Hey everyone! I'm usually someone who helps others with PC issues, but I'm really stuck this time. Here's what happened:
On January 22nd, I played on my PC for about 15-30 minutes and shut it down normally. The next day, when I tried to power it on, it got stuck on the 'Press Del/F2 to enter BIOS/UEFI' message for an unusually long 5 minutes. After hitting the Del key multiple times without any response, I forced a shutdown. Now, every time I power on, the fans and hard drives run, the main display gets a signal and powers on, but the screen stays black.
I've tried several troubleshooting steps: using different cables and monitors, connecting directly to the motherboard (no iGPU), disconnecting USB peripherals, resetting the CMOS, checking for motherboard LEDs, and even swapping the GPU back to an older model. I've even checked my RAM configurations and moved them to different slots, with no luck so far.
Right now, I'm considering if there's an issue with the BIOS or PCIe slot, or if the problem lies with the CPU or RAM, but I'm running out of options. Has anyone else experienced something similar? Any ideas on what else I could try to get this system back up and running? Thanks in advance!
5 Answers
When trying to connect directly to your motherboard's video out, ensure you've unplugged the GPU as it might be disabling the onboard video output. Also, test the monitor with another device to rule it out.
Sounds rough! If you've checked everything else, it might be worth visiting a local repair shop to get a second opinion or see if they can reflash your BIOS. Sometimes these things need a professional touch.
Try disconnecting all your SSDs and HDDs, including any external drives, and see if you can access the BIOS/UEFI. Sometimes, faulty drives can cause boot issues.
It sounds like it could be a corrupted BIOS, but since you mentioned you lack the equipment to reflash, perhaps check for any motherboard manuals or support resources online. And don’t overlook the possibility of a PCIe slot issue if the GPU is still acting up.
If you have a spare RAM stick, try swapping it out. Also, it’s a good idea to test your GPU and RAM in another PC to ensure they're functioning properly. If everything checks out there, it might be the motherboard or the CPU that's at fault.
I plan on trying a different RAM stick soon if I can't get past this. Appreciate the advice!
I'll give that a shot, thanks for the tip!