My Computer Won't Boot After Upgrading GPU

[bleep]

System Specs:

• CPU - Ryzen 3900X
• MoBo - Asus Prime X570 P
• Memory - G.Skill FlareX 32 GB (2x16 GB) (Part: F4-3200C14D-32GFX)
• Storage - 500 GB WD Black NVMe Black SSD
• GPU - EVGA 2080 Super
• PSU - EVGA SuperNOVA 750 GA (750 Watt, 80+ Gold)
• OS - Windows 10 Pro

 

The Problem:

 

So today my new graphics card arrived. It's a 2080 Super, and I was upgrading from a 2080 (I only pulled the trigger on this because it was priced lower than my 2080, which was still within the return window). I plugged in the 2080 Super and booted to Windows like normal. GeForce Experience recognized the new GPU and suggested I install new drivers. I went through the normal installation process, opting for a clean install too. I was then prompted to restart my computer, which I did. Except, nothing came up on screen. I thankfully had Windows Remote Desktop set up and was able to control my computer from there. It looked like normal, except GeForce Experience was already open, and it was prompting me to install drivers again (like it had failed to install the first time?). Getting nervous by this point, I opted for the express install this time. After this was over, GeForce Experience did not prompt me to restart, it just said "installation complete". I still had no output, so I tried to reboot my machine once more. Only now, when it powered on, all the fans blasted 100% and wouldn't stop. I waited a few minutes and got nothing on the screen, no BIOS, no Windows. I tried rebooting a couple times, and nothing fixed it. It won't boot to Windows so I can't remote in, and my CPU doesn't have integrated graphics, so I can't bypass the GPU. When I power on my machine, the monitor flashes on for a brief moment and then goes back into standby, displaying nothing. I'm stuck with not a clue what I can try next. I would appreciate any help!

 

What I've Tried:

• I removed the GPU and re-seated it
• I tried using a different DisplayPort output on the card
• I tried swapping back to my old 2080. (I also have a 980 sitting around somewhere that I will try soon too in-case using a different series card will make a difference)
• I have opened a support ticket with EVGA

 

P.S. - I am hesitant to clear my CMOS because the last time I did, BIOS stopped recognizing my NVMe drive as bootable, I made a post about it here.

[m9x3mos]

Try booting into safe mode and see if the screen comes up. They will allow you to try a clean ddu of the driver and install again. 

[bleep]

27 minutes ago, m9x3mos said:

Try booting into safe mode and see if the screen comes up. They will allow you to try a clean ddu of the driver and install again. 

I cannot even get into Windows at this point. I wouldn't even have the first clue how to get into safe mode if it's not booting to an OS. Without a screen it's hard to know how far the computer makes it into the boot process. I don't even know if it is POST-ing successfully. My keyboard's num-lock, caps-lock, scroll-lock buttons seem to light the indicator LED's. Is that evidence it is POST-ing successfully?

[m9x3mos]

Not always. Do you even see the bios screen or can get in the bios?

If you can't see that, then the driver isn't the problem. 

Did it work right with the old graphics card? 

Might try another pcie slot.

And also hdmi if you can. 

[bleep]

17 minutes ago, m9x3mos said:

Not always. Do you even see the bios screen or can get in the bios?

If you can't see that, then the driver isn't the problem. 

Did it work right with the old graphics card? 

Might try another pcie slot.

And also hdmi if you can. 

Ok I've got something, after a lot of rebooting, trying new configurations, I got into Windows with HDMI. I cannot use DisplayPort though, I get no signal from that. But I can at least get into Windows now. Think a clean driver installation could help here?

 

EDIT:

Well, after one more reboot, things got worse. Now when it turns on the fans spool up to 100% and stay that way... just like before. No BIOS, no Windows.

Edited April 30, 2020 by bleep
It broke again...

[bleep]

Gonna try clearing CMOS despite how it turned out last time. Hopefully I can at least get a consistent POST.

 

EDIT:

I'm in to Windows over HDMI on my old GPU now. I don't dare try any other configurations for fear I can't get back into Windows. I am going to attempt a clean install of the 2080 Super drivers and hope I get through the process unharmed. Will update when something happens.

 

EDIT2:

Ok with the correct drivers and the 2080 Super in, I get no signal when using DisplayPort but I DO get signal when I use HDMI. So, that leaves the question, wtf is making it so I can't use DP? Could it be a bad cable? It was working fine until I updated drivers/cards. Any thoughts anyone has here would be most-helpful.

[BTGbullseye]

4 hours ago, bleep said:

EDIT2:

Ok with the correct drivers and the 2080 Super in, I get no signal when using DisplayPort but I DO get signal when I use HDMI. So, that leaves the question, wtf is making it so I can't use DP? Could it be a bad cable? It was working fine until I updated drivers/cards. Any thoughts anyone has here would be most-helpful.

Could be a bad cable, or a bad port on either the monitor or GPU, or something seriously wrong in the drivers, or a seriously damaged GPU... There are many possibilities.

 

I'd start by switching ports on the GPU and monitor if possible, and then switching cables if those don't change anything. Might want to do a BIOS update as well.

[m9x3mos]

12 hours ago, bleep said:

Gonna try clearing CMOS despite how it turned out last time. Hopefully I can at least get a consistent POST.

 

EDIT:

I'm in to Windows over HDMI on my old GPU now. I don't dare try any other configurations for fear I can't get back into Windows. I am going to attempt a clean install of the 2080 Super drivers and hope I get through the process unharmed. Will update when something happens.

 

EDIT2:

Ok with the correct drivers and the 2080 Super in, I get no signal when using DisplayPort but I DO get signal when I use HDMI. So, that leaves the question, wtf is making it so I can't use DP? Could it be a bad cable? It was working fine until I updated drivers/cards. Any thoughts anyone has here would be most-helpful.

So dp wasn't working on the previous card? 

That might be a bad cable or something with the monitor then. Austin Evans had a problem with display port cable being bad causing a computer to reboot and not work. Jay had an issue to. 

[bleep]

SOLVED

 

Appreciate the help so far. I tried three different cards in the same system, and on all of them, HDMI worked, but DP did not. Next I tried the three cards in another PC connected to the monitor. Again HDMI worked, DP didn't. This suggested to me that the issue was either the cable, or the monitor.

 

Thankfully I had another DP capable monitor elsewhere in the house, with another DP cable. I tried first swapping the cable, hoping it would be a bad cable (cheaper to replace), but again the problem persisted. So then I swapped for a different monitor, just to confirm, and it worked with the old cable on a new monitor.

 

Fearing for my wallet, I put everything back to the way it was before, just hoping something would work now, and I wouldn't need a new monitor. And to my surprise, it all worked again. Not a clue what was causing the problems, but after I swapped monitors, cables, cards, and computers, something must've been the right combination of things changing to make the old monitor start to behave again. Still no clue why it wouldn't boot to windows without a working DP output, but I'm just going to laugh nervously and pretend like everything is working fine now.

 

Again thanks for the help sorting through the troubleshooting steps!

 

 

[BTGbullseye]

14 hours ago, bleep said:

Not a clue what was causing the problems, but after I swapped monitors, cables, cards, and computers, something must've been the right combination of things changing to make the old monitor start to behave again. Still no clue why it wouldn't boot to windows without a working DP output, but I'm just going to laugh nervously and pretend like everything is working fine now.

Sometimes, that's just how it goes. Glad you got it working.