Hey everyone! I just put together a new PC after my old Intel setup died. Here's what I'm working with: Ryzen 5 9600, MSI B650M Gaming WiFi, 32GB Kingston Fury Beast DDR5 RAM, a temporary GTX 1060 6GB, a Seasonic M12II-620W PSU, and a Samsung 980 NVMe drive with a clean install of Windows 10. After updating to the latest BIOS, everything seemed fine when using just the integrated GPU. I can game, access the BIOS, and reboot without any issues. I've even tested the RAM, and it works great.
The problem kicks in once I install my GTX 1060. Initially, it works perfectly for a little while — I can boot into Windows and play games, but then it fails to boot after a few restarts or shutdowns. At first, it shows a yellow LED (indicating a DRAM problem) and won't respond to the power button. I have to switch off the PSU to power down. After trying to boot again, I see both red and yellow LEDs (CPU and RAM), and I can at least use the power button, but there's no boot or display at that point. I can only get it working again by removing the GPU and resetting the CMOS — resetting with the GPU still connected doesn't help.
I've tried changing the PCIe slot settings, disabling the Re-size BAR, performing a CMOS reset, and adjusting various BIOS settings. The system runs stable with just the integrated GPU, and everything checks out with the RAM. I'm not seeing any WHEA errors or crash dumps, just an Event Viewer Kernel-Power error. So, is this a GPU problem, a PCIe signaling issue, a bug in the BIOS, or maybe something off with the PSU? I'd really appreciate any insights or suggestions!
3 Answers
From what you've described, it seems likely that the issue might be stemming from the PSU or a BIOS bug. Older PSUs sometimes struggle to provide enough stable power for newer hardware. Since you mentioned that the system runs fine without the GPU, it suggests that everything else is fine, but the GPU might be drawing too much power. Have you checked for any BIOS updates specific to your motherboard model? There might be some known issues with the GTX 1060 that those updates could address. If you can, try testing with another GPU to troubleshoot further.
I totally understand the struggle! Sometimes, older components just don’t play well with the latest ones. If you can test with that old 8600GT, it's worth a shot to see if it boots properly without issues. It might be a long shot since it’s an outdated card, but it doesn’t require additional power from the PSU. If it works without problems, then you can confirm that the GTX 1060 is likely the culprit.
It sounds like you could be facing a compatibility issue or a power problem. Your PSU is a bit older, and if it's struggling under load with the GTX 1060, that could lead to the issues you're seeing. I recommend testing with a different PSU if possible, just to rule that out. Also, make sure your GPU is properly seated in the PCIe slot and that the power connectors are snug. Sometimes, even a small power fluctuation can cause those boot problems. And by the way, consider upgrading to Windows 11 if you haven't done so just to ensure better support for your new hardware.
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