My PC has been crashing while running games such as Mecha Chameleon, Assassin's Creed III, League of Legends, and other Steam titles. It eventually stopped booting properly after I tried starting in Safe Mode. A repair shop inspected it and said the CPU cooler was not keeping the processor cool enough and that my RX 6600 was inadequate for my games.
The original system used an AMD Radeon RX 6600, Intel Core i5-13600K, Gigabyte B760M motherboard, Vetroo V5 cooler, Corsair RM750 power supply, and 32GB of Corsair DDR4 memory. I replaced the cooler with a Thermalright Assassin 120 and purchased an XFX Swift Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB. However, the new graphics card was not detected.
I then tried two other LGA1700 motherboards: a Gigabyte B760M Gaming Plus WiFi DDR4 and a Gigabyte Z790 S WiFi DDR4. Neither detected the RX 9060 XT. The original motherboard did recognize the old RX 6600, although the system still had its original crashing and boot problems. The case and GPU power lights come on, but sometimes the system only shows a black screen and never completes startup.
I'm unsure whether the replacement GPU is faulty, the CPU or memory was damaged, the BIOS needs an update, or there is another hardware problem. The repair shop has not been able to isolate the failed component. Should I return the extra motherboard and GPU, and what tests or replacement graphics card would make sense? I have about $500 for a GPU and want a fast, reliable PC for multiplayer and party games, MMORPGs, League of Legends, Steam games, and Photoshop. I don't need 4K gaming and would like the system to last several years.
4 Answers
Before buying a different GPU, return any part that cannot be confirmed defective and have the system tested on a workbench with minimal hardware: motherboard, CPU, cooler, one RAM stick, power supply, and a known-good GPU. Clear the CMOS, update the BIOS using the board’s supported method, and check for diagnostic LEDs or beep codes.
The 750W Corsair supply should be sufficient for this class of graphics card if it is functioning properly. A faster GPU such as a higher-end model may fit the budget, but it will not solve an undiagnosed boot problem. Once the system is stable, the RX 6600 may already meet the stated gaming needs; upgrade only if performance testing shows that it is actually limiting you.
The i5-13600K is worth investigating. Some 13th-generation Intel chips had stability problems that required a motherboard BIOS update and Intel microcode. Excessive voltage or heat may also have caused permanent damage. Make sure the BIOS is updated, load default settings, and test with one known-good RAM module before assuming the CPU is dead.
Also, a painted fan blade does not normally act as insulation for the CPU. If the cooler was not working, the more likely problems would be poor contact, an incorrectly mounted heatsink, missing or badly applied thermal paste, a fan that was not spinning, or an inadequate cooler for the power limits. The shop should be able to show actual temperature readings and verify the installation.
I would stop buying parts until the actual failure is isolated and probably get a second opinion from another shop. A competent diagnostic process should test with known-good RAM, power supply, CPU, GPU, and storage rather than guessing that the motherboard and graphics card are bad.
The RX 6600 is already capable of running League, many party games, and a lot of Steam games. The original symptoms could come from unstable CPU settings, overheating, RAM, the power supply, or the GPU, but the information here does not prove that the GPU was the cause. A bent socket pin, bad memory stick, damaged CPU, or poor cooler installation should also be checked.
For the RX 9060 XT, check whether the card receives power, whether its fans or LEDs react, and whether the monitor cable is connected to the graphics card rather than the motherboard. Reseat the card and its PCIe power connector, try another cable and monitor, and test the card in a known-good system if possible.
If the old RX 6600 displays an image in the same system but the new card does not, that strongly points toward the new card, its power connection, a BIOS compatibility setting, or a defective card—not automatically a defective motherboard. If the card never shows the BIOS screen, operating-system drivers are not the cause. If it shows BIOS but loses video only after Windows loads, then drivers become more likely.
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