I found an old PC I used for school and it's been sitting unused for years. I wanted to turn it into a gaming rig, so I installed a graphics card that I got from a coworker. However, when I plugged it in, nothing displayed through any of the outputs. I removed the graphics card, and the PC worked fine again. The GPU fan spins, so I think it might just be improperly installed or faulty. I just lost motivation after that, but I'm ready to figure it out or know what I need to buy to make it work. I couldn't find the power cord for the PC, but I'm planning to buy one today. I'll also add pictures of what appears on the screen when I try to use it.
2 Answers
First things first, you should identify and list all the major components of your PC: the motherboard, CPU, graphics card, RAM, and power supply (if possible, note the exact model or at least the brand and wattage). If the graphics card is functioning properly, the issue might be that your power supply is inadequate for the GPU's needs.
Are you saying you installed the graphics card but didn't plug in any power cord to it? Usually, there should be at least a 4-pin connector for older models or a 6-pin connector for newer ones going into the GPU. Without that, it won’t work properly. Also, make sure you’re not trying to force anything—if you boot up without power going to the GPU, it could cause more issues. What make and model is the GPU, and what’s your power supply rated at?
I'm not sure about the exact model, but I know it’s something like a 1050. I didn’t realize it needed a power cord—I thought just snapping it in place was good enough!