Display won't turn on with PCI-E plugged in

[troidgames]

My display will just show no signal, and shut off if I try to boot my PC with the PCIE cables plugged into the graphics card. The display will only show if I turn off the PC, unplug the PCIE cables from the GPU, and turn it back on. And oddly if I restart the PC while the PCIE cables aren't plugged in, it won't display either. I have to specifically turn the PC off first, then unplug, then turn it back on. I have tried nearly everything. It all started when I shut down my PC and unplugged it.

Specs:
EVGA GTX 960 4GB
8GB RAM
630W PSU
i3-6100 3.7GHz CPU
ASROCK H110M-HDS motherboard

 

[Obakasama]

Sounds strange. What are the options you have tried when you state "nearly everything"? This would at least narrow down what others can suggest and possibly help to eliminate specific issues. (I was going to ask whether you've reset CMOS.)

What does confuse me is what are these PCIe cables plugging into the graphics card? Probably not related, but it's good to get a clear picture for anyone who does have suggestions.

 

[troidgames]

I have tried nearly everything I can think of. I've reset CMOS by taking out the battery for 5-10, and putting it back. I've made sure that the video settings in BIOS are set to display PCI Express and not onboard graphics, I've tried another monitor, I've turned off onboard graphics in device manager, I took out the RAM and put it back in, unplugged borderline everything in the PC and plugged everything back in, my conclusion yesterday was that my GPU is dead, but is that possible because the fans still work when I plug it into the PC? I just get no signal. Weirdest part is this has happened before, I can't remember what I did to fix it but it wasn't something complicated, think I just had to take out the RAM or something. Now it seems impossible to fix. This all started when I shut down my PC, then unplugged it & moved it.

And when I say PCIe cables I mean the ones from the PSU, that I've been plugging into the GPU for a year now.

 

[Obakasama]

It is possible the graphics card could be dead even if the fans spin (I've had that before). And by the looks of things, the model you have requires the power connector to function.

Have you got an old, but working, graphics card by any chance? At least it could establish whether the PCIe slot itself is functioning.

 

[troidgames]

Yes the GTX 960 model I have requires PCIe cables to work. Also I don't have another graphics card I could test, but I will be testing my GPU in another rig to see if it works, and I'll be using someone else's GPU as well to see if theirs works. Just to diagnose exactly what's going on.

 

[Obakasama]

That sounds like the best thing to do going forward to get confirmation on the PCIe slot and the graphics card. Hopefully it will help narrow down the issue.

(I half suspect the PSU though.)

 

[troidgames]

After days of researching, and googling, and trying every solution possible, I was convinced that my GPU was damaged or deficient, and that I had to buy a new one. Even though I was convinced my gpu was dead I kept trying to get my PC to display my monitor, I decided to plug my monitor instead of into my motherboard, I put my GPU into my PC, and plugged my monitor into my GPU and voila, my monitor displays, my GPU was never broken in the first place, I just for whatever reason can't plug my monitor into my motherboard unless I take out my GPU. It's 2am, been fidgeting with this thing all day, and I'm relieved. Thanks for the help man!

 

[DSzymborski]

After days of researching, and googling, and trying every solution possible, I was convinced that my GPU was damaged or deficient, and that I had to buy a new one. Even though I was convinced my gpu was dead I kept trying to get my PC to display my monitor, I decided to plug my monitor instead of into my motherboard, I put my GPU into my PC, and plugged my monitor into my GPU and voila, my monitor displays, my GPU was never broken in the first place, I just for whatever reason can't plug my monitor into my motherboard unless I take out my GPU. It's 2am, been fidgeting with this thing all day, and I'm relieved. Thanks for the help man!

You *always* have to plug the monitor into the GPU, not the motherboard, in order to use the GPU.

 

[troidgames]

You *always* have to plug the monitor into the GPU, not the motherboard, in order to use the GPU.

Somehow that wasn't the case for me. In fact now that I think of it, I used to plug it into my gpu, and one day it just stopped working. I plugged it into my motherboard and it somehow started working. Same thing happened here, just vice versa.

 

[Obakasama]

What's important is you managed to get the problem sorted out. So... yay!