I have a Dell G15 5515 Ryzen Edition with an RTX 3060. Windows is currently using the integrated AMD graphics, but the RTX 3060 does not appear in Device Manager, even after showing hidden devices and scanning for hardware changes. I tried using DDU and reinstalling drivers, but the NVIDIA installer says there is no compatible NVIDIA GPU. The NVIDIA Control Panel also disappeared. I have installed the available Dell drivers and optional Windows updates without success. What should I check to get the dedicated GPU detected again?
3 Answers
Check the BIOS/UEFI settings for anything related to hybrid graphics, switchable graphics, or the discrete GPU. Also make sure the system BIOS is up to date using Dell's support page for the exact laptop model. If the discrete GPU is disabled at the firmware level, Device Manager and the NVIDIA installer will not detect it. After changing any setting, load BIOS defaults, save, boot into Windows, and check Device Manager again.
Since the GPU is completely missing from Device Manager rather than just showing a driver error, this is probably not a normal clean-install problem. In Device Manager, check View > Show hidden devices and look under Display adapters, Other devices, and System devices for an unknown device or a device with a warning icon. If there is still no sign of it after a BIOS reset, an EC/power reset, and installing Dell's chipset and BIOS updates, the RTX 3060 may have a hardware or motherboard power issue.
The only display adapter listed is the integrated AMD graphics, and I do not see an unknown NVIDIA device either. I will check the BIOS settings and perform a power reset before assuming it needs repair.
Before trying more driver installations, run Dell's built-in hardware diagnostics. Shut the laptop down, power it on, repeatedly press F12, choose Diagnostics, and let the tests finish. If the RTX 3060 does not appear in the diagnostic results or is reported as failed, Windows drivers will not fix it and the laptop may need hardware service. A video thermal sensor warning by itself does not necessarily prove the GPU is dead, so check the complete diagnostic result for a specific graphics error.
I ran the diagnostics and only got a warning that the video thermal sensor reading was lower than expected, along with a battery-related message. I did not see a clear GPU failure code.
The Dell-specific BIOS and chipset drivers should be installed before the NVIDIA graphics driver. Installing only the generic NVIDIA package may fail if the GPU is not being exposed correctly by the laptop firmware.