GPU binding issue on Acer Nitro AN16-41, freezes with 2 beeps, only boots with Auto-select

tutis1111

Device: Acer Nitro AN16-41

OS: Windows 11

GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop GPU

The NVIDIA GPU does not bind properly with the system.

If the NVIDIA GPU is set as the primary processor for 3D settings in NVIDIA Control Panel, the PC instantly freezes with two beep sounds. Recovery requires Safe Mode + DDU. If the setting is left on Auto-select, the system boots normally but the GPU stays idle/inactive.

Issue first appeared after unplugging the AC adapter — GPU disconnected and would not reconnect without driver reinstall. Now, driver reinstalls no longer restore binding.

Now, GPU binding sometimes occurs. For example, when launching games:
- One beep → game runs normally, GPU activity visible in Task Manager.
- Two beeps → system freezes completely, requiring forced shutdown.

What I have DONE already:

DDU clean reinstall of NVIDIA drivers (latest WHQL + older versions tested).

Disabled/reenabled GPU in Device Manager → system freezes immediately when GPU is reenabled.

Reset NVIDIA Control Panel → on Auto-select, system runs but GPU is unused.

BIOS updated to v1.25 via optional Windows Update (latest available) — issue persists.

Windows fully updated — no additional firmware or driver updates offered.

Windows reinstalled

The interesting thing is that this issue began when I would accidentally unplug the AC adapter. The game would start lagging (as it was using integrated graphics instead of GPU), but laptop restart would fix the problem. This happened 2 weeks after I had purchased this laptop from the Acer store.

Later on, restarting the PC wouldn't reset the GPU binding, so I had to reinstall GPU drivers every time this problem occurred.

Now, reinstalling doesn't fully restore the binding issue. Some games work manage to utilize GPU, I can see that in task manager → processes. Other games result in two beeps and screen freeze (even though laptop fans begin to blow heavily)

Accepted answers

All comments

Puraw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/728474/gpu-binding-issue-acer-nitro-an16-41

Hi tutis1111

Your Nitro AN16-41 uses the RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, and the freeze + beep behavior when forcing dGPU suggests a driver or firmware-level conflict. A few key points:

Driver source — If you installed the NVIDIA driver directly from their site, it may lack Acer-specific hooks. Use the version from Acer Support or Windows Update to ensure full compatibility.
BIOS version — v1.25 is the latest public release (2024/03/01). No newer firmware is available yet, and rollback is blocked by Windows Security.
MUX behavior — This model relies on Advanced Optimus, not a full MUX switch. Forcing dGPU globally may trigger instability if the driver or firmware isn’t aligned.

Recommended steps:

Reinstall the GPU driver via Windows Update or Acer Support only.
Avoid forcing dGPU mode in NVIDIA Control Panel—use Auto-select or per-app settings.
Do not attempt BIOS rollback—firmware downgrades are blocked.
Wait for v1.26 via Windows Update (not yet released).

tutis1111

Hello, Puraw

Thank you for taking your time to respond.

I have looked at your suggestions but none of them are applicable in this case:
1. There is no such option to reinstall the GPU driver via Windows Update or Acer Support
2. Tinkering with NVIDIA Control panel helped to narrow down possible root cause, but besides that, I have made Auto-select as the current option.
3. I have updated BIOS to the newest version in hopes it would fix the binding issue, with no avail. I have no intention to attempt to rollback updates.

Are there any other solutions for my problem? How could I further diagnose and fix the binding issue?

Puraw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1352988#Comment_1352988

Hi tutis1111,

Thanks for clarifying what you’ve already tried — that helps narrow the scope. Since the issue persists even after clean driver reinstalls, BIOS update, and OS reinstall, we can focus on hardware‑level or firmware‑level causes.

A few next steps to help isolate the fault:

Check PCI Device Status
- In Device Manager → View → Devices by connection, expand the PCI Express Root Port branches and locate the RTX 4070.
- Confirm it’s enumerating correctly without error codes when idle and when attempting to switch to dGPU.
AC Power Event Replication
- With the AC adapter connected, launch a GPU‑intensive app and monitor GPU usage in Task Manager.
- Gently unplug AC and re‑plug — note if the binding loss happens instantly or only after a restart.
NVIDIA System Event Log
- Open Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System and filter for “nvlddmkm” or “Display” events around the time of the freeze/beep.
- This can reveal whether the driver is timing out (TDR) or the PCIe link is dropping.
Thermal / Power Rail Check
- If possible, run HWiNFO64 (Sensors only) and log GPU voltage, clocks, and PCIe link speed before and during the fault.
- A sudden drop to PCIe x1 or x2 can indicate a hardware lane issue.

If the GPU is intermittently failing to enumerate or dropping PCIe lanes, that’s a strong case for a warranty claim — especially since the fault began within weeks of purchase and is reproducible.

Let’s see what the PCIe status and event logs show — that will tell us whether we’re chasing a driver handshake problem or a physical GPU/board fault.

On your “no such option” point — the reinstall path via Windows Update only appears if you first uninstall the current NVIDIA driver, then check under Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Optional updates → Driver updates. If the driver is already the latest, Windows won’t list it until you remove it. Likewise, Acer’s support page for your model does list the NVIDIA package, but it won’t be labeled as a “reinstall” button — you simply download and run it over the existing install.

GAMING6698

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/728474/gpu-binding-issue-acer-nitro-an16-41

I think it's driver issue. New on going nvidia drivers has some performance issues as well. Just follow step 1 of below guide like I mentioned.

Windows 10/11 optimization guide for gaming — Acer Community

(Install 577 version, it good and provide great performance, you can also try 566.36, it's very stable and provide good performance too)

tutis1111

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1352997#Comment_1352997

Hey, thank you for your input! It fixed the problem, although temporarily - once again, due to the unplugging of AC adapter, GPU unbound and I had to reinstall the drivers once again for NVIDIA GPU to work.

One thing I noticed though - when everything is fine and working, the "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU" system tray icon in the task bar is shown as "active", with one program - amdrsserv.exe - always running. However, whenever the GPU unbinds, this system tray icon appears as "inactive" with no programs running.

GAMING6698

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1353095#Comment_1353095

unplugging? I think windows may have replaced the driver.

tutis1111

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1353104#Comment_1353104

GPU unbinding occurs when my laptop charger unplugs from the charging port. Not every single instance of unplugging causes this, but some do (I haven't inferred under which circumstances this happens, but most likely while doing GPU intensive tasks like gaming). When this happens, I am forced to reinstall the GPU Driver.

Could you expand on what you meant by saying that "windows may have replaced the driver"?