My PC powers on, but I get no video output. The monitor detects that something is connected, then goes to sleep, and my keyboard and other peripherals never fully initialize. The motherboard's VGA debug LED remains lit. This started after I shut the system down while working on some reverse-engineering tasks. I don't hear any POST beep codes. I removed the GPU, took out the CMOS battery for about an hour, cleared the CMOS pins, and reseated the RAM. I also tested a relative's RTX 2060 in my system and tried both PCIe slots, but the problem remained. The system uses a Ryzen 5 2600, RTX 2070, and MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC motherboard. What hardware should I troubleshoot next?
2 Answers
The VGA debug light usually means the motherboard isn't detecting or initializing the graphics card. Reseat the card firmly, verify that every required PCIe power connector is attached, and check that the power supply cables are secure. The Ryzen 5 2600 doesn't have integrated graphics, so you can't test video through the motherboard's display outputs. If the card has a BIOS switch, try the other position in case one BIOS is corrupted.
Try starting the system with no RAM installed and observe the diagnostic LEDs. It should normally report a memory fault. If it does, reinstall one stick at a time in the recommended slot and test each module separately. If the board still stops at VGA with known-good memory and graphics cards, inspect the PCIe slot, power connections, and motherboard for damage.
I tested a different graphics card and tried both PCIe slots, but the system behaves the same way. I also noticed the motherboard's DRAM light appears when the RAM is removed.