I recently bought a Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC and I'm having a frustrating issue where the screen randomly goes black while I'm gaming, even though the audio continues to work. This happens about once a day and the only way to fix it is with a hard reboot. I initially suspected it was a cable issue since the power cable was close to the side panel, but I've tested with three different power cables: the stock octopus adapter, the Corsair 12VHPWR cable, and a CableMod 90-degree cable.
I'm running the card at stock settings, and since it's waterblocked, overheating shouldn't be a problem. My PSU is a Corsair SF1000. I've already tried several troubleshooting steps including using DDU to reinstall both new and old drivers, disabling XMP, and reseating the GPU as well as the power cables.
What else could be wrong? The GPU passes all stress tests without issues, but crashes happen when playing games like Destiny 2, Deadlock, and CS2.
2 Answers
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Can you clarify what you mean by 'computer will lock up'? Does it just sit there in a black screen, or do you lose all control over the mouse and keyboard? Here are a few suggestions that might help:
1. Make sure the GPU power cables are connected properly.
2. Check if your DisplayPort or HDMI cable is securely connected. I've had similar issues due to a loose connection.
3. Try entering the BIOS and see if the screen goes black while you're in there for an extended period. If it does, it might not be OS-related.
4. Consider cleaning the PCI slot and card pins with rubbing alcohol as dirt can cause problems.
5. Rolling back to earlier drivers can sometimes resolve issues too.
By 'locked up,' I mean the screen turns black and nothing responds; I can still hear my friends on Discord, but the keyboard and mouse stop working. I've checked that the GPU power cables are snug and the DisplayPort cable is connected. The screen stays fine when I’m just on Windows or during stress tests, but it crashes when I’m gaming. Cleaning the PCI slot could be tough since it's watercooled, but I'm willing to try anything. I've also been using DDU to manage drivers.