Just curious, but if the GPU got "fried" during a thunderstorm, Did you physically check the PSU and Motherboard for damage or burn marks from a power surge?
Copied this about PSU and Power Surges : 3 Common Mistakes That'll Damage or Ruin Your Motherboard
2. Protect Against Power Surges
The motherboard is where your computer’s power supply unit (PSU) is connected. It’s important to buy the right PSU for your needs — if your components need more power than the PSU can provide, it will cause the components or the motherboard to fail.
But the more frequent problem for motherboards is power surges. Some electronics in your home are power-hungry, like air conditioners or refrigerators. Have you ever seen your lights flicker when these devices turn off? That’s because they needed to draw more electricity and caused a surge. Then they switch off, the current takes a few seconds to adjust. And in those few seconds, it gets redirected to other electronics, like your lights or your computer. This is the most basic explanation of a power surge. It happens more often than you think, depending on your power setup, your locality’s power grid, and even weather conditions (like lightning).
Most power supply units and motherboards can adjust their voltages to accommodate small power surges. But if it’s a big one, it can fry your motherboard and all the components connected to it. It’s a big issue, and one of those that we never tend to adequately account for. The only solution is to buy a surge protector for your computer.
So it is possible that your GPU card may be good. It might be a damaged PSU or Motherboard issue preventing the GPU card from working. Before buying a new GPU card, try installing an old GPU card and see if it works. If it does, then most likely your PSU and Motherboard are good.
