How to Set Up NVIDIA Graphics Card in Ubuntu

This guide will walk you through the process of properly installing and configuring NVIDIA graphics drivers on Ubuntu to get optimal performance from your GPU.

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu operating system (this guide focuses on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or newer)
• NVIDIA graphics card (like your RTX 4070)
• Internet connection
• Basic familiarity with terminal commands

Step 1: Check Your NVIDIA GPU Model

First, let's confirm your NVIDIA GPU model:

lspci | grep -E "VGA|3D|Display"

This will display your graphics hardware information. Look for the line containing "NVIDIA" to identify your GPU model.

Step 2: Update Your System

Before installing drivers, update your system:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 3: Identify Available Drivers

Ubuntu can recommend appropriate drivers for your NVIDIA GPU.

Method 1: Using the Command Line

ubuntu-drivers devices

This command will display compatible drivers for your hardware. You should see output similar to:

== /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.1/0000:01:00.0 ==
modalias : pci:v000010DEd00002860sv000017AAsd00003E3Cbc03sc00i00
vendor   : NVIDIA Corporation
model    : AD106M [GeForce RTX 4070 Max-Q / Mobile]
driver   : nvidia-driver-535 - distro non-free
driver   : nvidia-driver-550 - distro non-free recommended
driver   : nvidia-driver-535-server-open - distro non-free
driver   : nvidia-driver-535-server - distro non-free
driver   : nvidia-driver-550-open - distro non-free
driver   : nvidia-driver-535-open - distro non-free
driver   : xserver-xorg-video-nouveau - distro free builtin

Look for the driver marked as "recommended" (in this case, nvidia-driver-550).

Method 2: Using the GUI

1. Open the "Software & Updates" application
2. Go to the "Additional Drivers" tab
3. Wait for the system to scan for available drivers
4. You'll see a list of available NVIDIA drivers
5. Select the recommended proprietary driver

Step 4: Install the NVIDIA Driver

Method 1: Using the Command Line

For automatic installation of the recommended driver:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-550

Replace "550" with the version recommended for your GPU if different.

Alternatively, install all recommended drivers in one command:

sudo ubuntu-drivers install

Method 2: Using the GUI

1. In the "Additional Drivers" tab, select the recommended NVIDIA driver
2. Click "Apply Changes"
3. Enter your password when prompted
4. Wait for the installation to complete

Step 5: Restart Your System

sudo reboot

Step 6: Verify Driver Installation

After rebooting, verify that the NVIDIA driver is properly installed:

nvidia-smi

You should see output similar to:

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NVIDIA-SMI 550.144.03             Driver Version: 550.144.03     CUDA Version: 12.4     |
|-----------------------------------------+------------------------+----------------------+
| GPU  Name                 Persistence-M | Bus-Id          Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |
| Fan  Temp   Perf          Pwr:Usage/Cap |           Memory-Usage | GPU-Util  Compute M. |
|                                         |                        |               MIG M. |
|=========================================+========================+======================|
|   0  NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ...    Off |   00000000:01:00.0  On |                  N/A |
| N/A   37C    P8              1W /   55W |     374MiB /   8188MiB |      1%      Default |
|                                         |                        |                  N/A |
+-----------------------------------------+------------------------+----------------------+

This confirms that your NVIDIA driver is correctly installed and functioning.

Step 7: Install NVIDIA CUDA (Optional)

If you plan to use your GPU for AI/ML workloads, deep learning, or other CUDA-enabled applications, install the CUDA toolkit:

sudo apt install nvidia-cuda-toolkit

Verify CUDA installation:

nvcc --version

Step 8: Install Vulkan Support (Optional, for Gaming)

If you plan to use your GPU for gaming, install Vulkan support:

sudo apt install libvulkan1 vulkan-utils

Step 9: Configure Prime (for Laptops with Hybrid Graphics)

If you're using a laptop with both Intel/AMD integrated graphics and an NVIDIA GPU:

Install NVIDIA Prime

sudo apt install nvidia-prime

Switch Between GPUs

• Use integrated graphics (better battery life):

  sudo prime-select intel  # For Intel integrated graphics
  # OR
  sudo prime-select amd    # For AMD integrated graphics
  

• Use NVIDIA graphics (better performance):

  sudo prime-select nvidia
  

• Check current configuration:

  prime-select query
  

After switching, you need to log out and log back in for changes to take effect.

Step 10: Install NVIDIA Settings Utility

The NVIDIA Settings utility allows you to configure various aspects of your GPU:

sudo apt install nvidia-settings

Launch it with:

nvidia-settings

From here, you can configure:

• Display resolution and refresh rate
• Multiple monitor setup
• PowerMizer settings (power management)
• Thermal settings and fan control (on supported GPUs)
• Anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering
• And more

Step 11: Enable Performance Mode (Optional)

For maximum GPU performance:

1. Open NVIDIA Settings:

   nvidia-settings
   

2. Go to "PowerMizer" or "PRIME Profiles" (depending on your system)

3. Set the performance mode to "Prefer Maximum Performance"

4. Click "Apply"

Troubleshooting

If NVIDIA Driver Doesn't Load

1. Check if Secure Boot is enabled in BIOS - it may need to be disabled

2. Check if NVIDIA modules are loaded:

   lsmod | grep nvidia
   

   If nothing is returned, the modules aren't loaded.

3. Try reinstalling the driver:

   sudo apt purge *nvidia*
   sudo apt install nvidia-driver-550  # Use your recommended version
   

Black Screen After Installing Drivers

1. Boot into recovery mode from GRUB menu
2. Select "root" or "drop to root shell"
3. Mount the file system in read-write mode:

   mount -o remount,rw /
   

4. Remove NVIDIA drivers:

   apt purge *nvidia*
   

5. Reboot:

   reboot
   

Low Performance or High Power Consumption

1. Check if your GPU is running at maximum performance:

   nvidia-smi -q -d PERFORMANCE
   

2. Use NVIDIA Settings to adjust power management settings

Checking for GPU Errors

dmesg | grep -i nvidia

Look for any error messages related to NVIDIA.

Updating NVIDIA Drivers

When a new driver version becomes available:

1. Remove old driver (optional, but recommended to avoid conflicts):

   sudo apt purge *nvidia*
   

2. Install the new driver:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install nvidia-driver-XXX  # Replace XXX with the new version
   

3. Reboot:

   sudo reboot
   

Installing PyTorch with CUDA Support

For AI/ML development, install PyTorch with CUDA support:

pip install torch torchvision torchaudio --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu118

This installs PyTorch with CUDA 11.8 support, which is compatible with newer NVIDIA drivers.

Best Practices

1. Keep Your Drivers Updated: Check for driver updates regularly
2. Monitor GPU Temperature: Use nvidia-smi or nvidia-settings to monitor GPU temperature
3. Clean Installation: If upgrading from a previous driver version, consider removing the old drivers completely before installing new ones
4. Hybrid Graphics: On laptops, use NVIDIA graphics only when needed to save battery life

By following this guide, you should have a properly configured NVIDIA GPU ready for gaming, AI/ML development, or any other GPU-intensive tasks on your Ubuntu system.