that my hardware is incompatible, and Device Manager seems to show only the integrated Intel graphics. This laptop should have a GeForce RTX 3070 soldered to the motherboard, so I'm worried the GPU may be missing because of a software issue—or possibly a hardware problem. What should I check or try next?
4 Answers
First confirm whether Windows is detecting the RTX 3070 at all. In Device Manager, enable View > Show hidden devices and check under Display adapters, Other devices, and any entries with a warning icon. If the NVIDIA GPU isn’t listed anywhere, the driver installer will report that the hardware is incompatible. Also check the BIOS or MSI hardware information screen to see whether the discrete GPU is detected.
For an MSI laptop, try installing the graphics driver from MSI’s support page for the exact Pulse GL66 11UGKV model rather than starting with the generic NVIDIA installer. Install the Intel chipset and graphics-related drivers first, reboot, and then install the MSI-provided NVIDIA driver. Laptop graphics can require the manufacturer’s package before the standard NVIDIA app recognizes the GPU.
You can try completely removing old NVIDIA driver remnants with Display Driver Uninstaller in Safe Mode, then reinstall the chipset and laptop drivers from MSI before trying the NVIDIA driver again. Make sure the laptop is plugged in and Windows is fully updated. If the installer still says there is no compatible hardware and the RTX 3070 is absent from Device Manager, focus on detection and BIOS settings rather than repeatedly downloading different NVIDIA installers.
The laptop should include an RTX 3070, but seeing only Intel graphics could mean the NVIDIA adapter is disabled, hidden, missing its driver, or not being detected by the system. Check Device Manager for a disabled NVIDIA entry and look for unknown PCI devices. If the GPU also doesn’t appear in the BIOS or in a hardware-information tool, software cleanup probably won’t fix it and the motherboard may need service.

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