[SOLVED] Computer only boots without graphic errors on its side?! Help!

Sep 11, 2020
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Hello Toms community!

So I bought a used ASRock 970 Extreme Motherboard together with a ASUS HD 6950 Direct CU II graphics card...a bit old I know but I needed to get this PC up and running for streaming.

After building these in a new tower, it worked fine, until some days later, it started to show strange artifacts on the screens when I would boot up....they would go away after reseting. But now,
I had a complete crash....PC has been down for days and I just got it up and running tonight. When it is standing, I get those artifacts on the screens....and then the monitors were not responsive
upon windows sign in. Laying it on its side, it boots and without artifacts.

So is this a faulty graphics card? Or, is it the PCI slot gone bad on the motherboard? I did try it in another PCI slot but had issues there as well, but that may have been caused by something else...its was a very tight fit
at the bottom PCI slot.

How do I know now what I need to replace? Motherboard? Graphics card? What can it be guys and how can I be sure?? I am thinking the card isnt seating properly in the PCI slot or the the slot is bad ...something isnt making
the right connections.
 

Flamebrander

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I'm not sure what you mean by laying it on its side. If you literally just lay it on its side and it works, then you probably have a loose connection from the gpu to the motherboard's pcie slot. This can be easily remedied, just take the gpu out and really make sure you put it in tightly.
 
Sep 11, 2020
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I have taken it out and reseated it several times, but when I stand the tower upright, I get errors or it just doesnt work. Laying on its side means the PC is laying on its side so there is no effect of gravity on the GPU in the PCI slot.
 

Flamebrander

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I have taken it out and reseated it several times, but when I stand the tower upright, I get errors or it just doesnt work. Laying on its side means the PC is laying on its side so there is no effect of gravity on the GPU in the PCI slot.

Ok. The fact that laying it down fixes it means that all your hardware is fully functional, but there is probably something that isn't fitting properly, or something isn't seated correctly. The next step would be to disassemble your PC completely, and reassemble it while making sure that everything is placed correctly. This shouldn't take long. While doing this, check to see if any of your components seem to be damaged in any sort.
 
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Sep 11, 2020
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Is this RAM compatible with my Motherboard?

https://www.amazon.com/Mushkin-9917...N2JDHFWBSSX&psc=1&refRID=AX4G2TPT9N2JDHFWBSSX

https://www.asrock.com/mb/amd/970 extreme4/#Memory

I am really no expert and just getting into building my own PC. I got these Mushkin sticks off Ebay and seemed also to cause some problems and got some motherboard error sound warnings...so I took them back out. I was pairing them with these which came with my system back in 2011.

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/product/B006GCWI6A/ref

I think they should work find together....or am I mistaken??
 
Sep 11, 2020
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So the PC is still laying on its side...I booted it up this morning...and I got all these multi-colored polka dot artifacts on my monitors at first....then they became sporatic....then as the system warmed up..they stopped appearing. So....is this then really a problem with the Graphics Card itself??

I havent torn my system down yet and rebuilt as suggested....because its running for now and I am afraid that if I do that I will be back to square one with a PC that wont work.

I am a total novice guys, but I am trying to learn...so any help would be really appreciated!
 
Sep 11, 2020
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Turned the PC on this morning and still getting the artifacts on the screens..the screens blinking on and off.....seeming to dissipate after the PC has "warmed up" a bit.

Am I dealing with a faulty graphics card here?
 
Sep 11, 2020
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The display may work once you get a 780ti, because your old Radeon may be malfunctional.
Yeah...I just want the PC to be able to stand up straight and have no issues. If I bought another board and cheap card....then that would have been money that I could just put towards a better GPU and CPU....the 780ti and the FX8350
 
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2plash6

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Yeah...I just want the PC to be able to stand up straight and have no issues. If I bought another board and cheap card....then that would have been money that I could just put towards a better GPU and CPU....the 780ti and the FX8350
But you have to check if the video is a problem. Your Phenom processor has integrated graphics, just like what AJNameS said.
Just enable your integrated graphics, and check if there are any problems.
 
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I am pretty new into this stuff so there is so much I do not know. Thanks for that tip James! That will give me something new to test.

But to be honest...my PC is working now and laying on its side and I dont wanna really touch it in fear that it wont start up again. My PC remained off and I didnt touch it even when all this started because I was just so frustrated and didnt know what the problem was.
 
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2plash6

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I am pretty new into this stuff so there is so much I do not know. Thanks for that tip James! That will give me something new to test.

But to be honest...my PC is working now and laying on its side and I dont wanna really touch it in fear that it wont start up again. My PC remained off and I didnt touch it even when all this started because I was just so frustrated and didnt know what the problem was.
So... It's working now?
 
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No I havent done anything yet.....I am collecting this information for when I feel brave enough to touch my PC before I have the replacement GPU. Like I said..I am just really afraid of doing something that will mess it up to where it wont boot again....I went through that a week ago and my PC sat silent for a week because I was just so frustrated with it and didnt know what was wrong with it.
 
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2plash6

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.I went through that a week ago and my PC sat silent for a week because I was just so frustrated with it and didnt know what was wrong with it.
I have had that same feeling for about a year and a half. I tried building a sleeper PC, and it never booted. Not once.
There was absolutely zero signal coming from my display.

I tried everything I can. So I recently was thinking of trying to fix it, and diagnose it, or start up on building a new system.

Coincidentally, I have been recently thinking of getting a 780ti, and upgrading the RAM, and replace some parts.
 

2plash6

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Do you want the regular 780ti or try and find a ASUS ROG Matrix 780 Ti Platinum?
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/grafikkarte-msi-n780-lightning/1550322242-225-4514

But I found the ultra rare unreleased MSI Gtx 780ti Lightning edition in your area.

Only 12 were ever produced and they were given to serious competitive overclockers.

This is cooled better than the matrix platinum, It may be a tad bit worse in performance, but this card is cooled better.

Nevertheless, I can't believe someone is giving this away.