I built my PC in 2020 with an Intel i7-10700 and a RTX 2080 TI, and it's been running great until recently. Out of nowhere, it stopped booting. The fans and lights all activate when I power it on, but the GPU doesn't light up (although its fans are running). I thought it might be a power supply issue, so I upgraded from an 850W to a 1050W power supply, and it worked for a bit, but then the problem returned. I replaced the 2080 TI with a 5070, but I faced the same issue—no lights on the GPU. I brought both GPUs to my friend's place, and they worked fine there. After suspecting the motherboard was the culprit, I upgraded to a new one along with DDR5 RAM and a Ryzen 7 CPU. Unfortunately, the same issue happened when I built the new PC; it powers up but the GPU still doesn't light. I took the entire setup to my friend's house and it worked perfectly. Now, back home, I've tried multiple outlets, but the issue persists. Could my apartment not be providing enough power for my PC? I also recently added a mini fridge, but it was fine for a couple of weeks on the same circuit. If anyone has any insights into what might be happening, please help!
3 Answers
Does your motherboard have any debug LEDs? It might give you clues if something’s failing. Also, what brand is your PSU? If you can, let me know if you're in the US or somewhere else—sometimes the power grid can affect stability too.
You could consider getting an electrician to check the wiring in your apartment. It sounds inconvenient, especially in a rental, but if there’s a bigger issue with the power supply in your place, it might be necessary. Better to solve it now than later when it could cause more problems with your setup!
I was thinking the same, but I really want to avoid the hassle. If it means getting back onto Steam without issues, I might have to look into it though!
It sounds like you might have some home power issues. If your other devices are working fine, it could be something specific to your setup. Have you tried using a different power cord? If you’re using a surge protector, unhook that and plug directly into the wall. Also, check for any loose connections—sometimes moving the PC might temporarily fix or worsen a connection issue. Have you thought about testing your PC outside of the case, like on a cardboard box? That could help rule out any grounding issues in your case.
I’ve tried three different surge protectors and plugged into every outlet, but I haven’t tested it on a box yet.
The only light on the motherboard is the VGA light. My PSU is an EVGA 850W GQ, but I also tried a Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 1050W.