I just built a new PC with a Gigabyte Gaming X870 motherboard, Ryzen 7700X processor, GeForce 5070 graphics card, and 16GB of Viper RAM. After a fresh install of Windows 11 from a USB drive, everything worked fine during installation. However, once the installation completed and my PC restarted, I'm met with a black screen. Sometimes the cursor shows up or various odd graphics flash on the screen, but usually, it's just black. I can't access the BIOS or any menus, no matter which keys I press during startup—it keeps taking me back to the same black setup screen. I checked that everything is plugged in correctly, even tried multiple displays and different connections to the GPU and motherboard, but nothing seems to work. I'm really at my wits' end here and considering taking it to a shop or just giving up on PC building altogether. Any ideas?
3 Answers
If you still see the black screen after all that, consider starting your PC without any peripherals attached. This can help narrow down the issue. Also, try reseating the graphics card just in case it's not making a good connection. It can be frustrating, but sometimes these things come down to simple physical connections failing.
If reseating the RAM doesn’t do the trick, try pressing Windows Key + Ctrl + Shift + B when you see the black screen. This can sometimes reset the graphics driver. Also, double-check your HDMI connections; make sure they're plugged into the graphics card, not the motherboard. Swapping to a DisplayPort if possible might help too!
Make sure your RAM is seated in the right slots—typically you want them in slots 2 and 4. If you're having issues, try reseating your RAM sticks or testing with just one stick in slot 2. Each motherboard can have different configurations, so check your manual, but it sounds like you're on the right track.
I had the same problem, and my manual didn't help much either. I had to try slot 2 a few times before things worked.
So, which stick should I take out? Do I need to put the single stick in a specific spot? Just trying to make sure I do this right.