G750JS Black Screen After nVidia Driver Install (Fresh Win10 Install)

[Fuzzy_Logic]

hey guys. first off, i want to apologize if this issue was resolved in another thread already. i searched, but i could not find anything. i am having an issue after getting the nvidia gtx870m driver installed / trying to install the driver on my laptop with a fresh windows 10 install.

in regular windows, if i try and install the driver using the software provided by asus or the latest driver provided by nvidia, during the install process.. my laptop will freeze and lock up (cursor does not move, ctrl+alt+del does not work). i have to hard reset my laptop to get back into windows.

i have tried going into device manager and clicking on "update driver". that is hit or miss. sometimes the nvidia driver will update and install, sometimes during the update process it will freeze just like when i try and use the driver software from asus / nvidia -- forcing me to hard reboot again.

if i do get the driver installed.. and i reset the computer, i see the asus rog splash logo... but right afterwards i get the dreaded black screen.

i have tried going into safe mode and installing the driver there. in safe mode i can install the driver using the software from nvidia or asus, no problem. it's just when i reboot, i get the dreaded black screen again.

every time my laptop black screens, i have to to a fresh install of windows 10 as i currently see no way out of the loop described above.

i do notice that with a fresh install of windows, i see that if i let windows natively find drivers on its own... eventually i will see "intel hd graphics 4xxx" under display adapters in device manager. i find this funny because i spoke to an asus tech about my issue yesterday and they said i do not have an integrated graphics card. i just have the gtx870m on it.

how do i go about resolving this issue and getting my laptop back up and running? i am tired for formatting it over and over again every time i get the black screen after installing the gtx870m drivers, be it from asus or nvidia.

[Dreamonic]

Does disabling the 870M adapter in Device Manager (or simply not restarting make the dGPU function at all/performance) and testing the iGPU with drivers installed for a few days under normal use without dGPU intervention, benchmark even despite the ridiculously low FPS you'll get, still allow successful boots? You'd have to try different things here.

It is a "project" day when it's your first time doing the disassembly. Videos online following another G750 model is the same in disassembly as is reassembly here.


I'm not going to say it won't work upgrading GPUs because the modifications involved requires an SPI programmer on-hand in case you get a brick along the way attempting the experiment yourself. What is involved is as follows:

The only models you can successfully upgrade to is G750JM 860M, G750JS 870M and G750JZ 880M. This is because there are Optimus supported modules in the system BIOS of each notebook that see the installed GPU in each model. So what is required is replacing these Optimus/SG/RT/BS/NB DXE, SMM, PEI modules from the model of notebook you're trying to upgrade the GPU to, in your system BIOS so it boots properly with it installed. You can even try flashing the entire system BIOS from one Optimus supported model onto another and see if it works that way as well. It's very experimental and because of that, there is very few who do attempt it. If simply replacing existing GPU with another of the same, there isn't any issues doing that at all.

Benefit? Not really worth the trouble going from a 870M to 880M IMHO for all that, but the modification alone is worthy of a post nonetheless if it is indeed achievable.

[Fuzzy_Logic]

Does disabling the 870M adapter in Device Manager (or simply not restarting make the dGPU function at all/performance) and testing the iGPU with drivers installed for a few days under normal use without dGPU intervention, benchmark even despite the ridiculously low FPS you'll get, still allow successful boots? You'd have to try different things here.

i have not tried disabling the dgpu. i have done a few boots with just the igpu drivers installed without issues. this is usually when windows has not installed the nvidia drivers on its own. i have not tried benchmarking or just using the igpu on its own. i've been more occupied with trying to get the laptop as a whole to function. though the thought of installing diablo 3, firing it up, and seeing how i do has crossed my mind on occasion. i still want a fully functioning system, as i think everyone does, so that's where my attention has gone. lol!

It is a "project" day when it's your first time doing the disassembly. Videos online following another G750 model is the same in disassembly as is reassembly here.

yup, videos like that are why i said i did a long sigh about the thought of disassembling the laptop.

The only models you can successfully upgrade to is G750JM 860M, G750JS 870M and G750JZ 880M. This is because there are Optimus supported modules in the system BIOS of each notebook that see the installed GPU in each model. So what is required is replacing these Optimus/SG/RT/BS/NB DXE, SMM, PEI modules from the model of notebook you're trying to upgrade the GPU to, in your system BIOS so it boots properly with it installed. You can even try flashing the entire system BIOS from one Optimus supported model onto another and see if it works that way as well. It's very experimental and because of that, there is very few who do attempt it. If simply replacing existing GPU with another of the same, there isn't any issues doing that at all.

Benefit? Not really worth the trouble going from a 870M to 880M IMHO for all that, but the modification alone is worthy of a post nonetheless if it is indeed achievable.

def. more trouble than its worth. i just come from the mindset of "why replace with the same?". if all work was equal and the only difference was cost of the cards, i would upgrade. but all work isn't equal and benefits seem to be negligible, so i would just do the card which just swaps straight across.

is there a preferred place to get replacement cards? i see a few on ebay, but have people had good success purchasing the replacement parts from ebay that needed them?

i have still not given up hope on a software or procedural error on my part.. but i don't know how many more of these five minute fresh installs i can take. they do add up after a while. lol!

[Dreamonic]

The iGPU functioning alone with success in your tests confirms 100% the dGPU is in fact at fault. As the tests also prove there is nothing ELSE wrong with the notebook in terms of functionality and stability or any other anomalies. That's what I was getting at. Immediate attention when the dGPU is activated causes your system halts or potential black screens, is reason enough after all this to assume the worst, but I digress.

People have had success with Alibaba and Ebay. Completely depends on the listing and if the seller allows returns if item is DOA or if sold AS-IS, the risk you take as well. Usually what happens with the listed ROG Notebook GPUs on Ebay is either from a bricked notebook due to flashing or even just a dud motherboard, so they part everything out instead of paying to replace the defective part, try to make some of their money back instead. You can get good deals because of this but it also means how well taken care of was the part during the removal process. Some of the GPUs are refurbished sales and not out of firmware "bricked" notebooks in some listings. I try to get made in Taiwan parts instead of China, but it can be a mixed bag sometimes with both. Obviously you might get a defective item which is why you need to read the fine print on guaranteed returns in a listing, so in the event it doesn't change anything on your side when installed, you can safely assume it's the purchased item and nothing more.


I definitely agree with you. Exhaust as many options as possible with software first before going another route. Usually just entering safe mode and disabling the dGPU adapter in Device Manager when black screen events like this occur, restarting afterwards, keeps the drivers from loading which will communicate with the secondary adapter (dGPU) after POST. Are you not even able to do this? That will prevent installing Windows every time you get a black screen and why I mentioned earlier about disabling the 870M adapter in Device Manager.

[Fuzzy_Logic]

i cannot get into safe mode after the black screen, no. i hold f8, but the laptop never goes into safe mode. i have to hold the power button to shut it down / turn it off.

[Dreamonic]

That method doesn't work. I'm referring to this way here BEFORE you restart.

[Dreamonic]

That method doesn't work. I'm referring to this way here BEFORE you do a normal restart.

[Fuzzy_Logic]

Dreamonic wrote:
That method doesn't work. I'm referring to this way here BEFORE you do a normal restart.

well, somehow my laptop reverted to having device manager looking like this:



I randomly turned it on and windows came up when it was black screening before. I thought something occurred to make everything work, but with the exclamation point next to the NVidia driver in device manager, I knew I just got lucky reverting to an earlier state... somehow.

I don't know how. it was getting the black screen before as I had done the restart to finish the NVidia driver install and test the bios options setups and hooking up the laptop to an external monitor as you suggested.

I currently have the NVidia driver disabled and can confirm that with the NVidia driver disabled, the laptop reboots fine. posting from it now.

[Fuzzy_Logic]

update: just for ish and giggles, I tried enabling the NVidia graphics card. laptop instantly froze / locked up. had to hard reboot. was able to boot into windows though, but device manager shows that the NVidia driver is disabled.

so, enabled driver => system froze / locked up => hard reboot => device manager shows NVidia driver is disabled after hard reboot and getting back into windows.

[Dreamonic]

While not really progress, changes nonetheless. Everything still points to the dGPU being the problem. Optimus here is probably the only positive thing about this situation for you, as you can at least still use your notebook.

[Fuzzy_Logic]

anyone think that the video card could just need repasting / reseating? i see windows detects it and installs drivers for it. when gpu's go bad is that still the case? are the gpu's still detectable by windows even though they went bad? or does windows fail to detect bad video cards?

keep in mind, drivers are installed for the gpu right now and when i enable them, the laptop locks up immediately.

should i try reseating and repasting before spending the $$$ on a new card? what would be suggested?