Question Black screens randomly

Ok, so i have an ongoing issue. It started in early 2019 and still persists.
I get random black screens that last for a couple of seconds when doing anything from gaming to forum browsing. It happens more some days than others. Some artifacts and black lines show up just before the black screen happens. It is very random, sometimes I can run perfectly for a week without bugs, but sometimes it will black screen 5 times in 30 seconds. My pc is responsive when the screen is black, I can click on things and type in fields and it seems only my display is killed. Sound also continues to play when the screen is blank, making me think my GPU is to blame.

My system specs (1.5yrs old) are as follows:
MSI B350 Gaming Plus motherboard
AMD Ryzen 3 1200 at 3.7ghz 1.275v
G.skill Ripjaws V 2x4gb 3200mhz ddr4 ram at rated specs.
PNY Nvidia Geforce GTX 1050 2gb with drivers from late February. Overclocked +100 core +575 Mem
Corsair cx550m 550watt PSU
Windows 10 PRO 64bit
BenQ GW2270 1080p 60hz VA monitor connected using HDMI female to DVI male.

I have installed different gpu drivers, no difference.
I have removed the stable CPU and GPU overclocks, no difference.
I have used a DVI cable and an HDMI to DVI cable with the same results.
I even tried tearing the video card down and making it dust free and as good as new, no difference
CPU and GPU are cool in games. GPU and cpu run in the high 40c range in TF2, not the most demanding but the black screens still happen sometimes in tf2.
The monitor doesn't do this when i use my laptop plugged into it over VGA, so i think its my pc.
 
I have reset my GPU clocks but I still have black screens, just less commonly making me think my GPU is having issues. My power limit is still at 100%, temp limit at 83c, stock core and memory, and auto fan speed, but yet the black screens continue. I checked it right after a black screen and nothing new shows up in reliability history.
This is a new thread since my old thread from January hadn't been responded to for a while when i started this thread. There is more info there that you may need to help me.
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/about-every-30-seconds-my-screen-goes-blank.3425698/
It has black screened 2 times while editing this thread alone.
I am thinking about rma my gpu, but i broke a warranty sticker taking the cooler off to dust the card last weak.
I know about right to repair laws, but its not worth anything over a gtx 1050.
 
Last edited:

iMatty

Reputable
Mar 14, 2019
1,211
141
5,390
So i have read your post, i had similar problem to yours but not as much as blacking out every 30 secs.
So my problem was, i was using an adapter from VGA to HDMI, and my screen started going black and colors were also wrong.
I though my GPU was dying, but i decided to change to a TV or something that has an HDMI port so i dont have to use the adapter.
And what do you know? it worked just fine, so i decided to buy a new screen that has an HDMI input/output and changed the wire to a better HDMI wire.
If that didnt help you then i dont really know what else it will help.
Hope i gave some feedback to your problem.

And about your RMA question, as long you ripped that sticker off or damaged it, then you have voided your warranty, they would fix your GPU but they'll charge you more for the stick damaging, thats what i read a few time.
 

iMatty

Reputable
Mar 14, 2019
1,211
141
5,390
Just contact them and see what they'll say, there's no other way to be 100% accurate if they didn't say anything about it.
I never dealt with PNY, its either corsair or EVGA both had an amazing customer service and a fast replay time.
 

iMatty

Reputable
Mar 14, 2019
1,211
141
5,390
If they charged you more than the card it self just throw it and buy a new one instead, its better to not waste your money on it.
You can get a Zotac Mini 1050TI 4gb for 170$ on amazon right now.
Better value for your money if they charged a lot.
 

iMatty

Reputable
Mar 14, 2019
1,211
141
5,390
Well for the amount you'll be paying the RX 570 is much faster than that 1050 then.
Just see what they'll say and if they made you pay for a full repair then screw it and buy the rx570 much worth it.
 
Just talked to PNY, I asked if overclocking a gtx 1050 would void the warranty. They said it wouldn't if you used their software. I used afterburner but I would say that shouldn't void the 3-year warranty which is only half up.
They did say taking off the shroud voids the warranty, so I don't know what to do. I would like to RMA the card, but I don't want them to charge me if they see the stickers ripped when they get it.
 

iMatty

Reputable
Mar 14, 2019
1,211
141
5,390
Just talked to PNY, I asked if overclocking a gtx 1050 would void the warranty. They said it wouldn't if you used their software. I used afterburner but I would say that shouldn't void the 3-year warranty which is only half up.
They did say taking off the shroud voids the warranty, so I don't know what to do. I would like to RMA the card, but I don't want them to charge me if they see the stickers ripped when they get it.

So i found this on their website policy thing:
  1. Customer Convenience and Customer Error Returns shall be subject to restocking charges of (5%).
  2. All Customer Error or Customer Convenience Returns will be carefully inspected prior to restocking. Any product that is not suitable for restocking will be returned to the Customer, at Customer’s expense, without credit.
No idea how much is 5% but that's what i found after a quick search.
 
I called a rep. They said if I was to RMA the card and they were to see that the card had been dismantled then they would reject the RMA and send it back. I asked about replacing it for a fee and he said they would just reject any RMA so I would have to buy a new one :(
 

iMatty

Reputable
Mar 14, 2019
1,211
141
5,390
They shouldn't really be rejecting an RMA just because it was dismantled, a lot of people dismantle their graphic cards for a lot of reasons, some of them for watercooling and other for cleaning them.
None the less, its not worth to waste your time on it, just buy that RX 570 instead, it'll be better and worth your time more.
 
Well, I'm going to use the card as is and try to ignore the black screens since they are less common with no GPU overclock, however, they are still there. I may wait for AMD at Computex but maybe just buy a used 570 and sell the GTX 1050 as slightly faulty. I have a lot to think about...
I just hope it doesn't get so bad I can't use the card since I have no IGPU at all.
 

iMatty

Reputable
Mar 14, 2019
1,211
141
5,390
Well you can try and sell the card for cheap yeah, but i would never recommand buying a second hand graphic card.
A lot of stuff can go wrong that.
The card might also not be treated well and might be used for mining 24/7.

So before buying used do some research and ask the seller for more information and such.
 
Evga Midweek madness has this for $159. It is refurbished from the looks.
EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC GAMING, 06G-P4-6163-RX, 6GB GDDR5, ACX 2.0 (Single Fan)
  • 1607MHz Base Clock
  • 1835MHz Boost Clock
  • 128.6GT/s Texture Fill Rate
  • 6144MB GDDR5 Memory
  • 8008MHz Memory Clock
  • 192.2GB/s Memory Bandwidth
FREE Standard Shipping on this item for a Limited Time
They even have a 2070 for $439