This is my first custom-built PC, and I'm still learning how everything works. The system powers on, but neither my Acer H200SL monitor nor my TV detects a signal over HDMI. The motherboard's CPU and DRAM diagnostic lights initially turn on, while the VGA and BOOT lights stay off. After roughly a minute, the CPU and DRAM lights turn off, but there is still no image. I've tried reconnecting the graphics card and waiting several minutes during startup. The build uses a Ryzen 7 7700X, MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi motherboard, 8GB of DDR5-5600 memory in a single stick, a Gigabyte Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB graphics card, a Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE cooler, and an MSI MAG A750GL 750W power supply. What should I check to get the system to display an image?
3 Answers
First make sure the monitor or TV cable is connected to the graphics card’s video output, not the motherboard’s HDMI port. Also reseat the RAM and GPU, confirm the CPU cooler is connected to the CPU_FAN header, and check every power connector. A first boot on an AMD AM5 system can take several minutes while the memory trains, but it should eventually progress past the CPU and DRAM lights.
If the diagnostic lights turn off, the system may have completed POST and the remaining problem could be the display connection. Select the correct input on the monitor or TV, try a different HDMI or DisplayPort cable and output, and verify that the cable is plugged into the RX 9060 XT. You can also temporarily test the motherboard video output since the Ryzen 7 7700X has integrated graphics, but remove or disable the dedicated GPU if you do that. If it still gives no image, try clearing CMOS and booting with the minimum hardware connected.
Because this is a single DDR5 stick, install it in the recommended second memory slot from the CPU, usually labeled A2. Check that the motherboard has its 24-pin connector, CPU power connectors, and GPU power cable fully seated. If the CPU and DRAM lights remain on for more than about 15–20 minutes, power it down and test with only the CPU, cooler, and one RAM stick installed. Then add the GPU and other components back one at a time.
I waited about 12–13 minutes, and the CPU and DRAM lights eventually went out, but the monitor still showed no signal. I also reconnected the graphics card.