Question Display freezes on Boot Screen ?

[amitToms]

I'm encountering an issue with my graphics card setup and could really use some assistance troubleshooting.
I have a msi gtx750ti with intel dh77eb motherboard and intel i7-3770

The problem arises with one specific graphics card in my system. It performs flawlessly in one PC but fails to function properly in another. I have another graphics card that works fine in both systems.

Here's the scenario: When I power on the problematic PC, I can see the display, but it freezes on the boot menu selection screen, when I can choose to enter bios or select a boot device. It won't progress further until I force shut it down.

I've attempted several fixes, including connecting a different monitor to rule out display issues.

Interestingly, after setting the BIOS to always enable the integrated graphics alongside the discrete card, I noticed that if I disconnect the cable between the graphics card and the monitor before I turn on the computer, the computer makes 2 beeps (which means problem with video) and after some time I reconnect the cable between the card and monitor, the PC suddenly boots up correctly, but it takes more time. The PC correctly identifies the graphics card.

What could be causing this problem, and how can I resolve it so that I don't have to disconnect and reconnect the cable every time I boot up?

 

[Aeacus]

What could be causing this problem, and how can I resolve it so that I don't have to disconnect and reconnect the cable every time I boot up?

When GTX 750 Ti doesn't work in one build, then it is GPU issue. If the issue would be with PCI-E x16 slot, then the 2nd GPU you tried wouldn't work in the i7-3770 build either.

To not disconnect and connect monitor cable from PC every time, 2 options:
1. New GPU that is known to work.
2. No GPU in the system, instead monitor is hooked to MoBo and you're using iGPU inside the CPU (Intel HD Graphics 4000).

 

[amitToms]

When GTX 750 Ti doesn't work in one build, then it is GPU issue. If the issue would be with PCI-E x16 slot, then the 2nd GPU you tried wouldn't work in the i7-3770 build either.

To not disconnect and connect monitor cable from PC every time, 2 options:
1. New GPU that is known to work.
2. No GPU in the system, instead monitor is hooked to MoBo and you're using iGPU inside the CPU (Intel HD Graphics 4000).

But the GPU works after reconnect the cable, so it is working. Also the GTX 750 Ti works perfect on another system, so how can it be GPU issue?

 

[Aeacus]

But the GPU works after reconnect the cable

Sound GPU works even without disconnecting and reconnecting the monitor cable.

It could be the display output port issue, it could be display cable issue or monitor issue. So, test with 2nd, cable and monitor as well, to be sure. But if no luck and you have to "initialize" the connection every single time, it comes down to GPU.

You tested with 2nd GPU in the i7-3770 system, right? Did it had the same issue as your GTX 750 Ti? No, it did not.

 

[amitToms]

Sound GPU works even without disconnecting and reconnecting the monitor cable.

It could be the display output port issue, it could be display cable issue or monitor issue. So, test with 2nd, cable and monitor as well, to be sure. But if no luck and you have to "initialize" the connection every single time, it comes down to GPU.

You tested with 2nd GPU in the i7-3770 system, right? Did it had the same issue as your GTX 750 Ti? No, it did not.

I already tried with two monitors and two different output in the card (one is the VGA and another is the DVI) without luck.
Also after I manage to start the computer with the card (with the cable reconnect process) I run a stress test on the GPU and it works perfectly without artifacts and with low temperature.

 

[boju]

What's the other graphics card and motherboard?

Looking through dh77eb manual looks like you can change pcie gen, what happens if you change it to gen 2?

The card eventually works, im wondering why you're getting beep codes relating to video card detection when video cable isn't connected, that's not how the error beep system should work I'd imagine? Makes me wonder if your 750ti requires external power and if not, is there any information on wattage delivered by the pcie slot written anywhere near the slot? It should be 75w but i can't find technical information or clear enough images to confirm. Hopefully it's printed on board near the slot.

 

[Aeacus]

Asked around and got this response:

For the boot process, the first thing done by the CPU under control of BIOS code is to run initialization self-diagnostic types of routines on all devices capable, such as on-board video chips and audio chip, RAM modules, Controller chips for HDD's, USB, add-on video card, etc. Many of these devices, in their own POST routines, will also make similar inquiries of their connected devices like the HDD's themselves, so their final report to the main board includes whether or not all those devices are working properly. If the answer is Yes for ALL, then the mobo can complete its initialization process. At that stage it CAN use the video output device to display simple messages, and for this it needs no "video driver" since it uses only a limited set of instructions that all video chips use. So the user can see a little bit of info, and normally will also hear (IF there is some speaker or PZO unit to produce sound) a single short beep to indicate POST success.

NEXT the boot process begins to load an OS. The first step of this, in OP's case, is to present a screen offering a choice of going directly into BIOS Setup or to specify the boot device where the OS is located. It is at this point that OP reports the system freezes, but it is not clear whether it freezes completely at that point and accept no input, or whether it allows only the option to enter BIOS Setup, or whether it accepts a keypress to select a boot drive but THEN freezes during its next step. That "next step" probably would start by finding and loading the video card driver as Stage 1 of loading the OS. The difference I can expect between the two machines (one of which works OK) MAY be that the working machine does NOT have an inappropriate video driver to load.

With that hypothesis, there certainly are two possibilities. One, as you say, is that the actual video card has a failure which somehow allows the very first messages from the POST process to be displayed, but fails on the next steps. In that case, successful operation on the "working machine" seems odd! The other is that there is no such failure and the card does return to the POST process a message of successful initialization. However, in the next step the wrong driver is loaded AFTER the boot drive selection is made on that screen and its use generates an error that cannot be fixed. In this latter case OP should be able to enter BIOS Setup and use it from that choice screen if he does NOT try to choose a boot drive because at that point the system still does NOT need any video driver beyond the basics that BIOS already is using. Maybe that's a diagnostic test OP could try.

With this, fix would be easy;
1. Uninstall GPU drivers.
2. Use DDU to remove all and any lingering GPU drivers. DDU link: https://www.guru3d.com/download/display-driver-uninstaller-download/
3. Download new GPU drivers from Nvidia, specific to GTX 750 Ti. From here: https://www.nvidia.com/download/index.aspx
4. Install the new drivers and look if issue goes away.

This works only IF the issue is with lingering GPU drivers, that somehow interfere with the boot process, hence why PC "freezes" up.
But if fault is within GPU itself, nothing to do.