Question Help Needed with Dual Monitor Freezing Issue

[Scanzas]

Hello everyone,

I’m reaching out for help with a persistent and frustrating problem I’ve been experiencing with my PC. Whenever I connect a second monitor, my system freezes a few seconds after plugging it in. Sometimes, I can perform a task briefly (like moving the mouse or opening a program), but the system ultimately freezes, forcing me to shut it down manually.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of my troubleshooting steps so far:

---

PC Specifications:​

• GPU: Radeon RX 580
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz
• Motherboard: ASUS Prime B450-Plus
• PSU: Corsair CX series 550 Watt
• RAM: Vengeance LPX DDR4 2x8GB
• Storage: SSD 240GB + HDD 1TB
• PC Age: 5–6 years

---

Steps I’ve Taken:​

1. Cleaning and Checking Connections
   • I cleaned the PC and reseated all internal connections. While I can’t guarantee everything is perfect, the hardware appears to be securely connected.
2. Stress Testing GPU with FurMark
   • The GPU performed well under stress with temperatures stabilizing around 75–80°C. No immediate issues were observed, and temperatures remained normal until the crash.
3. Stress Testing CPU with Prime95
   • The CPU handled the stress test without any noticeable problems, maintaining temperatures around 70°C. Temperatures stayed normal before and during tests.
4. BIOS Update
   • Updated the motherboard BIOS to the latest version.
5. Power Settings
   • Set AMD and Windows power modes to "Performance" (or equivalent) to ensure the system isn't throttling power unnecessarily.
6. Driver Updates
   • Reinstalled and updated GPU drivers using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) and installed the latest version from AMD’s official website.
7. Event Viewer and Reliability History
   • Checked the Event Viewer and Reliability Monitor for errors. I couldn’t find anything relevant besides the "Kernel-Power" warning about an unexpected shutdown, which I believe is related to powering down the PC via the power button after it freezes.
8. RAM Testing with MemTest86
   • Found errors during the test:
     • Test 8: Address 3998478BC, expected value 4EDB4AAC, but got 4FDB4AAC.
     • Test 9: Address 3998478BC, expected value 2CA6C4CE, but got 2DA6C4CE.
   • These suggest potential RAM instability, but I haven’t been able to remove or test individual sticks due to physical constraints (CPU cooler blocks the slots).

---

Observations:​

• The issue occurs only when I connect a second monitor.
• The PC works perfectly fine with a single monitor, even under heavy GPU or CPU loads (e.g., FurMark, Prime95).
• The freezing happens regardless of what I’m doing (idle or active).
• The RAM errors from MemTest86 could be related, but I haven’t confirmed which stick (or slot) is causing the problem.
• Temperatures are always within normal ranges before and during the crashes.

---

My Questions:​

1. Could the dual-monitor setup somehow exacerbate an existing RAM issue?
2. Is there a possibility that my PSU (550W) is under strain due to the age of the components or the increased power draw from two monitors?
3. Are there other steps I should take to isolate the issue or fix the problem?

Any help, insights, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I’m at a loss for what to try next and would love to hear if anyone has experienced something similar!

Thank you for your time!