My computer intermittently loses the monitor signal: the display turns off, the system stops responding, and the graphics card or case fans ramp up to maximum speed. I haven't noticed excessive temperatures. I replaced the power supply yesterday, and the computer worked normally for the entire day before the same issue returned. The problem is inconsistent—sometimes it happens while launching a demanding game such as Far Cry 6, but other times it occurs only a few minutes after starting the computer while doing almost nothing. I'm using an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super. Could the graphics card still be failing even though it is relatively new and has never been dropped or physically damaged? What troubleshooting steps should I try?
1 Answer
A black screen followed by fans running at full speed often points to a graphics-card crash, though the card, power delivery, cables, or drivers could all be involved. Since the power supply was replaced, double-check that every connector is fully seated and that the GPU is using the correct dedicated power cable or adapter for the new PSU—don’t mix modular cables between power supplies. It would also be worth using Display Driver Uninstaller in Safe Mode, then installing a current stable NVIDIA driver. If the issue continues, test the system with another graphics card or use integrated graphics if your processor supports it. A new or carefully handled card can still develop a hardware fault, so age and lack of physical damage don’t completely rule it out.
I was hoping the graphics card wasn’t the cause because it was bought new and has only been used for gaming. It has stayed in the same case for about two years and hasn’t been dropped or bumped. Can it still fail under those conditions?