4+ Easy Ways to Resolve Your Motherboard’s HDMI Not Working Issue

In this guide, I will show you more than four proven solutions to help you fix your motherboard’s HDMI not working problem.

Let’s dive in!

1. Initial Things To Check First

Before determining that the HDMI problem is related to your graphics processor, you must rule out the possibility of faulty hardware ( i.e. broken cables and loose connectors on the PC or external monitor) and wrong settings.

Here’s a troubleshooting checklist to go through:

• Connect your new monitor to the HDMI port on another working PC/laptop to confirm that the monitor and its HDMI port are working well.

• Ensure that you set the input source on the monitor to HDMI.

• Test the HDMI port on your motherboard with another device to see if it works.

• Check for physical damage on your HDMI cable and swap to another HDMI cable if you suspect a fault.

• If you have multiple HDMI ports on your motherboard, check to see if others are working.

• Unplug and replug the HDMI cable to your PC and monitor, and perform a soft reset on both devices.

If the issue persists and the results of your troubleshooting point to a fault with your computer’s motherboard, proceed to the solutions in the following sections.

2. Confirm That the Motherboard Has an Integrated Graphics Card

For portability and power conservation purposes, most AMD Ryzen and Intel Core CPUs have an integrated graphics processor. However, in a few cases, the CPU may not have an iGPU.

For instance, this user found that the HDMI port on his motherboard wasn’t working because his CPU (the i5-9400F) doesn’t have an integrated graphics card. Intel CPU models in the F-series do not come with an iGPU.

The HDMI port on the motherboard will only work if the CPU connected to the motherboard comes with an integrated graphics card.

If you want in-depth information on this topic, read our comprehensive article exploring whether you can use motherboard HDMI without integrated graphics.

The first thing to do is check if your motherboard’s CPU has an integrated graphics card. Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Press the Windows + R button on the keyboard to open the Run tool.

Step 2: Type “dxdiag” into the search bar and click OK.

Step 3: Under the System tab, search for the Processor section to find information on your motherboard’s CPU.

On my motherboard, the CPU is an Intel Core i5-6500.

Alternatively, you can open your PC case (chassis) to see the CPU and check the model name engraved on it. This method comes in handy if your computer cannot boot up and turn on.

Step 4: Note the CPU model and search for its specifications online. I recommend going directly to the manufacturer’s website for this information.

Step 5: On the specifications list, look for the GPU section. If it shows that a Processor Graphics is available (i.e., Intel HD Graphics 530), it means your motherboard has an integrated graphics card.

Here’s a tip for Intel Core CPUs: If the CPU name ends with the letters F or X, it indicates that the CPU does not come with an integrated graphics card. Click here to learn more.

3. Enable the Integrated Graphics Card in the BIOS Settings

Have you confirmed that your motherboard’s CPU has an integrated graphics card, but the HDMI port on the motherboard is still not outputting video? Chances are the internal graphics card is disabled in the computer’s BIOS settings.

For instance, users on this forum reported that the HDMI port on their motherboard doesn’t work when the graphics card is disabled in the BIOS settings. In some cases, the integrated graphics card is disabled by default because your PC is connected to an external graphics card (dGPU).

If your PC has an external GPU (dedicated/discrete graphics card) we advise that you connect your external monitor or TV to the HDMI port on the dGPU to boot up your PC.

Then you can manually enable your internal graphics processor through the BIOS settings. However, the process to accessing BIOS settings may vary across computer brands. You can search online for instructions specific to your PC model.

Below is a demonstration of how I access the BIOS settings and enable the integrated graphics card on my PC:

Note: Be cautious when making changes to your PC’s BIOS settings. If you configure the settings incorrectly, your system may malfunction and become unstable.

Step 1: Click on the Windows icon located on the PC’s taskbar, scroll down to Power, and click on the Restart option.

Step 2: While the PC is restarting (once the device logo appears) long press the F2 key to access the BIOS screen.

Step 3: Navigate to the Advanced tab and press OK.

Step 4: On the advanced menu, navigate to the Chipset tab.

Step 5: Click the IGD Multi-Monitor option and switch it to Enabled. Press OK to confirm your choice.

Step 6: To save the settings, press the F4 key and allow your computer to reboot.

You can also check out process videos online. We recommend the following YouTube videos:

4. Enable the Integrated Graphics Card in Device Manager

There are two ways to disable or enable your integrated graphics processor: BIOS and Device Manager settings.

The main difference between both is that disabling the iGPU through the BIOS settings overrides any setting on the device manager—the computer’s OS will be unable to even detect the integrated processor.

Once you enable the iGPU from your BIOS settings, the computer can now detect the integrated processor. If the motherboard’s HDMI still doesn’t work, the iGPU may also be disabled on your system settings.

If your PC has an external GPU (dedicated/discrete graphics card) we advise that you connect your external monitor or TV to the HDMI port on the dGPU to boot up your PC.

Then you can enable the integrated graphics card in the Device Manager.

Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Navigate to the search tool on the PC’s taskbar and search for Device Manager. Open it.

Step 2: Scroll down to Display Adapters and click on the arrow to show the list of adapters.

Step 3: Highlight the integrated graphics card, right-click your mouse, and select Enable device from the pop-up options.

5. Update the Integrated Graphics Card Driver

Computer drivers allow your operating system to communicate with specific hardware components like the graphics card. Manufacturers often provide driver updates to correct errors, provide security patches, and improve device performance.

If the driver for your iGPU is outdated, it may malfunction and cause glitches with the motherboard’s HDMI port. To ensure this is not the case, we recommend you update your GPU drivers often—anytime you notice a graphics-related issue that persists after a reboot.

Steps to updating your graphics card driver:

Step 1: Right-click on the Start menu and select “Device Manager.”

Step 2: Double-click on Display adapters; then double-click on Integrated Graphics card to open its properties window.

Step 3: Navigate to the Driver tab and click on “Update Driver.”

Step 4: Ensure that your computer is connected to the internet and select the option to search automatically for driver updates.

NOTE: There are also automatic detection and update tools for different CPU brands that keep your GPU drivers up-to-date.

You can download the driver support assistant for Intel Core, run the auto-detect tool for AMD Radeon and Ryzen, or visit Nvidia’s website to install updates for your GPU.

Conclusion

Once you rule out the possibility of faulty connectors and wrong input settings, any problem with your motherboard’s HDMI port points to the GPU.

Often, the computer’s BIOS automatically disables the integrated graphics card upon detecting an external graphics processor. It might also be that your iGPU is glitchy because its drivers are outdated.

Following the instructions in the article, you can enable your iGPU and update its drivers for optimal performance. However, if you have a dedicated graphics card, we recommend using its HDMI port instead.

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