I upgraded my PC a couple of months ago, adding an MSI GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU, and other components. Ever since, I'm facing an annoying problem where the screen randomly goes black, and the GPU fans go into overdrive. This has happened while gaming (like in Cyberpunk 2077) and even while watching YouTube videos. I hear the audio but can't see anything. I've already taken my computer to a repair shop, but they couldn't find anything wrong. I've tried a clean DDU uninstall, updated drivers, and checked cables, but the issue is still around. I don't really know much about hardware, so I'm a bit lost and anxious. Any ideas on how to troubleshoot this?
2 Answers
It sounds frustrating! First off, I’d suggest doing a clean install of Windows; it can help rule out any software-related issues. Given that the problem seems to manifest when your GPU is under load, it could potentially be hardware-related. Just a heads-up, though—if your GPU is running at max fans and the screen goes black, it’s more likely a problem with the GPU itself or possibly a RAM issue, which can be tough to nail down. You might want to stress test your GPU to see if it holds up under pressure, but I hope it's not the case since GPUs can be pricey! Also, keep an eye on your RAM—running Memtest can help diagnose potential problems there.
Hey, before you jump to conclusions, did you update the BIOS on your motherboard after you installed the new GPU? I had a similar issue with my setup, and it turned out the BIOS was outdated. A quick update sorted out my stability problems. Just check what version you’re on and see if there are any updates available.
I think I did update the BIOS, but I can’t be sure. Should I always aim to have the latest BIOS on my motherboard?
I’ll take a shot at reinstalling Windows, although I’ve read that some people already tried it and it didn’t solve their issues. It’s inconsistent; some days it happens multiple times, while other times it’ll be fine for a week. Very confusing!