Acer XV280K-B does not work with RTX 3060 and MSI Z590-A Pro MB properly (BIOS)

Maratonista

Guys,
I am having a particular issue with the RTX 3060 showing any image in my 4K monitor, while connected to the MSI motherboard. First, I'll publish my original message aimed at Nvidia. Then I'll show what they said, and what I replied. As you can see, I was unable to fix this problem, and I need to know if this is the monitor's fault. If so, what do you suggest?

Please read all the texts and links, and tell me what to do...

My original message, for NVIDIA:

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Hi guys,
I own the RTX 3060 Asus Dual O12G / V2 (GeForce). Ever since I updated the latest drivers, it looks like I can't see anything outside Windows.

This is what I wrote to get help with the issue:

I have this system:
CPU i5 11400
CPU cooler: NOCTUA, NH-U12S, chromax.black
Motherboard: MSI Z590-A Pro
Video card: RTX 3060
RAM: 2 slots, 16 GB each (#2 and #4), Vengeance CMK16GX4M2D3000C16
PSU: Corsair 650W, 80 Plus Gold, Semi Modular, TX650M
CASE: Lancool 216 (Lian Li)
Monitor: LCD Acer XV280K-B (4K native)

Main SSD where Windows 11 is installed: WD_BLACK SN850X (2 TB NVME)
2nd SSD: Samsung 870 EVO, 4 TB

Plugged into the USB-C: External Blu-ray burner, ASUS SBW-06D5H-U

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I noticed two things:

• After getting these SSDs (both new/formatted), if I plug into this 4K monitor, no image. I had to use it in my TV which is not 4K (1080p). And I tested for the LCD monitor in both HDMI ports, from the motherboard and video card.
• Once Windows 11 was installed, I am now facing a new problem (which I don't remember happening before): when the PC restarts or is turned on for the 1st time, no image. Black screen, even the monitor says "NO IMAGE" after trying the Displayport and HDMI. Then Windows 11 starts (still no image). Seconds later, the monitor seems to turn itself on.

So, I can't see the boot image (DOS-like style) from the motherboard anymore.

What is happening?

Note: the BIOS is using the last version from MSI.

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Their reply was (telling me to reinstall the drivers):

https://pastebin.com/0xfh5mk8

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Then, I said:

No luck. Still no image after following all those steps, before Windows 11 starts.

I can only assume this is perhaps not an incompatibility between the RTX 3060 and the motherboard (MSI Z590-A Pro), but my 4K monitor, since I was also unable to show any image, with the 2 SSDs 100% formatted, while trying to install Windows from the pendrive.

I connected the PC into my 1080p monitor - voila! Images from Windows AND the boot. Everything worked as expected. I was able to visit the BIOS again. Note: HDMI cable plugged into the GPU, not the onboard video.

Is it possible this is a corrupt Windows 11 installation? Because I am willing to do another format for these 2 SSDs, yet I highly doubt this will solve my problem.

I have a few images of my PC running on this lower-res TV, and the whole process:

https://i.postimg.cc/L81tgmLG/IMG-3330.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/MTdVJHJf/IMG-3331.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/XvK9xx28/IMG-3332.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/fLwmPXph/IMG-3333.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/0N1pphCj/IMG-3334.jpg

The only step I didn't understand correctly was this one:

Select NVIDIA SOFTWARE and DRIVERS (while running DDU)

As you can see from image 3333, there isn't such an option, and that's why in image 3334 it says PhysX is already installed, because it wasn't removed. I left the default options selected there, for the removal.

This is what I think it is:

• It can't be the OS fault, because I had no image, too, when the SSDs were formatted, they are brand new. I remember having deleted all partitions prior to the format and installing Windows 11. And if this isn't the OS fault, it must be the hardware - so, in this case, the RTX 3060 Asus Dual O12G / V2 (GeForce). Because I never had NO IMAGE before buying this GPU, with the onboard video plugged into this 4K monitor, via HDMI. This is a new problem.

The monitor in my case is the Acer XV280K-B. Using 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz. Serial number MMTJLAA0020441DF154200

If you go to Acer's page, it will only say the drivers are probably from 2019 and limited to Windows 10-64 bit.

https://www.acer.com/br-pt/support/product-support/XV280K/MM.TJLAA.002/downloads

While the manual is in portuguese, it's not so much different from similar 4K (and Acer) models. The current options I enabled for it are:

OverDrive - NORMAL
FreenSync - ON
Ultra-Low Latency is ON, but greyed out

Input, HDMI #1 (2.0) - looks like it has two of these ports
AutoSource = ON
DPFormat = DP 1.2
Wide Mode = FULL
DCC/CI = ON
HDMI Black Level = Normal

All the others are off, so no use mentioning BLUE LIGHT, ACM, HDR, SUPER SHARPNESS, REFRESHRATE NUM, AIMPOINT...

When the system starts for the 1st time (or WIN-11 restarts), it's funny how the monitor keeps switching between modes, and finally gives up and turns itself off. Only when Windows is really available, it turns itself on.

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Maratonista

PROBLEM SOLVED!
I didn't have to change these settings for the monitor:

FreeSync and Ultra Low Latency are ON;
QUICK-START-MODE was already OFF;

But... AutoSorce was ON. And that's why the monitor kept trying to detect Windows, despite the 30 second delay to show this screen:

SELECT YOUR OS
MEMORY DIAGNOSTICS

Which I now changed to 15s. The issue here was that I was unable to see anything due to some sort of problem with the monitor knowing I already had HDMI plugged into the GPU, so it was delaying the checking. With AutoSource off, we are now telling it's all coming from the HDMI and that's it.

I am now able to visit the BIOS again, and also see that POSTIMG link image, after the MSI logo loads.

So it was never all this time a problem with the RTX 3060, or the OS. It was the Acer causing this.

The funny thing is that I never had to change this setting ever since I bought this 4K monitor. I had to now, because this is the first time I am using a GPU, it was only using the onboard video/chip from the INTEL CPU.

With a GPU, I understand now that we need to specify it's using the HDMI port, otherwise there will only be image once Windows 11 fully loads.

The solution was: keeping AutoSource off.

Maratonista

PROBLEM SOLVED!
I didn't have to change these settings for the monitor:

FreeSync and Ultra Low Latency are ON;
QUICK-START-MODE was already OFF;

But... AutoSorce was ON. And that's why the monitor kept trying to detect Windows, despite the 30 second delay to show this screen:

SELECT YOUR OS
MEMORY DIAGNOSTICS

Which I now changed to 15s. The issue here was that I was unable to see anything due to some sort of problem with the monitor knowing I already had HDMI plugged into the GPU, so it was delaying the checking. With AutoSource off, we are now telling it's all coming from the HDMI and that's it.

I am now able to visit the BIOS again, and also see that POSTIMG link image, after the MSI logo loads.

So it was never all this time a problem with the RTX 3060, or the OS. It was the Acer causing this.

The funny thing is that I never had to change this setting ever since I bought this 4K monitor. I had to now, because this is the first time I am using a GPU, it was only using the onboard video/chip from the INTEL CPU.

With a GPU, I understand now that we need to specify it's using the HDMI port, otherwise there will only be image once Windows 11 fully loads.

The solution was: keeping AutoSource off.