How to fix Dual GPU issue Windows 11

Question

I'm currently running a 3070 and a 1080ti in my pc and when I install Nvidia drivers either via the nvidia app or the individual drivers in any order, it always makes one GPU stop being recognized. The default Windows update drivers do work for both, though, which I find strange. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi eli b,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand how confusing it is when both GPUs work with the default Windows drivers but one disappears after installing NVIDIA drivers.

What’s happening here is that Windows 11 can successfully detect and run both GPUs using the built‑in Windows Update display drivers, which are designed for broad stability across many hardware combinations. When the full NVIDIA driver package is installed, it enables additional features and services that can sometimes conflict in mixed‑generation GPU setups like RTX 3070 and GTX 1080 Ti. In those cases, one GPU may fail to initialize and is temporarily disabled by the system.

Here are some possible options that you can consider using as workarounds:

1, Install NVIDIA driver with minimal components

• Open Device Manager
• Under Display adapters, uninstall both NVIDIA devices
• Restart (Windows loads basic drivers)
• Install NVIDIA driver but only the core display driver (skip NVIDIA App, GeForce Experience, and optional components).
• Restart again

2, Use Windows Update display drivers

Since both GPUs are recognized and stable this way, this is a valid and supported configuration, especially if you mainly need both GPUs visible rather than maximum tuning features.

3, If the issue started after a recent update, rolling back the display driver can restore both GPUs.

I know this isn’t the outcome you were hoping for, but if stability is your top priority, staying on the Windows Update drivers is perfectly acceptable.

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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Answer 2

Hi,

If it is a laptop or desktop, if possible, could you provide the laptop model or your desktop configuration?

Thanks