PC screen goes black and does not respond with GPU connected. (Update: It's the GPU)

[bramturismo]

Hello everyone,

 

A couple of days ago, my pc crashed without warning about a minute after I got into a game. This has never happened before.

 

My screen turned grey, and even though the pc stayed on, there was nothing it responded to. So I had to force shut it off. After this, my pc would not boot up into windows anymore. It would continuously get into a loop of “pc could not start up properly, attempt to restart”.

 

Upon choosing “continue to windows 10”, the pc would show BSOD with the error “inaccessible booting device”.

 

I have tried to revert some updates, but nothing worked. I even decided to do a fresh install, but even during a fresh windows install, it gives me the error that the pc was restarted during the install process, and the windows install failed.

 

I can access the BIOS, but that’s pretty much it. I am assuming my HDD failed...

 

My system is old (Core i5 4670k, ASUS Gene VII mobo, GTX 780), but it ran all my games without issue, so it always got the job done.

 

Now I don’t know what the best option here is. Do I buy an SSD to replace my HDD? At this point I will probably have to buy a fresh copy of windows since my HDD is inaccessible and I don’t have a physical copy laying around. Is it worth the combined cost to save such an old system though?

 

Do I just try and sell some parts and buy an entirely new system? Or do I even opt to switch to Apple refurbished systems since both me and my girlfriend use a lot of Adobe programs for our photography and graphic design related courses and work?

 

What would you guys do in my situation? I would have bought a new system, if it weren’t for the ridiculously high GPU prices.

 

Greetings!

[Indian pc builder]

6 minutes ago, bramturismo said:

Hello everyone,

 

A couple of days ago, my pc crashed without warning about a minute after I got into a game. This has never happened before.

 

My screen turned grey, and even though the pc stayed on, there was nothing it responded to. So I had to force shut it off. After this, my pc would not boot up into windows anymore. It would continuously get into a loop of “pc could not start up properly, attempt to restart”.

 

Upon choosing “continue to windows 10”, the pc would show BSOD with the error “inaccessible booting device”.

 

I have tried to revert some updates, but nothing worked. I even decided to do a fresh install, but even during a fresh windows install, it gives me the error that the pc was restarted during the install process, and the windows install failed.

 

I can access the BIOS, but that’s pretty much it. I am assuming my HDD failed...

 

My system is old (Core i5 3670k, ASUS Gene V mobo, GTX 780), but it ran all my games without issue, so it always got the job done.

 

Now I don’t know what the best option here is. Do I buy an SSD to replace my HDD? At this point I will probably have to buy a fresh copy of windows since my HDD is inaccessible and I don’t have a physical copy laying around. Is it worth the combined cost to save such an old system though?

 

Do I just try and sell some parts and buy an entirely new system? Or do I even opt to switch to Apple refurbished systems since both me and my girlfriend use a lot of Adobe programs for our photography and graphic design related courses and work?

 

What would you guys do in my situation? I would have bought a new system, if it weren’t for the ridiculously high GPU prices.

 

Greetings!

the system seems reliable enough, i suggest just buy a sata ssd, and call microsoft to have your windows licence reset (assuming it is linked to your account), that is the best idea. also another idea would be to buy a cheap sata to usb cable and plugging your hdd into another computer to see if it is really the problem or if it is the mobo

[bramturismo]

46 minutes ago, Indian pc builder said:

the system seems reliable enough, i suggest just buy a sata ssd, and call microsoft to have your windows licence reset (assuming it is linked to your account), that is the best idea. also another idea would be to buy a cheap sata to usb cable and plugging your hdd into another computer to see if it is really the problem or if it is the mobo

Thanks for your reply!

It is very strange, because in the BIOS my mobo is recognised, and when booting the code A0 is shown, which leads me to believe everything is fine with the mobo. If I plug in the HDD, I hear it’s turning on, but when booting nothing is happening.

 

I will search for an SSD, they cost very little these days.

 

[bramturismo]

UPDATE:

 

So, I installed an SSD, and re-installed Windows from a USB drive.

Windows installation went okay. It re-booted once in the proces for no apparent reason, but after the installation it ran fine.

PC boots ready in a couple of seconds now. However, after downloading and trying to run the latest nVidia Game Experience software for my GPU, it goes back to its old woes.

It goes back into the screen becoming black, but there's still an input signal to the monitor. After a while, the signal is gone but the PC does not respond to anything.

 

Is it possibly my GPU being out-of-date for the new nvidia software?

 

I am typing this now from the PC, after having removed the GPU from the system. It again booted fine in just a few seconds.

 

Weird... The problem did start in the first place by my PC freezing/crashing while playing a game. Although I'm aware of the Game Experience installing new software last week.

 

Should I try and install an older driver for my GPU? 

[Mattias Edeslatt]

28 minutes ago, bramturismo said:

PC boots ready in a couple of seconds now. However, after downloading and trying to run the latest nVidia Game Experience software for my GPU, it goes back to its old woes.

Well, the latest supported driver for the GTX 780 according to nVidia is from 2019.

 

The latest driver from nVidia doesn't support your card:

GEFORCE GAME READY DRIVER
 Version:    511.23  WHQL
Release Date:    2022.1.14
Operating System:    Windows 10 64-bit, Windows 11
Language:    English (US)
File Size:    797.13 MB

GeForce 700 Series:
GeForce GTX 750 Ti, GeForce GTX 750, GeForce GTX 745

 

Latest driver that supports GTX 780:

GEFORCE GAME READY DRIVER

 

Version:    472.12  WHQL Release Date:    2021.9.20 Operating System:    Windows 10 64-bit, Windows 11 Language:    English (US) File Size:    722.87 MB GeForce 700 Series: GeForce GTX 780 Ti, GeForce GTX 780, GeForce GTX 770, GeForce GTX 760, GeForce GTX 760 Ti (OEM), GeForce GTX 750 Ti, GeForce GTX 750, GeForce GTX 745, GeForce GT 740, GeForce GT 730, GeForce GT 720, GeForce GT 710

[bramturismo]

19 minutes ago, Mattias Edeslatt said:

 

Alright, thanks for the input!

 

Assuming the software is already on my GPU since it wouldn't boot with the GPU plugged in, is there any way how to revert the software on the GPU?

[Mattias Edeslatt]

3 minutes ago, bramturismo said:

Alright, thanks for the input!

 

Assuming the software is already on my GPU since it wouldn't boot with the GPU plugged in, is there any way how to revert the software on the GPU?

Drivers is not stored on the GPU. You need to start windows for the driver to even start loading. You don't need a driver to get display output. 

[bramturismo]

Alright, deleted all GeForce software from the PC. Plugged the GPU back in and boots up fine.

I'll try an older software and see what gives.

[bramturismo]

100% it's the GPU.

Uninstalled everything nVidia related on the PC, connected the GPU, boots without problem.

I installed the old 436 driver, and it does the exact same thing where it just will not boot.

Very weird since I've been using those older drivers for years now...