Question GPU Only works when slightly out of PCI-e slot

[Crazykid1115]

So here's the story: I ship out to basic training and arrive in Mississippi for tech training. Mother ships me my PC from Hawaii to MS.
It arrives, I plug everything in and it's working fine once I turn it on. No artificing, nothing. Works as it should just like it did before I shipped out to basic training. Once everything Is plugged in and I make sure everything works as it should, I start to do cable management,
and clean up my desk, which involves unplugging the PC, moving it to a ergonomic spot on the desk, managing cables, etc. Once I have my setup nice and neat and how I want it to be for the next 6 months while I'm here in MS, I turn it back on to find out that I'm getting artifacting straight into the MSI boot up screen. Purple lines scattered all across the boot screen and into the windows 11 logon page. I've never seen this before in this computer in which I've had for many years. I think that maybe I bumped the GPU while I was moving it from ground to desk, so I open up the tower and reseat GPU into slot. Boot up PC, same result with artifacts. I try to move cables from a slot to a different slot which yields same result. I then proceed to reseat memory, GPU again, and make sure all cables are plugged into all ports accordingly; latest GeForce drivers are installed. I do some other testing, reseating, moving PCI-e slots, etc. All the results that I get are either graphical artifacts straight upon booting the machine, or if I make it into Windows without artifacts, the GPU under any load will artifact and crash upon running any 3D program. Specifically, when I the purple line artifact is what I get straight into booting before even getting into Windows; other cases with different testing variables (such as what angle the GPU is plugged into the slot) I will only get the space invaders artifact only when GPU is under load (no purple lines when booting).

Long story short, I figured that if I have the GPU slightly bolted out of the PCI-e slot just a millimeter, everything works fine as normal. Keep in mind this is without the mounting screw. Basically when the GPU is completely unsupported and it's entire weight is being held up just by the PCI-e slot the card works fine when it's ajar out of the slot at a very very specific angle and jutted out at a very precise measurement.

Some interesting things to note:
As I was playing MW2 with everything working (GPU working after it being jutted out precisely), I accidently bumped my tower with my foot and for a split second I got the space invaders artifact then an immediate crash. Was able to relaunch MW2 and continue playing with no problems.
Problem prevails when testing using any PCI-e slot. (Did this test to rule out the possibility of top PCI-e slot getting damaged during shipping)
Problem only started after computer was shipped from HI to MS, computer was working completely fine previous.
I don't think that it's the GPU that is dead or dying because GPU still works 100% at full load no artifacting (using MSI Kombuster artifact scanner) when GPU is plugged in just right into the slot.
Artifacts and crashes only occur when GPU is fully plugged into the slot. (either slot)

This is the strangest GPU issue because GPU only works like normal when not fully plugged into the slot, without having mounting screw so GPU is being supported by only the PCIe slot.

PC specs:
2080 TI EVGA
12700k
850w PSU
32 GB RAM
MSI PRO z690 DDR4

 

[jojesa]

This is the strangest GPU issue because GPU only works like normal when not fully plugged into the slot, without having mounting screw so GPU is being supported by only the PCIe slot.

It isn't as strange issue as you might think though.
The PCIe slot is bent and so does the pins inside. They are all making contact with GPU when at the same bent angle.
You should place some kind of support to prevent the PCIe from braking.

That it is very common when shipping computers where the GPU is not properly secure.
To prevent that in the future, you could use foam-in-bag packaging system to secure the components or uninstall the GPU and place it separately.

That could also happen with heavy CPU coolers.

 

[Crazykid1115]

It isn't as strange issue as you might think though.
The PCIe slot is bent and so does the pins inside. They are all making contact with GPU when at the same bent angle.
You should place some kind of support to prevent the PCIe from braking.

That it is very common when shipping computers where the GPU is not properly secure.
To prevent that in the future, you could use foam-in-bag packaging system to secure the components or uninstall the GPU and place it separately.

That could also happen with heavy CPU coolers.

Yes, however when I move the GPU to the bottom PCI-e slot in which nothing was plugged into it during shipping, I get the same error. Like I said, I tested the GPU with all my PCIe slots (including ones that have never had things plugged into) with same errors.

 

[jojesa]

Sorry may have missed that part.
Check the cable (HDMI/DP) connecting the GPU to the monitor.
Have you tried wiping out the current drivers (DDU) and installing the drivers back?
Also, PCIe slots may not work properly due to BIOS errors. Reset the BIOS and update it if there is a new version available.

Make sure the GPU gold contacts are clean and inspect carefully the PCIe slot pins.
It would be helpful to test another GPU to see if it’s the PCIe slot and not the GPU that’s causing trouble.