Nvidia driver or GPU issue (previously worked)

Specs:

  • Kernel: Kernel 5.12.1-arch1-1
  • CPU: Ryzen 2700
  • GPU: GTX-1080
  • RAM: 32GB 3200 MHz
  • Monitor: 2560x1440 144Hz
  • Nvidia Driver: 465.27

I recently did a full system upgrade and now it seems that the Nvidia drivers no longer load as they are supposed to. I assume this is the case as in nvidia-settings I set the Nvidia visual indicators (FPS, Gsync/Normal), but now no videogame loads these and my CPU is up to 100% on ALL games, and crawls/stutters. I’m guessing the graphics drivers aren’t initializing the GPU and the CPU is doing all the work, not sure how to confirm that.

I went ahead and purged all installs of nvidia (pacman -Rns xxxx), rebooted, lightdm didn’t load (as expected), then used the terminal (Ctrl-Alt-F1) to reinstall everything. This method didn’t work and I’m not sure what to do but all games are unplayable now. Here’s what I removed/reinstalled:

  • nvidia
  • steam
  • lib32-nvidia-utils
  • nvidia-utils
  • nvidia-settings
  • nvidia-dkms
  • nvidia-db

Hello @BenBRockN
So currently you have all nvidia reinstalled?
Could you install the following?

sudo pacman -S mesa-demos
sudo pacman -S dmidecode
sudo pacman -S xorg-xdpyinfo

Lets now check the graphics by posting.
inxi -Ga

mesa-demos-8.4.0-4 is up to date – reinstalling
dmidecode-3.3-1 is up to date – reinstalling
xorg-xdpyinfo-1.3.2-4 is up to date – reinstalling

inxi -Ga
bash: inxi: command not found

inxi -Ga
Graphics: Device-1: NVIDIA GP104 [GeForce GTX 1080] vendor: ZOTAC driver: nvidia v: 465.27
alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm bus-ID: 26:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:1b80 class-ID: 0300
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: loaded: modesetting failed: nvidia
display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
Screen-1: 0 s-res: 2560x1440 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 677x381mm (26.7x15.0")
s-diag: 777mm (30.6")
Monitor-1: DP-0 res: 2560x1440 dpi: 109 size: 598x336mm (23.5x13.2")
diag: 686mm (27")
OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 11.1.0 256 bits) v: 4.5 Mesa 21.1.0 compat-v: 3.1
direct render: Yes

Okay so the nvidia driver isn’t loaded and it’s running on mesa. Hence your problems. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Did the full system upgrade cause that? How can I fix it? :slight_smile:

Could you set up the optional enhancements as per the wiki? If you don’t understand i can help you. Have a look here first.

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So… I opened up /etc/default/grub and it doesn’t have the same parameters as in the article (not a guru, but I think Grub 1 was like this but Grub 2 isn’t). Here’s what it looks like:

# GRUB boot loader configuration

GRUB_DEFAULT="0"
GRUB_TIMEOUT="2"
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="EndeavourOS"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet loglevel=3 nowatchdog"

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Preload both GPT and MBR modules so that they are not missed
GRUB_PRELOAD_MODULES="part_gpt part_msdos"

# Uncomment to enable booting from LUKS encrypted devices
#GRUB_ENABLE_CRYPTODISK="y"

# Set to 'countdown' or 'hidden' to change timeout behavior,
# press ESC key to display menu.
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE="menu"

# Uncomment to use basic console
GRUB_TERMINAL_INPUT="console"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal
#GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT="console"

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
GRUB_GFXMODE="auto"

# Uncomment to allow the kernel use the same resolution used by grub
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX="keep"


# Uncomment if you want GRUB to pass to the Linux kernel the old parameter
# format "root=/dev/xxx" instead of "root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/xxx"
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID="true"

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment and set to the desired menu colors.  Used by normal and wallpaper
# modes only.  Entries specified as foreground/background.
#GRUB_COLOR_NORMAL="light-blue/black"
#GRUB_COLOR_HIGHLIGHT="light-cyan/blue"

# Uncomment one of them for the gfx desired, a image background or a gfxtheme
#GRUB_BACKGROUND="/path/to/wallpaper"
GRUB_THEME="/boot/grub/themes/EndeavourOS/theme.txt"

# Uncomment to get a beep at GRUB start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

# Uncomment to make GRUB remember the last selection. This requires
# setting 'GRUB_DEFAULT=saved' above.
#GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT="false"
GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU="y"

#GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER="false"

Also, I use Grub Customizer to help with the Grub menu if that means anything

Okay i’ll walk you through it. Never mind about grub customizer for now.

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Add nvidia-drm.modest=1 as per the wiki in this line after quiet

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet nvidia-drm.modest=1 loglevel=3 nowatchdog"

To save use ctrl + o then enter
To exit use ctrl + x

Edit: Then run

sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Edit2: Next

sudo nano /etc/mkinitcpio.conf

MODULES=“nvidia”

ctrl + o then enter to save
ctrl +x to exit

Then run

sudo mkinitcpio -P

1 Like

Thanks, sorry I’m running on like 5 hours of sleep, didn’t see the right line there. There’s an issue with memtest, how do I fix that?

grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found theme: /boot/grub/themes/EndeavourOS/theme.txt
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-linux-lts
Found initrd image: /boot/amd-ucode.img /boot/initramfs-linux-lts.img
Found fallback initrd image(s) in /boot: initramfs-linux-lts-fallback.img
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-linux
Found initrd image: /boot/amd-ucode.img /boot/initramfs-linux.img
Found fallback initrd image(s) in /boot: initramfs-linux-fallback.img
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-linux-lts
Found initrd image: /boot/amd-ucode.img /boot/initramfs-linux-lts.img
Found fallback initrd image(s) in /boot: initramfs-linux-lts-fallback.img
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-linux
Found initrd image: /boot/amd-ucode.img /boot/initramfs-linux.img
Found fallback initrd image(s) in /boot: initramfs-linux-fallback.img
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+/memtest.bin
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+/memtest.bin
error: syntax error.
error: Incorrect command.
error: syntax error.
Syntax error at line 169
Syntax errors are detected in generated GRUB config file.
Ensure that there are no errors in /etc/default/grub
and /etc/grub.d/* files or please file a bug report with
/boot/grub/grub.cfg.new file attached.

I really think you are going to run into problems using grub customizer. My understanding is that memtest doesn’t work on UEFI anymore so it can’t be added into grub.

Edit: I think i would uninstall memtest and then run
sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub/cfg

1 Like

Did you get the second part done for the mkinitcpio file?

Removed memtest via pacman -Rns memtest86+

grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

done

mkinitcpio -P
==> Building image from preset: /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux-lts.preset: 'default'
  -> -k /boot/vmlinuz-linux-lts -c /etc/mkinitcpio.conf -g /boot/initramfs-linux-lts.img
==> Starting build: 5.10.35-1-lts
  -> Running build hook: [base]
  -> Running build hook: [udev]
  -> Running build hook: [autodetect]
  -> Running build hook: [modconf]
  -> Running build hook: [block]
==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: xhci_pci
  -> Running build hook: [keyboard]
  -> Running build hook: [keymap]
  -> Running build hook: [filesystems]
  -> Running build hook: [fsck]
==> Generating module dependencies
==> Creating zstd-compressed initcpio image: /boot/initramfs-linux-lts.img
==> Image generation successful
==> Building image from preset: /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux-lts.preset: 'fallback'
  -> -k /boot/vmlinuz-linux-lts -c /etc/mkinitcpio.conf -g /boot/initramfs-linux-lts-fallback.img -S autodetect
==> Starting build: 5.10.35-1-lts
  -> Running build hook: [base]
  -> Running build hook: [udev]
  -> Running build hook: [modconf]
  -> Running build hook: [block]
==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: wd719x
==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: aic94xx
==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: xhci_pci
  -> Running build hook: [keyboard]
  -> Running build hook: [keymap]
  -> Running build hook: [filesystems]
  -> Running build hook: [fsck]
==> Generating module dependencies
==> Creating zstd-compressed initcpio image: /boot/initramfs-linux-lts-fallback.img
==> Image generation successful
==> Building image from preset: /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux.preset: 'default'
  -> -k /boot/vmlinuz-linux -c /etc/mkinitcpio.conf -g /boot/initramfs-linux.img
==> Starting build: 5.12.1-arch1-1
  -> Running build hook: [base]
  -> Running build hook: [udev]
  -> Running build hook: [autodetect]
  -> Running build hook: [modconf]
  -> Running build hook: [block]
==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: xhci_pci
  -> Running build hook: [keyboard]
  -> Running build hook: [keymap]
  -> Running build hook: [filesystems]
  -> Running build hook: [fsck]
==> Generating module dependencies
==> Creating zstd-compressed initcpio image: /boot/initramfs-linux.img
==> Image generation successful
==> Building image from preset: /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux.preset: 'fallback'
  -> -k /boot/vmlinuz-linux -c /etc/mkinitcpio.conf -g /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img -S autodetect
==> Starting build: 5.12.1-arch1-1
  -> Running build hook: [base]
  -> Running build hook: [udev]
  -> Running build hook: [modconf]
  -> Running build hook: [block]
==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: wd719x
==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: aic94xx
==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: xhci_pci
  -> Running build hook: [keyboard]
  -> Running build hook: [keymap]
  -> Running build hook: [filesystems]
  -> Running build hook: [fsck]
==> Generating module dependencies
==> Creating zstd-compressed initcpio image: /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img
==> Image generation successful

Did you edit the file first and add nvidia to MODULES=" " before running sudo mkinitcpio -P

yes

Okay install the hook.

sudo pacman -S nvidia-hook

1 Like

done

sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nvidia.conf

add all this

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Nvidia Card"
    Driver "nvidia"
    VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
    Option "NoLogo" "true"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier      "nvidia"
        Option         "metamodes" "nvidia-auto-select +0+0 { ForceFullCompositionPipeline = On }"
        Option          "TripleBuffer"                  "on"
        Option          "AllowIndirectGLXProtocol"      "off"
EndSection

ctrl +o then enter to save
ctrl + x to exit

Then you can reboot.

1 Like

rebooting, I’ll let you know soon