Computer boots up, but the monitor light keeps blinking and doesn't show a display.

[gman_97]

Specs:
MOBO: GA-B150M-DS3H
CPU: Inter Core i3-6100 3,7Ghz
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1050 TI 4GB
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4-2133Mhz
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200RPM 64MB
PSU: Seasonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze

As I said in the title, the computer boots up normally, but the monitor light keeps blinking without showing any sort of display. This usually fixes itself after some waiting, but it gradually got worse. One day, it refused to show up no matter how long I waited, and it even refused to boot at some point. The booting sequence got fixed after I removed one RAM stick, but the monitor did not display anything yet again. I removed my GPU and used the integrated graphics instead, and I got it to work. I thought that maybe the GPU died, but it actually didn't. I reset the BIOS settings, placed the GPU and the "dead" RAM stick back in, everything worked flawlessly after that. Just yesterday I was able to play games normally and use my computer without any errors. And this morning, the blinking came back, but it got fixed as soon as the windows loading screen showed up. I'm afraid that the same story would repeat itself, so I came here to ask for help. What could be the cause of this? I'm thinking it's the CMOS battery, but I'd like to hear about other causes as well. Please take note that it's not the monitor's fault. I tried it on a different computer and it powered up just fine. Should also mention that the build is exactly 2 months old. Thanks in advance!

 

[Max1s]

Hmmmm.... Sounds like time for some process of elimination work.

Firstly, when you say that the monitor is "blinking", this just means that it's powered on but it's asleep, right? Like a slow red light blinking that will turn green when it gets an input, or something like that?

Can you try to recreate the problem with the integrated graphics? Then we could be sure that it's not the graphics card. Also, try a different cable. (Are you using any cheap DVI/VGA/HDMI adapters?)

What kind of a monitor is this? If it's a backlit LCD it could be something like the high-voltage inverter boards dying...

 

[gman_97]

Hmmmm.... Sounds like time for some process of elimination work.

Firstly, when you say that the monitor is "blinking", this just means that it's powered on but it's asleep, right? Like a slow red light blinking that will turn green when it gets an input, or something like that?

Can you try to recreate the problem with the integrated graphics? Then we could be sure that it's not the graphics card. Also, try a different cable. (Are you using any cheap DVI/VGA/HDMI adapters?)

What kind of a monitor is this? If it's a backlit LCD it could be something like the high-voltage inverter boards dying...

1. Yes, it's just like you said. The monitor is powered on, but something is interrupting the signal, making the light go on and off. Here's what I did: I booted the computer with the integrated graphics and the monitor did in fact turn on, but only after I reached the login screen. Usually, I'd be able to see everything beforehand. After leaving it with the integrated graphics for 5 minutes, I changed to the dedicated GPU and it turned on straight away (otherwise it wouldn't).

2. The monitor is a 10+-year old 4:3 (1280x1024) LCD monitor. I'm using a cheap DVI-D to VGA adapter. It is this one. I'm almost sure the monitor is still in good shape as I had tested it on a laptop and it didn't show any problems.

 

[gman_97]

Okay, today was a nightmare. I did so many things just to get a display, and right now I don't even know how I got it to work. Here's something I'd like to note: When connecting my monitor to the computer, the "connected/disconnected" sound constantly repeats itself. Is this a sign of a dying monitor/cable? The same sound can be heard whenever I plug the monitor to either of the GPU or Integrated Graphics. I also tried the monitor on the laptop and the problem still persisted (though then I got it to work after a while, but it was much harder on the computer). I somehow got it to work after constantly removing and plugging the cable back in, but it only worked after plugging it to the Integrated Graphics. After I got a display, I plugged the cable to the GPU and it worked...

 

[gman_97]

Monitor died, changed it and it works fine.

 

[Max1s]

Sorry, just got back from a short vacation. Glad you sorted it out. I remember taking a PC apart and getting super confused after a 2 year old LED 1080p monitor died on me. For some reason, it would only work at 480p. Took it back to the store and got a new one. The guys said they'd never seen a monitor that new fail like that before. Go figure.