Blank screen when starting Blender with Nvidia GPU

[airconductor]

Same issue as this post. I have tried all the steps suggested by customer support with no success. I have tried about four different versions of Blender (from 3.6 to 4.3) and all versions of the Nvidia studio driver released in the last year or so. I have reinstalled Windows, Blender, and the drivers, to no effect. I can only use Blender with the integrated GPU, which, for the work I need to do on it, slows work down quite a bit. This is extremely frustrating, as I invested in the laptop in order to speed up my modeling and rendering work. Any help would be deeply appreciated.

[Raj_05]

Hi @airconductor,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

The issue of a blank screen when starting Blender with the Nvidia GPU on your OMEN by HP laptop suggests a compatibility or configuration problem between Blender, the Nvidia GPU, and the laptop's hardware/software environment. Since you've tried multiple versions of Blender, the Nvidia Studio drivers, and even reinstalled Windows without success, here are some further troubleshooting steps to explore.

Check Blender's GPU Configuration:

• Ensure the Nvidia GPU is selected in Blender:
  • Open Blender using the integrated GPU.
  • Go to Edit > Preferences > System.
  • Under the Cycles Render Devices section, ensure your Nvidia GPU is selected.
• Test rendering with Cycles using the GPU to see if the issue arises only during rendering or also at launch.

Force Blender to Use the Nvidia GPU:

• Right-click on Blender's shortcut and select Run with graphics processor > High-performance Nvidia processor.
• Alternatively, set Blender to always use the Nvidia GPU in the Nvidia Control Panel:
  1. Open the Nvidia Control Panel.
  2. Go to Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings.
  3. Add Blender if it’s not already listed.
  4. Select the High-performance Nvidia processor for Blender.

Update or Rollback the Nvidia Driver:

• You’ve already tried recent drivers, but sometimes a specific version works best.
• Test older Nvidia drivers:
  • Download older Studio drivers (e.g., 527.56) from the Nvidia website.
• Perform a clean installation:
  • During the driver installation process, choose Custom Installation and check Perform a Clean Installation.

Disable Optimus or Dynamic Graphics Switching:

• Some gaming laptops use Nvidia Optimus to switch between the integrated GPU and the Nvidia GPU, which can cause compatibility issues.
• In the BIOS/UEFI:
  • Look for an option like Hybrid Graphics, Dynamic Graphics Switching, or Optimus.
  • If possible, disable it to force the laptop to use the Nvidia GPU exclusively.

Check Blender’s Log for Errors:

• Run Blender from the command line to gather error logs:
  • Open the Command Prompt and navigate to the Blender directory.
  • Run blender.exe --debug-gpu.
  • Check the output for any specific errors related to the Nvidia GPU.

[Raj_05]

Ensure OpenGL/Vulkan Compatibility:

• Blender heavily relies on OpenGL and Vulkan.
• Check if the required runtime libraries are installed:
  • Install the latest Vulkan Runtime Libraries from Vulkan’s website.
  • Ensure that OpenGL is up-to-date (generally bundled with GPU drivers).

Test with Another Rendering Engine:

• Install and test a third-party rendering engine in Blender, such as Octane or LuxCoreRender, to see if they also experience issues with the Nvidia GPU.

Check for Conflicting Software:

• Certain background processes or software can conflict with Blender:
  • Temporarily disable antivirus or security software.
  • Disable overlay software (e.g., Nvidia GeForce Experience overlay, Discord overlay).
  • Check for other software that might use the GPU in the background.

Fallback - Use Portable Blender:

• Try running a portable version of Blender to rule out installation-specific issues:
  • Download the .zip version of Blender and extract it.
  • Run Blender from the extracted folder.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support 

[chriswilson00]

Hey, I totally get how frustrating this must be for you. It sounds like you've already done everything you can think of, so I can imagine how annoying it is. A couple of things you might want to check:

1. BIOS Update: It’s worth checking if there’s a BIOS update available. Sometimes, an outdated BIOS can cause issues with GPU performance, even after everything else is updated.

2. NVIDIA Control Panel: Double-check your settings there. Make sure Blender is set to use the dedicated GPU, as sometimes it defaults back to the integrated one.

3. Power Settings: Just a quick reminder to check that your laptop’s power settings are set to “High Performance” rather than “Power Saver.” The latter can throttle GPU performance.

4. System Logs: If you haven’t already, try looking at the Event Viewer for any errors related to your GPU or Blender. It might give you some clues as to what's going wrong.

5. Try Another App: If you have time, you could test another graphics-heavy application to see if it recognizes the dedicated GPU. That could help figure out if the issue is with Blender specifically.

I really hope one of these helps! Let me know if you find anything new or if it makes a difference.

[airconductor]

I appreciate the help, Alden4 and Chriswilson00.

The day after I posted, I found a solution on a YouTube video. It goes as follows:

1. Open the Nvidia Control Panel.
2. Open 3D Settings > Manage Display mode.
3. Select Nvidia GPU only.

Just for the record, I did update the BIOS when the latest update came out, which didn't help solve the problem, but I checked it again to be sure. Power management was already set up for maximum performance, especially because I mostly use the laptop at home and with the charger connected anyway. The main thing I hadn't tried was Alden4's suggestion to disable Optimus in the BIOS; I guess the fix above does the same thing by other means.

Anyways, now Blender starts up perfectly and I was able to have it use the GPU for rendering. Thanks again for the help!

[Irfan_06]

Hi @airconductor,

That's great! Happy to hear that the issue has been resolved. I appreciate your efforts in contacting HP community support and If you need any assistance in the future, feel free to reach out to us.

Take care and have a great day ahead!

Irwin6

HP Support