My monitor goes black only when my graphics card is running at higher power. With MSI Afterburner set to 100% power and a Superposition benchmark running, the screen stays black for the entire test, although the computer remains powered on, the fans keep spinning, and the GPU lighting stays on. At an 80% power limit, it goes black two or three times for a second or two. At 70%, the benchmark completes without any black screens. Could this indicate a failing or inadequate power supply, or might the graphics card itself be faulty?
2 Answers
That pattern points to a power-delivery problem, but it doesn’t prove the PSU is the culprit. The PSU, its PCIe cables, the GPU power connectors, or the graphics card itself could all cause this. Reseat the GPU and its power connectors, and check that the connectors are fully inserted. If the PSU has separate PCIe cables available, use those rather than a splitter or daisy-chained connection.
The best way to narrow it down is to test the system with a known-good PSU. A higher-quality replacement with enough capacity for the GPU is preferable; simply buying a higher wattage number does not guarantee it will fix the issue. A good 700 W unit may be sufficient depending on the rest of the system and the card, but follow the GPU manufacturer’s recommendation and choose a reputable model. If the black screens continue with a known-good PSU, the GPU becomes much more suspicious.
My current unit is non-modular, so I can’t swap the PSU-side cables. I’ll inspect and reseat the GPU connections first, then try to borrow or test with another quality PSU before replacing parts.