Video problem with Quadro K2200

[e_ley]

My son sent me this computer (Z240) from Australia and said it was working fine.  I’m using an MSI G274 QPF monitor, I don’t know what monitor he was using but said it was old and was using the Display Port.

When I got it everything worked using the motherboard’s DP but not the K2200 GPU’s DP.  Thinking the GPU might be bad I found a “new” K2200 on ebay.  Original box, tape, static bags, stickers, etc.  (Couldn’t believe it.). That one also doesn’t work.  All I get on the screen is DP - no signal.  The motherboard DP doesn’t work if I have the K2200 plugged in.

 System worked when he had it.  He packed it well Unplugged all the boards & memory and put in static bags and static bubble wrap.  Box was not damaged when it got here.

Any ideas/ suggestions?

[NonSequitur777]

@e_ley,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

The Quadro K2200 is a low-power card (68-watt TDP) and is fully supported by the HP Z240’s (lowest available) 240-watt PSU, so power should not be the issue. A few things you can try:

1. BIOS/Setup Check – Enter BIOS (F10 at startup), go to Advanced > Device Configurations and make sure the primary video device is set to PCIe/Discrete graphics. On many HP workstations, once a GPU is detected, the onboard ports are disabled automatically.

2. Driver Installation – Boot once using the onboard DP, download and install the latest Nvidia Quadro drivers from Nvidia’s site. Then shut down, connect the monitor to the K2200, and power on. Sometimes Windows won’t output to the discrete card until drivers are present.

3. Monitor/Port Check – Ensure your monitor is set to the correct DisplayPort input. If possible, test with another cable or monitor.

4. Reseat the Card – Since the GPU was shipped separately, make sure the K2200 is firmly seated in the PCIe slot and the latch is fully engaged.

5. Different PCIe Slot – If available, try the other PCIe x16 slot (if your Z240 board revision has one).

If none of the above works, the issue may be with BIOS settings (e.g., Secure Boot/Legacy mode) or simply a bad DP cable.  In my own, admittingly anecdotal experience, these video cables can go bad for a number of reasons.

The fact that both cards behave the same way suggests a configuration or connection problem rather than two failed GPUs.

Btw, the HP Z240 Workstations have been upgrade projects of mine: both the SFF and the Tower models, so I can claim more than a passing familiarity with this platform.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[e_ley]

@NonSequitur777

Thank you for your response.  The PC is the tower with a 400W supply.

 I will try the BIOS stuff tomorrow.

Nvidia said to uninstall the drivers to see if that made any difference.  It didn’t.  I haven’t installed any new ones yet.  While trying to research this problem I found some inconsistent comments about DirectX.  The info sheet for the K2200 says DirectX 11.2.  The PC has 12 (running Windows 10).  Some people say the GPU can’t run with 12 others say it can. ??

CPU-Z’s report had something about a fatal error regarding DX12 but dxdiag (I think that’swhat it was) didn’t have an error for that. ??

The cable is new - came with the monitor.  This combo works with the onboard DP ports.

The boards have been reseated numerous times and I have tried the other PCIe slot - doesn’t work either.

 I was reading somewhere about the generation of the PCI cards/slots. Gen3 was selected in the BIOS but looks like the GPU is only a Gen2.  There was also some mention about 32 & 64bit limits.  Should the driver with this setup be 32 or 64 bit?

 Gotta say this has been a bit frustrating especially since my son said it worked fine before he shipped it.

[NonSequitur777]

@e_ley,

An HP Z240 Tower Workstation is absolutely and unequivocally compatible with a Quadro K2200, as this HP System Z240 Tower Workstation User shows: HP Z240 Tower Workstation Performance Results - UserBenchmark.

As a matter of fact, of the 3,840 benchmarks listed in this link, 245 of them happened to be fitted with a Quadro K2200.

Summarizing:

The HP Z240 Tower is fully compatible with the Quadro K2200 -no issues with DirectX, PCIe generations, or 32/64-bit drivers. In fact, as I showed you, there are hundreds of benchmark results online showing this exact combination working without problem.

To clear up a few points:

• DirectX: The K2200 supports up to DirectX 12 (feature level 11_0). Running Windows 10 with DX12 is not an issue. The “DX11.2” reference you saw is just the highest feature level the card exposes -it does not prevent operation on a DX12 system.

• PCIe: The K2200 is PCIe Gen2, but PCIe is backward/forward compatible. A Gen2 card in a Gen3 slot works just fine (just at Gen2 speeds). This is not a problem.

• Drivers: You should be using the latest 64-bit Nvidia Quadro driver for Windows 10 directly from Nvidia. 32-bit drivers are only for 32-bit Windows installs, which is not your case.

Since the system worked in Australia, and both cards give the same “no signal,” the most likely culprits are:

1. BIOS setting (Primary Display needs to be set to PCIe/Discrete).

2. Driver not yet installed -try booting first with onboard graphics, install the Nvidia driver, then reboot with the monitor on the K2200.

3. Cable/Monitor input selection -even though it’s new, double-check that the monitor is on the right DP input and, if possible, test with another DP cable.

You’re on the right track by checking BIOS next -that's usually the missing piece with these workstations.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[e_ley]

@NonSequitur777

In the BIOS I looked for Device Configurations under Advanced but it wasn't there.  My BIOS was at 1.83 so I thought I should up it to 1.92.  It wasn't there either.

I tried installing the Nvidia driver but it wouldn't install because it didn't detect an Nvidia GPU.  I can't put the GPU in because I get no video.  Sort of like a chicken & egg problem.

What do I do now?

[e_ley]

.@NonSequitur777,

Not sure of the necessary symbols before & after the name to alert the member.  Is it a period before the @ and a comma at the end?

[NonSequitur777]

@e_ley,

OK, let's focus on getting your HP Z240 Tower Workstation upgraded to the latest BIOS version (version 01.92), which you can find here: HP Z240 Tower Workstation Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Support.

Secondly, let's upgrade your TPM 1.2 to 2.0:

1. Verify Current TPM Version:

• Press Win + R, type tpm.msc, and press Enter.

• In the TPM Management window, check the Specification Version. If it reads 1.2, proceed with the upgrade.

2. Prepare for the Upgrade

• Disable BitLocker: If BitLocker is enabled, suspend or decrypt the drive to prevent potential issues during the upgrade.

• Backup Important Data: Always ensure your data is backed up before making system changes.

• TPM 1.2 must be enabled before you can update it. To do this, when starting the PC, press the F10 key and go to the BIOS ("Advanced") settings. You will need to look for the TPM or Trusted Platform Module functionality and make sure it is enabled.

3. Download the HP TPM Configuration Utility

• Visit the HP TPM Configuration Utility page.

• Download the utility compatible with your system: https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp87501-88000/sp87753.exe.

• Download and run the Softpaq to extract files. By default, the files will be extracted to the C:\SWSETUP folder. Navigate to the folder with the "sp87753" number and open the pdf file for further instructions and details. 

4. Perform the Firmware Upgrade

1. Run the Utility: Execute the downloaded utility and follow the on-screen instructions.

2. Restart the System: The utility will prompt you to restart your computer to apply the changes.

3. Verify the Upgrade: After rebooting, press Win + R, type tpm.msc, and press Enter. The Specification Version should now read 2.0.

These steps may or may not fix the Quadro K2200 issue, but it certainly wouldn't hurt.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[e_ley]

@NonSequitur777

Bios is at 1.92.

This computer was intended to be used as a standalone (at home) PC for internet browsing and SolidWorks.  I'm retired and will be hitting 79 in November.  This is getting way more complicated than I was envisioning.  If this system worked before why would any of this TPM stuff come into play?  I was attempting to read about TPM via the links and it was going WAAAY over my head.  That was well into my discomfort zone.

Another observation is it doesn't recover from sleep properly.  I have to power down completely by removing the power cord.  There are thoughts that it might be the motherboard.  Although the box it was packed in looked good it travelled a LONG way.  One place in Australia to another place in Australia to the Philippines, to Vietnam, to Korea then to the US and finally TN.

Two or three times when booting I got a black screen with this text -

BootDevice Not Found

Please install an operating system on your hard disk.

Hard Disk - (3F0)

F2 System Diagnostics

For more information, please visit: www.hp.com/go/techcenter/startup

I hit F2 then exited the diagnostics and it booted fine (using the motherboard DP). The operating system is on an M.2 500Gb SSD.  Crystal Disk Info reported it as fine.

Intermittent errors are a real pain to troubleshoot.

[NonSequitur777]

@e_ley,

You’ve done all the right things so far, and I understand how frustrating this must feel -especially since the system worked fine before the long trip.  To clarify: TPM isn’t part of this problem. You don’t need to worry about that, sorry to even bring it up.

I'm afraid that the underlying problem may be with the motherboard itself from all the handling and shipping. Given your intended use (browsing and SolidWorks at home), you may find the onboard graphics are “good enough” for now.

This is just one of those tricky, intermittent hardware issues probably made worse by shipping. And you're right: troubleshooting intermittent issues is a mother to deal with. Look, if your PC keeps acting up, replacing the motherboard may be the only sure cure, unfortunately.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[e_ley]

@NonSequitur777

Thanks again for your input.  I’m going to be out of state for most of October so I’ll be picking this up again when I return.

The onboard graphics would probably fill most of my needs.  Son says there are some things in SW where a graphics card provides an improvement.  Having it and not working kinda bugs me also.

There are quite a few Z240 tower motherboards on Ebay for a reasonable cost.  Problem is - is there something wrong with them?