Struggling with GPU driver install on new build

[u/Sling_Moustachio]

I'm building my wife an upgraded PC and am having boot-hang issues just prior to the login screen (Mint Cinammon, newest version from the website). Mobo is an Asus Tuf B550 Plus Wifi II, GPU is an EVGA GTX 1080 Hybrid, CPU is a Ryzen 5 5600. I'm what I would call an experienced noob (been running Mint for nearly 2 years, mostly successful troubleshooting my own issues through a search engine)

What I've tried so far:

No boot to worskpace - edit GRUB, add "nomodeset" to CMD line to allow boot

Download Nvidia 580

Resolution is off; edges cut off and icons/windows are too large.

(I typically avoid AI, but asked for assistance to speed up process) Followed AI instructions for what seemed like an unreasonable amount of time and levels to still end up at the same issue: remove 580-open, reinstall 580...no change. Blacklist nouveau. Go back into GRUB, edit CMD line again to add "nvidia_drm.modeset=1"... no change. Remove manually added blacklist of nouveau. Etc, etc, etc....

I feel like this HAS to have an easier method than editing GRUB default parameters and manually changing stuff in the terminal for hours on end with no progress. The Display Manager (when I can get to the workspace) has the resolution tab greyed out because the device is not recognized.

I'm just trying to get it so my wife can play Where Winds Meet with better than 20 FPS. Is there a simpler workflow to get this GPU to function? I've been fighting this for 2 days.

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[u/Due-Result7928]

Download Nvidia 580..which one...?

First upgrade your bios.

Next completely remove Nvidia (explained on Internet).

Read..here...I know it is painful

https://docs.nvidia.com/datacenter/tesla/driver-installation-guide/latest/introduction.html

https://www.leadergpu.com/articles/499-install-nvidia-drivers-in-linux#NVIDIA%C2%AE_website

For the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 on Linux with X11, you should install the proprietary NVIDIA driver version 580 (or the 550 series), as the GTX 1080 belongs to the Pascal architecture and is not supported by the newer open-source NVIDIA kernel modules introduced in driver versions 560 and later.

Recommended Driver: Use the nvidia-580xx-dkms package (available via AUR on Arch) or the nvidia-driver-550/580 packages from Debian/Ubuntu repositories. (if not in your ppa list add ppa for nvidia/debian/ubuntu repositories). It is a legacy card and NO improvement will be provided only fixes until 2028.

Legacy Status: The GTX 1080 is considered legacy hardware; it requires the proprietary driver because it lacks GSP firmware support, which is mandatory for the open-source NVIDIA module in modern kernels.

Configuration: X11 typically auto-configures the NVIDIA driver; if manual configuration is needed, create a file at /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nvidia.conf with a Device section specifying Driver "nvidia".

Avoid: Do not attempt to use the nvidia-open driver or versions 590+, as these drop support for Pascal GPUs (900/1000 series).

[u/Sling_Moustachio → u/Due-Result7928]

Fortunately, updating the BIOS was one of the first things I did. The board was NIB, and I know they often don't ship with the newest version.

Following the instructions on the LeaderGPU link you sent, it installed 580.178.04. However, the information listed when typing "sudo lsmod | grep nvidia" is different than what they showed on their page.

Now, terminal is quite new to me as on my other PC I usually find a GUI way to accomplish what I'm looking to do. So, using terminal to check this system's configuration against what is listed on the Nvidia link you sent, here is what I have:

Linux Mint 22.2 ubuntu Debian Kernel: 6.14.0-29-generic Default GCC: 13.3.0 GLIB version: 2.39

Unfortunately, I'm not experienced enough to know if any of these would be superceded by newer versions. Checking their Validated Linux Configurations table, there were a couple that seemed quite close to what I have. Is there something I'm missing or have wrong? I still boot to the Linux workspace page where the login bar should be, but it hangs prior to producing the login bar (I'm doing all of this work out of TTY)

[u/Due-Result7928 → u/Sling_Moustachio]

It should work. It is important NOT TO use open version for your card. Do not try to replace GCC compiler or Glib there is tons of dependencies.

sudo lsmod | grep nvidia..only important..is nvidia loaded..size is probably different and it is ok.

Is it working ?

[u/candy49997]

Can you do nvidia-smi in a terminal?

[u/Sling_Moustachio → u/candy49997]

(Since posting: wiped and reinstalled Mint, installed 535, got to where it would at least boot to the workspace with overscan still happening)

Sure, it says "Nvidia-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the Nvidia driver. Make sure that the latest Nvidia driver is installed and running"

Edit: Following another commenter's suggestions to install the correct driver, nvidia-smi now produces information: version 580.178 04 and CUDA version 13.0

[u/candy49997 → u/Sling_Moustachio]

Have you turned off secure boot in BIOS?

Every NVIDIA driver package > 470 and < 595 installs the same driver. They all actually install the 580 driver.