RTX5060 multi card install

[warpXspeed]

Greetings ;

I have a HP Z840 that has 3x RTX3060 nvidia gpus working for AI, I am looking to update to 3x RTX5060 16gb,  I can get 1 RTX5060 working no issues stuff card in and it works, but if I try to add a second card the system hangs on the HP boot logo, any idea's?

[NonSequitur777]

@warpXspeed,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

Since one RTX 5060 works but adding a second causes the Z840 to freeze at the HP logo, the issue is most likely a firmware/PCIe resource allocation rather than bad hardware. Update the Z840 BIOS if you haven't already, disable Legacy/CSM boot, enable pure UEFI and Above 4G Decoding, and manually force PCIe Gen3 if possible. Also install Nvidia's RTX 5060 firmware update, because Nvidia has acknowledged boot/black-screen initialization issues with 5060-series cards on some systems.

Bottom line: a Z840 can run RTX 50-series GPUs (like this user shows), but it is known that older HP workstation firmware can be rather picky with the latest generation multi-GPU Blackwell configurations, especially with multiple units.  Reality is that setting up multiple RTX 50xx cards may be a bridge too far for your PC.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[warpXspeed]

gone from bad to worse, made an adjustment to bios and rebooted, now no video, no boot,  (system bios m60 v02.61)  have tried all the clear cmos, removed cards, drives, etc. using boot recovery flash on bios but will not flash,  

[NonSequitur777]

@warpXspeed,

Dang, unfortunately this may no longer be a simple GPU compatibility issue. It sounds like the workstation may now be stuck in a bad BIOS/NVRAM state after the firmware setting change.

A few things to try before assuming the motherboard is dead:

1. Strip the system down to absolute minimum hardware:

• remove all RTX 5060 cards
• disconnect all drives
• remove all PCIe cards
• disconnect all USB devices
• leave only:
  • CPU 1
  • one RAM stick
  • one known-good older/simple GPU

(As you know, the Z840 has no onboard graphics, so you still need a video card installed.)

1. Perform a full CMOS/NVRAM reset:

• unplug AC power
• remove the CMOS battery
• hold the power button for ~30 seconds
• move/use the clear-CMOS jumper
• leave the battery out for several minutes

Then reinstall battery and try booting again.

1. For BIOS recovery:

• use a small USB 2.0 flash drive
• FAT32 format
• rear USB 2.0 ports only
• no keyboard/mouse connected
• try with an older GPU installed

The concerning part is that BIOS recovery apparently will not even trigger. That can indicate the firmware itself became corrupted or the board is hanging very early during PCIe initialization.

The Z840 platform predates RTX 50-series hardware by many moons, and triple Blackwell GPUs are well outside what HP ever validated on that legacy firmware generation. One RTX 5060 working does suggest basic compatibility exists, but 3-card configurations may simply exceed what the workstation BIOS can reliably enumerate/manage.

If the machine still shows absolutely no POST after a bare-minimum configuration, then you may be looking at:

• SPI BIOS reflash/reprogramming
• motherboard replacement
• or reverting to older GPUs/platform

Please also report:

• power LED color/blink pattern
• any beep codes
• whether fans ramp up
• whether Num Lock/Caps Lock responds
• whether the motherboard diagnostic LEDs show anything

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[warpXspeed]

yes, been there, done that.  extracted bin from windows bios file, they are in bin format the ones from the linux download is cap format. bios was version 02.61, tried 6 different usb sticks,  and every version of bios that I could find, battery out clear every thing etc.  best results were with windows bin files, in usb stick root, system boots beeps 8 times, (red light flashes) the usb drive appears to flash the bios, but system then beeps 8 times (5x) and then red light cycles 8 flashes and then fans go full .