Are graphics card Gigabyte Geforce GTX 960 and motherboard Gigabyte G1.Sniper Z97 a good match?

Patricija

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Sep 8, 2015
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Hi. So a few weeks ago I bought a motherboard Asus Z97 pro gamer and graphics card Gigabyte Geforce GTX 960 (GV-N960G1, 2gb memory). When I built the computer it didn't even boot, so after some researching I discovered that this motherboard and graphics card are somehow not compatible, because the computer works normally without the graphics card and the graphics card works nicely in a different computer with different motherboard. Now I am searching for a new motherboard, but I am affraid the situation would repeat, since I cannot afford countless motherboards until one of them would work. So I am wondering if the Gigabyte G1.Sniper Z97 should work with my graphics card or should I perhaps not risk the same Z97 chipset again? And also would you recommend any other motherboard with similar specifications that should work with my Gigabyte graphics card for sure?
 

blasc

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it's not "should have been". they are really 100% compatible.

also it's like you said. I don't recall any gpu not being compatible with some type of motherboard.... unless you pick a brand new top of the line GPU and a 20 year old motherboard..... (and even then i think it would work...)

also, what PSU do you have?


Edit: btw, when you turn it on, do the fans and lights go on?
 

Patricija

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Sep 8, 2015
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Okey so the other specs are:
- Intel Core i7 4790K
- RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8gb
- Samsung EVO SSD 250gb
- WD Caviar Black 1tb
- PSU: Cooler Master 750W

Before I built the computer I was also sure they should be compatible, but when I actually built and turned it on, it did not even go to BIOS. The monitor went to power saving mode straight away and there were no beeps ever. (And yes, I did connect the cable with the graphics card)

I considered if there might be a problem with the monitor or the cables, that's why I tried it with a different monitor and differents cables, DVI, VGA, HDMI nothing worked and the other monitor went straight to power saving mode as well. So I figured there is nothing wrong with the monitor.

Then I took the graphics card out of the system and turned it on again (so it used the integrated graphics card) and it booted just fine, so I was able to install windows and everything. I also tried switching the primary graphics card setting in BIOS to PCI-E, but that also didn't help. Because everything works normally without the graphics card I am assuming that there is nothing wrong with the motherboard or any other component.

After that I brought the graphics card to my friend so that he installed it in his computer. He started the computer normally and the graphics card worked fine.

Also when I installed graphics card in my computer and turned it on, it did not go to BIOS, but the computer itself seemed to work fine. All the fans and lights in the graphics card are working, so as in the computer case. Because of that I assumed there is enough power energy.

Besides computer not going to BIOS there was one more thing wrong - when the graphics card was plugged in the motherboard and the computer was turned on, a red light was also turned on on the motherboard, the VGA_LED which is positioned right above the first PCI-E slot, the slot where the graphics card was plugged in.

In the end I concluded the graphics card and motherboard were just not compatible, because I have no idea what else could be wrong, if they work separately, but not together. Do you think 750W is not enough for such system? But if so, is it normal that all the lights and fans on graphics card are working fine? If you have any other suggestion what should I try or ideas what could be wrong, I would really appreciate it.