Question Blue Screen only when GPU is installed.

[totesmygoats]

Hi, question that I hope can be fixed without replacing my GPU.

A while ago, my desktop blue screened and when I looked into the error message, it was due to the harddrive. It was an old HDD that was in need of being replaced, so I ordered a new SSD and purchased another windows 10 key and went ahead with installing the new SSD and windows. Upon launching windows, my computer would restart a few times and then give me the "windows didn't load correctly" blue screen. Eventually, I was able to get the computer to boot windows in safe mode, but this eventually failed while I was installing drivers and sent me to the same blue screen. I started pulling pieces of hardware out and low and behold, the PC runs fine on integrated graphics, only blue screening when I install and try to run my GPU.

Any possible fixes are greatly appreciated.

Hardware is old, as I built this PC ages ago (I want to say 2014) but has been absolutely bulletproof until now.
Motherboard: Asus ROG Hero 7
CPU: i7 4790k
GPU: Evga 780 SC 6gb vram
PS: Evga 850w G2
Ram: Cant remember exactly but its 16gb of corsair vengeance.

 

[Lutfij]

If your OS was installed while you were on the Asus ROG board + the HDD, then the license key is tethered to the BIOS chip, meaning only if you change the BIOS chip or if you swap the board out, is when the license key gets wiped. Where did you source the installer for your OS? Can you remain in BIOS indefinitely with your discrete GPU? While here, can you check and see what BIOS version you're on?

How old is the PSU in your build? 2014? If so, you will need to source a PSU that's the same wattage and build quality as the EVGA, the issue you spoke of is akin to a PSU incapable of delivering power to your entire system.

 

[rolli59]

Would be nice if it was the PSU which is well over sized and comes with 10 year warranty!
When installing windows was the SSD only drive in the computer?
Can you try your GPU in a different computer?

 

[totesmygoats]

Thanks for the quick responses, you guys are awesome!

-New copy of windows was installed with only the SSD installed. The old HDD hasn't been connected at all.

- I have been able to enter bios with the GPU and while I haven't tried to stay for an extended period within the BIOS, it's never crashed on me from BIOS. Only seems to crash either while starting windows or maybe 2 minutes after it boots to my desktop.
I will reboot the PC with the GPU reinstalled and get back to you with BIOS version info and see if I can last 10 or so minutes within the BIOS without blue screen.

-Yes, this does seem like some sort of power supply issue but I made sure to go decently oversized for my hardware when I originally built this computer. Would the PSU be strained with the SSD over the HDD, that is the only change that has been made to this computer.

-I can try inserting my GPU into a friend's PC and see if that works but the soonest I can try that is in several days.

 

[rolli59]

Thanks for the quick responses, you guys are awesome!

-New copy of windows was installed with only the SSD installed. The old HDD hasn't been connected at all.

- I have been able to enter bios with the GPU and while I haven't tried to stay for an extended period within the BIOS, it's never crashed on me from BIOS. Only seems to crash either while starting windows or maybe 2 minutes after it boots to my desktop.
I will reboot the PC with the GPU reinstalled and get back to you with BIOS version info and see if I can last 10 or so minutes within the BIOS without blue screen.

-Yes, this does seem like some sort of power supply issue but I made sure to go decently oversized for my hardware when I originally built this computer. Would the PSU be strained with the SSD over the HDD, that is the only change that has been made to this computer.

-I can try inserting my GPU into a friend's PC and see if that works but the soonest I can try that is in several days.

I suspect your GPU rather than the PSU since it is 850 watts in a system that does not brake 500 watt load the SSD or HDD does not matter. Run it on IGP and test your GPU when you have a chance.
What code did you get to determine the HDD was bad?

 

[totesmygoats]

So the computer is totally stable in BIOS. The version is 1104 x64 or 2.16.1240. I was able to install the GPU drivers from NVIDIA fine and the computer also seems to be stable in safe mode with networking as I am writing this with the PC with GPU installed.

I cannot remember which error message it was, but when I had googled it all results pointed towards the harddrive being the issue. It was a menacing sounding error name haha. I'll try to do some google searching and see if I can find it somewhere.

 

[rolli59]

So the computer is totally stable in BIOS. The version is 1104 x64 or 2.16.1240. I was able to install the GPU drivers from NVIDIA fine and the computer also seems to be stable in safe mode with networking as I am writing this with the PC with GPU installed.

I cannot remember which error message it was, but when I had googled it all results pointed towards the harddrive being the issue. It was a menacing sounding error name haha. I'll try to do some google searching and see if I can find it somewhere.

In safe mode you are only using the 2d part of your GPU on win default driver. It is not until windows loads normal that the card runs on the Nvidia 3d drivers.

 

[totesmygoats]

Understood. That makes sense.

I was recommended by a friend to try using a program called DDU to clean any graphics and audio drivers that may be old and interfering with anything. Upon using that program in safe mode with networking to clean and restart my PC, I’m able to load windows normally for about a minute or two until the computer restarts and sends me back to the same blue screen.

Does this info help in diagnosing what might be the issue?