GPU keeps working (fans spinning) for a few seconds after shutdown

First, this is a sign of improper power supplied to the card. Do unplug the GPU again, and clean the pcie slot with a soft, big brush. Then, check the power supply cables that goes at the back of the card (a multimeter would be handy but at least plug them firmly).

About updates, Gigabyte even has a backup bios chip. Flashing is perfectly safe the last handful of years (biggest problem before was flashing the wrong BIOS, never a burn-out chip). Don't trust tin-foil-hat-people. BIOS updates are most of the times critical for the good functioning of your system, for both security and preventing data loss. Manufacturing process is getting slimmer every cycle, and with it, more flaws that needs to be worked around by software patches at the BIOS, drivers, and OS level.

You could also disable hibernate that will accelerate the shutdown.
[ still works from admin command prompt: powercfg -h off ]

In my opinion, you only flash the bios IF the manufacturer has put out a Bios update that solves a particular problem that you are having and only if that problem that you are having is actually a real problem for you.

Flashing can still be dangerous and brick your system in todays market, many manufacturers have ample warnings in their documentation about the risks that are still around by flashing your Bios.

I know there are people that need to do it, maybe to make some newer hardware compatible and visible to the bios, but to me I've yet to see any problem that I couldn't live with and avoid flashing the bios. It's just not worth it to me to take a chance and have to spend another $200 on a new mainboard again.

The bottom line to me is simply this... If you don't Need to flash it, then don't. If it's going to fix a specific issue that you are having that stops or hinders your use of the computer then try it but be aware that you could brick your computer if something goes catastrophically wrong with the update.

EVERY BIOS update is necessary! It's out of anybody's league to deem one needed or not.
Sure there are risks if you do it, but there are far greater risks if you do not do it. At least in my book.
Think of it this way: you can completely skip it and live with the issues, since the OS/drivers will have SOME fixes incorporated. But what happens before Windows is up and running? Like when you are reinstalling or "refreshing" Windows 10 for the 10th time? Or when Windows installs updates? If there is a critical bug with the cpu or hdd controller or memory parameters or whatever, and you end up losing data? How about embarrassing bugs that won't ever be listed in a bios update readme?

OP, don't take advice from people wearing Christmas hats, too :))

I disagree that every bios update is necessary. You can't lump every update in a necessary category, it just won't work that way.

For example, MSI puts out a bios update that makes it so that their mainboard can see a 4TB hard drive, without it, the mainboard doesn't know that hdd is there. I have no intention of using a 4TB HDD, so that is an unnecessary bios update that would not be worth taking the risk to update to. (of course if you want to use a 4TB HDD and your bios doesn't support it, then you'll find an update to be a necessary update) weigh it each time, simple as that.

An example of when it would be necessary, perhaps for a security update that says that some program has the ability to write to the bios in some way and the security update will prevent that. Okay, in that case it might be a really good thing to install it. Or in the case where some hardware is simply unusable by your computer due to a bios update being necessary, in that case if you use that hardware then it might be worth updating your bios. But not every bios update is a necessity In My Opinion.

So, no it's not always necessary, you simply have to weigh what it fixes against the possibility of it bricking your mainboard.

Honestly it goes both ways, there are those that wear tinfoil hats that believe every bios update is a necessity (otherwise OMFG my computer won't be able to use that $9.874.00 piece of hardware that I have no intention of ever using) that HAS to be performed as there are those that wear Santa hats that believe it's not an absolute necessity that every bios flash available has to be performed. It should be taken on a case by case basis and weigh the benefit of the update against the possibility of something going seriously wrong.

I certainly wouldn't take the chance of updating the bios if it was on my one and only computer and I didn't have money to get a new mainboard if something were to go wrong, that would simply be in my book... foolish.

AveYo said:

First, this is a sign of improper power supplied to the card. Do unplug the GPU again, and clean the pcie slot with a soft, big brush. Then, check the power supply cables that goes at the back of the card (a multimeter would be handy but at least plug them firmly).

About updates, Gigabyte even has a backup bios chip. Flashing is perfectly safe the last handful of years (biggest problem before was flashing the wrong BIOS, never a burn-out chip). Don't trust tin-foil-hat-people. BIOS updates are most of the times critical for the good functioning of your system, for both security and preventing data loss. Manufacturing process is getting slimmer every cycle, and with it, more flaws that needs to be worked around by software patches at the BIOS, drivers, and OS level.



You could also disable hibernate that will accelerate the shutdown.
[ still works from admin command prompt: powercfg -h off ]

I disabled hibernate and that made things even worse. Now my PC shuts down every second try. The first try, fans just keep spinning until I hear the MOBO beep and the PC boots back on, just like on a normal boot. Upon entering login screen and shutting down from there for a second time, the fans just spin for a second or two before the PC shuts down.

What about re-seating the card? You might have also unplugged some little jumpers on the mainboard (the ones setting the USB power - consult your motherboard manual and check all is in order).

For the software part, in BIOS disable power on by usb/ps2 devices, wol, set power state after fail to off, set suspend mode to S1. In Windows, open Device Manager, go trough all peripheral devices (mouse, keyboard, other usb devices) and under Power Management tab, uncheck Allow this device to wake the computer. Do the same for network devices (and under Advanced tab, set Wake on... disabled).

Talking from experience, when I've lost stand-by ability. PC would automatically boot up again unless full shutdown. Then I've determined it did not happen with the mouse and keyboard disconnected so the likely suspect was my PSU not providing the right juice to +5vsb. Once I've set all USB ports to +5v from +5vs(tand)b(y) by their mainboard jumpers, issue was fixed. After a while PSU recovered and now it's working again with +5vsb.

AveYo said:

What about re-seating the card? You might have also unplugged some little jumpers on the mainboard (the ones setting the USB power - consult your motherboard manual and check all is in order).

For the software part, in BIOS disable power on by usb/ps2 devices, wol, set power state after fail to off, set suspend mode to S1. In Windows, open Device Manager, go trough all peripheral devices (mouse, keyboard, other usb devices) and under Power Management tab, uncheck Allow this device to wake the computer. Do the same for network devices (and under Advanced tab, set Wake on... disabled).

Talking from experience, when I've lost stand-by ability. PC would automatically boot up again unless full shutdown. Then I've determined it did not happen with the mouse and keyboard disconnected so the likely suspect was my PSU not providing the right juice to +5vsb. Once I've set all USB ports to +5v from +5vs(tand)b(y) by their mainboard jumpers, issue was fixed. After a while PSU recovered and now it's working again with +5vsb.

Re-seated the card, that didn't help. I did however remove a USB connection cable from the motherboard during cable management, but I was sure I plugged it back in and even checked that it's in place.

I just unchecked all my peripherals and the network adapters. I'm going to shut down the PC now and see how that works. If it's not fixed, I'm going to try the BIOS suggestions you made.

Also, should I set my BIOS settings back to default? Just in case?