Ubuntu 16.04 LTS下Nvidia X Server Settings无法识别全部GTX 1060 GPU

Hey there, let's break down why your 4th GTX 1060 isn't showing up in Nvidia X Server Settings. I've dealt with similar multi-GPU headaches on Ubuntu before, so here are the most likely fixes to try step by step:

1. Start with Hardware & BIOS Checks #

Sometimes the issue isn't software at all—let's rule out physical problems first:

• Verify physical connections: Make sure the 4th GPU is firmly seated in its PCIe slot, and if it needs auxiliary power (GTX 1060s usually require a 6/8-pin cable), double-check that the cable is plugged in securely. Try swapping the GPU to a different PCIe slot to eliminate a faulty slot as the cause.
• Check PSU capacity: 4x GTX 1060s need a beefy power supply—aim for at least 650W (80+ Gold certified minimum). Underpowered systems often fail to detect additional GPUs.
• Tweak BIOS settings:
  • Boot into your motherboard's BIOS (usually via F2/Del during startup).
  • Ensure all PCIe slots are enabled (some boards disable unused slots by default).
  • Turn off PCIe power-saving features like "PCIe ASPM"—these can shut down idle GPUs unexpectedly.
  • Enable multi-GPU support (look for options like "SLI Mode" or "Multi-GPU Configuration"—even if you're not using SLI, this helps the system recognize all installed GPUs).

2. Confirm System & Driver Recognition #

Next, check if the OS itself can see the GPU, regardless of what Nvidia X Server Settings shows:

• Run lspci | grep VGA: This command lists all video cards detected by the kernel. If you don't see a 4th NVIDIA entry here, the problem is definitely hardware/BIOS-related. If you do see it, move on to driver checks.
• Check nvidia-smi output: Run nvidia-smi in the terminal. If this tool shows all 4 GPUs but Nvidia X Server Settings doesn't, the issue is with your Xorg configuration (see section 3). If nvidia-smi only shows 3, your driver isn't properly supporting the 4th card:
  • Reinstall NVIDIA drivers: Uninstall existing drivers first with sudo apt purge nvidia*, reboot, then install a compatible closed-source driver (Ubuntu 16.04 works best with nvidia-470, the last supported version for this LTS release):

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install nvidia-470
    

  • Reboot after installation and recheck nvidia-smi.

3. Fix Xorg Configuration #

If the kernel and nvidia-smi see all 4 GPUs but X Server Settings doesn't, your Xorg config is missing the 4th GPU:

• Generate a new default config: Run sudo nvidia-xconfig to create a fresh Xorg configuration file. Reboot your system and check Nvidia X Server Settings again.
• Manually add the 4th GPU to Xorg: If auto-generation doesn't work, edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf:
  1. Find the existing Device sections (each corresponds to a detected GPU).
  2. Copy one of the Device blocks, then modify the BusID to match the 4th GPU's ID (you can get this from lspci—it looks like 03:00.0 for example).
  3. Save the file and reboot.
• Check Xorg logs for errors: If the above fails, look for clues in /var/log/Xorg.0.log. Search for "NVIDIA" or the BusID of your 4th GPU to spot driver loading failures or configuration mismatches.

4. Kernel Upgrade (Last Resort) #

Ubuntu 16.04's default 4.4 kernel might have limited support for multi-GPU setups. Try upgrading to the 4.15 LTS kernel (supported for 16.04):

sudo apt install linux-generic-hwe-16.04

Reboot and recheck all tools.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者George Mincila