My PC powers on, gives one beep, shuts off, and then starts again, but I get no display. I'm using an Intel Core i5-9500F, a GTX 1050 Ti, two 8 GB RAM sticks, and a Gigabyte B365M H motherboard. Since the beep is usually associated with a successful POST, what could be causing the lack of video output?
3 Answers
One beep often means the basic POST checks passed, but it doesn’t completely rule out a graphics, cable, boot, or power problem. Check whether you can enter the BIOS, whether the monitor shows its input logo or an on-screen message, and whether the PC eventually reaches Windows. Make sure the GTX 1050 Ti is fully seated, try another display cable or monitor input, and confirm the monitor is connected to the graphics card rather than the motherboard. You can also clear the CMOS by unplugging the PC, removing the CMOS battery, holding the power button several times, waiting a few minutes, then reinstalling the battery and trying again.
Some boards briefly power off and start again during hardware initialization, so that behavior by itself isn’t necessarily a fault. If it stays powered after the second start, focus on whether there is any BIOS display at all. If the display remains blank even before Windows loads, test the GPU, RAM, cable, and monitor rather than concentrating on the operating system.
A cold-start power cycle can also point to hardware that is struggling during startup, such as the PSU, RAM, or CPU cooling. Reseat both memory sticks and test with one stick at a time in the recommended slot. Check that the CPU fan spins immediately and that all motherboard and graphics-card power connectors are firmly attached. Since the 9500F has no integrated graphics, the GTX 1050 Ti must be installed and working for video output.
The CPU is cooled by a regular fan, not an AIO, and I’ve already reseated the graphics card. I’ll test the RAM and cables next.