I'm having a strange issue with my new PC setup where it fails to POST when both of my monitors are connected via DisplayPort. My system specs are as follows: I've got an RTX 5080 graphics card, an Asrock motherboard (with the latest BIOS), running Windows 11. One monitor is a Samsung Odyssey OLED G8, and the other is a Dell U2419, both connected using DisplayPort cables. The problem is that when I try to boot up with both monitors plugged in, I just get a black screen with no BIOS logo, although the fans and RGB lighting work fine. The only way I can boot into Windows is to unplug one of the monitors first, which allows the system to start normally. Once it's booted, I can connect the second monitor and everything works great. I've already tried updating the GPU drivers and checking the cables, but I'm looking for more advice on how to fix this. Thanks!
2 Answers
This sounds like a classic DisplayPort handshake issue during the boot process. Sometimes, graphics cards can struggle when trying to initialize two DP signals together. A few solutions you could try include:
1. Turn off ‘Fast Boot’ in your BIOS, as it can skip some parts of the DP initialization.
2. Check if Legacy Boot (CSM) is enabled and consider disabling it; modern GPUs typically work better with UEFI mode.
3. Experiment with the ports where your monitors are connected on the GPU—switch them to see if that helps.
4. If possible, set your main monitor as the primary display in BIOS settings.
5. Use different, preferably high-quality DisplayPort cables; sometimes, the issue can be caused by cheap or faulty cables.
This is actually a common problem when using high-end GPUs with dual monitors, so don’t worry; it's often just a BIOS issue!
I completely agree, it sounds like that handshake issue. Another thing you could do is to try lowering the refresh rates of your monitors to 60Hz in case they're set too high. Also, make sure to reseat all your components like RAM, GPU, and CPU just to ensure everything's making a good connection. If you have an HDMI cable, it's worth testing if that works for one of your monitors instead. Sometimes, using HDMI can bypass those DP issues.
Sometimes, the type of cable can really influence performance. Glad to hear switching to HDMI did the trick for you!
Thanks for the suggestion! I actually switched one of the DP connections to HDMI, and it seems to work fine now. Still not sure what's causing the original issue, but at least it's running for now!