How to disable onboard graphics and enable PCIe in BIOS?

rsandiahiker
rsandiahiker Member Posts: 3 New User
Current BIOS is po1-a1. I cannot find any way under Advanced-Chipset Configuration to disable onboard graphics and enable PCIe. The board has a PCIe slot. PC will not boot at all with PCie card (Geforce GT 730. should work with Legacy BIOS).

Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Sorry, this UEFI bootstrap firmware might be used in multiple models. Accordingly, what is your full ACER model number? If factory installed Win10, it will only boot with UEFI bootstrap. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • chuckm441
    chuckm441 Member Posts: 22 Networker
    Same problem, different version of BIOS ... P21-C1 (most recent for this PC).  Mine is a Veriton M4630G model.  Currently running Windows 10, shipped with Windows 7.  The BIOS onboard graphics is Enabled AND grayed out so it cannot be changed.  This remains the same even with two different graphics cards in the PCIe slot (one being that exact GeForce GT 730 card the prior poster had).  Neither card requires extra power, and the fan on both runs.  But the monitor tries HDMI, VGA, and DVI and ends up reporting "no signal" with both cards.  Both of these work in other machines.  Help!  And if anyone can help with this, that will be very much appreciated!

    -Chuck
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    This thread is over 2 years old. Please start your own thread for better attention from other users. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • chuckm441
    chuckm441 Member Posts: 22 Networker
    Yes, I thought of that, but picked this one specifically because it came up in my search engine (duckduckgo).  I thought that would benefit future answer seekers.  Anyway, if that's what works best, then I shall do as you suggest and create a fresh thread.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    >>>Same problem, different version of BIOS ... P21-C1 (most recent for this PC).  Mine is a Veriton M4630G model.  Currently running Windows 10, shipped with Windows 7.  The BIOS onboard graphics is Enabled AND grayed out so it cannot be changed. >>>

    Do you recall if option was NOT grayed out in earlier Win7 BIOS firmware? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • chuckm441
    chuckm441 Member Posts: 22 Networker
    edited April 2021
    About to start that new thread now, Jack (but let me know if I should just remain here after all).  But the answer is that I don't know because I had never tried to add a card to it before.  It was my secondary PC, but my primary died, so I bumped this up, adding a boot SSD and trying to add a better video graphics source.  
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Many legacy BIOS mainboards can't initialize a bus graphics card. The operating system needs to load its driver. Even some UEFI mainboards go haywire---as in bricked---when trying to switch to the bus card bootstrap before the operating system takes over. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • chuckm441
    chuckm441 Member Posts: 22 Networker
    Ok Jack ... starting it now in the Aspire, Veriton and Revo Desktops thread.
  • chuckm441
    chuckm441 Member Posts: 22 Networker
    edited April 2021
    Interesting Jack ... so if I'm reading between the lines right, if I install the card and then add the drivers even though the BIOS ignores it and Windows doesn't "see" it, Windows might install the card?  And I assume in that case, that whenever I need to go into the BIOS again, I'll need to switch the monitor back to the onboard graphics?  That's easy enough.  Well, it starts up and restarts just fine also with the "invisible" card installed, so I might as well give it a shot later on.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Not exactly. The bus card might only work under Windows with its Windows drivers. It might not work under the BIOS before Windows boots.  If that happens, Windows might not boot and you'll be left with a black screen. Otherwise known as a bricked machine.  BIOS only loads Basic Input/Output Services. The integrated graphics is a basic service device. The bus graphics is often NOT.


    Jack E/NJ

  • chuckm441
    chuckm441 Member Posts: 22 Networker
    Ok.  Thank you Jack.  But it does boot with that card physically in the machine even though the BIOS fails to see it.  So I don't foresee that if it does install under Windows it would somehow also cause it to brick the BIOS - I suspect (hope) the BIOS would continue to ignore it.  I guess I don't understand why they would build a BIOS so obviously impaired that bricking it because of a video card install would even be possible.  I've been a PC tech since before Windows, and never had a machine that ought to take a card per the specs be locked out like this one is.  I've seen a few weird things for a few years with some Dells and video cards, but there was always a BIOS work around.  Also never had any issues with HP's or Asus.  Or Acer either ... except for mine now, :-p  All that said, you have a lot more Acer specific background than me, which makes me respect the possibility that you could be right.  I will take your understanding on this into account and first make a fresh metal to metal image of my boot SSD with Acronis before I try again.  That means a few days, but better to lose some time than to lose my setup too.  And if the PC bricks, shame on Acer.  I have other boxes I can put back into play if I need to.  Thanks again!
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    The BIOS is a very low level program  just to get the machine's basic i/o devices running like the keyboard, the basic screen graphics, the memory & the storage drive. The first PCs didn't even have a storage drive. Only a rudimentary level and clumsy program called Basic loaded that you could do some things with if you knew commands and how to use it. If it had floppy storage,  the BIOS could hand off control to a higher level operating system stored on a gigantic 0.36MB floppy and do even more things. And with an even bigger 10MB HDD, anything seemed possible.  My first PCXT was like this.      

    Jack E/NJ

  • chuckm441
    chuckm441 Member Posts: 22 Networker
    We're from near the same generation Jack - I used to sell the original IBM PC's with DOS, and the IBM PC XT's, and the PC Jr's, and the Compaq suitcases, etc.  And the Apple IIC's for the kids.  Worked at a MicroAge store in the day.  I still even have a leather Kaypro notes binder I saved.  Back then, we had to order the right memory chips and I/O cards and hard drives and even DOS.  I remember selling my first PC XT 286 and being amazed at how much faster it was, LOL.  And we mostly sold Word Perfect and Lotus 1-2-3 with the machines, and Epson dot matrix printers.  I would make my clients a batch menu so they wouldn't have to maneuver around DOS commands to start their programs, and it would reload the menu when they quit the program it loaded.  I never did bother to learn BASIC though.  The first computer I ever touched was a few years earlier ... my friend was studying to be a Mini-PC programmer (like the IBM System 36; nowadays he programs in DotNet), and he would have me type up the programs he had hand written, using his Tandy TRS-80.  That booted from a cassette and you put the program you wanted to use in a second cassette and loaded that.  So I really do understand what BIOS is - I just think they made bad choices if you can brick your PC by adding a video card.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    >>>I just think they made bad choices if you can brick your PC by adding a video card. >>>


    Absolutely. Some G-model (integrated + discreet graphics adapters soldered to the mainboard) laptops had the BIOS option ungrayed. When the switch was made, a totally black screen resulted. No ACER logo, no nothing. Sometimes you can bring them back by blindly working the BIOS menu. Turn the machine on and hit F2, Hope you get into the BIOS menu mode. Then press F9 to load BIOS defaults (integrated graphics). Then press F10 to save settings and exit. Then press Y to confirm you want to save settings and exit. Reboot and voila, you have your screen back.

    Jack E/NJ

  • chuckm441
    chuckm441 Member Posts: 22 Networker
    Wow ... I hadn't heard or saw that one before.  There is clearly where the option doesn't belong!  Although I haven't worked with any, I know some Asus Laptops had the ability to optionally upgrade the video.  On theirs it would make sense.  I guess with those G-models they must have been porting and probably modifying BIOS code developed for Desktops over to the Laptops and didn't think it out fully.  And that issue should have been obvious up front.  Again, wow!