I recently built a new PC and when I powered it on, it wouldn't boot up to the BIOS screen. I restarted several times but either got a 'no signal' message on my monitor or just a black screen with a text cursor in the top left corner. I've tried various video outputs and even different monitors, plus I reseated the RAM in the correct slots, but nothing worked. When I removed the graphics card, the system posted to the BIOS on the next startup, detecting the CPU, RAM, and SSD. I've tried putting the GPU back in, using a different PCIe slot, but again faced a black screen, although the GPU fans were running, and the RGBs lit up, indicating it was powered.
Now, I'm thinking about testing my new GPU in an older build, but I'm concerned about compatibility issues since that build is 8 years old and could have an insufficient power supply. I could also try placing my old RTX 2080 in the new setup to rule out any issues with the PCIe slots. I find it hard to believe both slots could be defective. Based on these symptoms, I suspect my GPU could be dead. Does anyone have insights or additional ideas? Also, I wonder if I need to update any motherboard drivers for the GPU to function properly?
5 Answers
Just swap in that old RTX 2080. It’s super quick to do and can help you figure out if the issue lies with the new GPU or something else. You’ll know for sure in less than 10 minutes!
If you're seeing that cursor, it suggests the GPU might still be functional. However, it could be that your BIOS simply doesn't support the current GPU. That’s pretty odd, but worth considering.
You could try connecting your new power supply directly to the GPU while keeping the original one powering the rest of the system. It might look a bit messy, but it’s a great way to test if the GPU works without switching everything around.
Oh yeah, that’s a good idea! I’ll give that a shot later. Thanks!
Try to remember Occam's Razor! While a dead GPU is a possibility, there are simpler explanations to consider first, like potential assembly errors. Also, ensure that you’ve plugged in both GPU power connectors directly from the PSU.
Yeah, I double-checked those power connections and reseated them just to be safe.
Make sure you didn’t just switch between different display outputs like HDMI and DisplayPort. Sometimes that makes all the difference!
I did check that, using both HDMI and two different DisplayPorts. No luck with any of them.
That only happened when the monitor was plugged into the motherboard, though. With the GPU out, everything goes to BIOS fine, so could my CPU actually be the issue?