Dead graphics card or faulty motherboard?

Lee Davies · 13 Mar 2011 at 14:31

Last night I was playing Warcraft when suddenly my computer flicked off. Thinking of it as a brief power cut (had a few, recently), and as a sign I should go to a party, I left it.

I wake up this morning and nothing is being displayed on either monitor. Power is getting through to them, and the computer itself does seem to be starting up judging by hard drive sounds.

is it the graphics card? Or is it the motherboard?

Motherboard: Asus P6T SE Intel x58
Graphics card: XFX 7800 GT, 256mb

The card is long overdue an upgrade anyway, and was going to order one, but if it's a problem with the motherboard then I don't want to risk damaging a new card!

Had anyone had a similar experience?

Lee Davies · 13 Mar 2011 at 14:32

The motherboard also had on-board chip to test the monitors..

Surveyor · 13 Mar 2011 at 14:40

Lee Davies said:
The motherboard also had on-board chip to test the monitors..

Err... No it doesn't.

The OP needs to test their graphics card in another PC or another graphics card in their PC.

Or they can try putting their graphics card in a different PCI-E slot and see if that works.

DrBombcrater · 13 Mar 2011 at 14:51

Lee Davies said:
The card is long overdue an upgrade anyway, and was going to order one, but if it's a problem with the motherboard then I don't want to risk damaging a new card!

Given that your graphics card is so old and of a type known to be prone to failure, that's the most likely culprit. If the motherboard had suffered a problem with its PCI-e bus you wouldn't be hearing startup sounds.

Lee Davies · 16 Mar 2011 at 20:32

Ok, so the card arrived and I've installed it.

But still my computer doesn't work.

The card needs two power connectors, one of which I have from my old graphics card, another I used a molex adapter for. that is ok, right? The fan on the card is on, so I guess so?

I have a Asus P6T SE Intel X58 (Socket 1366).

Please help, I've been four days without a computer now

Lee Davies · 16 Mar 2011 at 20:38

Sorry! should have said what card!

EVGA GeForce GTX 570

hybrid572 · 16 Mar 2011 at 20:40

What PSU do you have? What graphics card did you buy?

Lee Davies · 16 Mar 2011 at 20:49

PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 700w
Graphics card: EVGA GeForce GTX 570

RJC · 16 Mar 2011 at 20:55

Were you overclocked at all, try a CMOS reset and remove all ram bar one stick and then test each one individually.

Lee Davies · 16 Mar 2011 at 21:05

Nope, no over clocking.

Just tried each memory stick, still nothing

Lee Davies · 18 Mar 2011 at 17:49

So after buying a molex splitter, thinking it to be a power issue, the card seems to work as the fan/exhaust comes on very, very loudly.

But still nothing on the monitors

carlazai · 18 Mar 2011 at 20:11

I am having exact same problem but with a different gfx card. I have no idea what on earth could have happened to stop the pc from displaying an image.