Question New PC build - - - GPU freezes during startup ?

[m090030]

Sorry if there's a better place for this, but I just made a new PC build and am having a problem with my RTX 4070. Shortly after startup (either a few seconds after the BIOS setup screen loads, or during Windows load), the video output freezes shortly after the GPU fans turn off, if that means anything. Even if I stay in the BIOS setup menu (i.e., not getting into Windows at all). I *think* the PC still runs when this happens as I've keyboard-navigated to shut it down in Windows.

Using the integrated video output from the motherboard (HDMI), everything runs fine.

I have verified that the video card works fine by putting it in this computer's precedessor - no problems. I have also verified that this new motherboard/PCIe slot work fine by installing the GTX 970 from that older computer in this new one - again, no problems. It's just the combination of the new 4070 and this new computer. I have tried reseating things about a dozen times as well as various combinations of PSU output ports and cables to power the 8-pin PCIe connector on the video card. Build is as follows:

Motherboard: ASRock B650I LIGHTNING

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

GPU: GIGABYTE WINDFORCE GeForce RTX 4070

PSU: CORSAIR RM750e

RAM: G.SKILL 2x16GB DDR5 6000

SSD: Crucial T700 1TB

I have updated everything I can through Windows, and also have updated the BIOS to ASRock's most recent version listed (1.30). Interestingly, the only way that I can actually crash the computer (that I know of at least), is by plugging 1 monitor into the motherboard output and another monitor into the video card (both HDMI) . In this case, if I select "internal graphics preferred" in the BIOS, then during Windows startup I get the error in the attached pictures, "system thread exception not handled," which doesn't seem to help much. This doesn't happen if I say "external graphics preferred," even though the output is still going through the internal graphics, since during bootup the video card stops working. During any situation, Windows does not recognize a second monitor attached, but HWMonitor lists the 4070 (though the only things it shows as monitoring are utilizations, all at 0).

I tried reflashing the video card VBIOS using nvflash, but command prompt gives me an error that the "PCI BAR assignment for the processed device is invalid," which doesn't change if I have Resizable BAR either enabled or disabled in the BIOS.

I've also tried installing my old PSU (500w) in the new computer. The only change with that is that Windows device manager says it is working fine, whereas with the Corsair 750w, it says Windows disabled it due to a problem. I still can't use it or flash the VBIOS though. And it still freezes in the BIOS tool itself.

Any thoughts? This issue is driving me insane. Thank you in advance!

 

[dece870717]

Have you tried flashing the V bios with the 4070 in the older computer that has it working?

What would happen if you put the 4070 into the new computer with Windows set up to boot up in safe mode?

Also certain details are a little obscure or missing I believe, plugging both the integrated CPU graphics and the video card both into monitors at the same time is really not a good idea. I'm pretty sure depending on the motherboard or just in general the computers just going to output to one. If you want multi monitor support it's only going to be able to be done through the ports on the video card.

What happens if you just totally disable the onboard integrated graphics in the BIOS?

 

[m090030]

Thank you for the reply! I'm not sure why it never occurred to me to flash the VBIOS with the old computer (maybe because I have to set up all the components on a table to do it), but I will try that this evening, as well as booting Windows to safe mode (though with the problem occurring in the BIOS setup itself, that will be a data point, not necessarily any solution itself) and disabling onboard graphics.

Yes, I know the "motherboard + video card" is abnormal - I was mostly curious to see what was actually happening to the computer when the video output froze. Maybe I introduced a change and I still don't know, but I figured it was worth doing. This is a HTPC, so lives most of its life with a single HDMI connection (that's also the reason for the mini-ITX form factor).

 

[dece870717]

Wait a minute, when you built your new pc, how did you get everything installed if the 40 4070 was giving you problems? Did you get the 4070 later? Or did you just build a new pc and just took your old hard drive and just put it in the new computer?

 

[m090030]

I bought the 4070 and SSD a few weeks ago, hoping to do a 'minor upgrade' to my old PC (i7-4790K and GTX 970), but the motherboard is too old to really support the M.2 SSD slot, so I gave up and decided to do a full new build (but reusing the same case). That's how I know the 4070 works, at least in the old computer.

For the new pc, I've done all the setup using the motherboard's onboard graphics output. As long as I don't try to use the video card's ouput, the machine is stable.

Quick question on the VBIOS: I'm assuming I should use the model-specific file here, since I'm not trying to do anything fancy like OCing beyond the settings available to me, correct? https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/256861/gigabyte-rtx4070-12288-230226

 

[dece870717]

I would just get the BIOS update for the graphics card straight from gigabyte for that card and the ones on their website are much newer https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Graphics-Card/GV-N4070WF3OC-12GD/support#support-dl also they might have their own flashing app that might make it a lot easier to do

 

[Order 66]

Did you uninstall the drivers with DDU?

 

[m090030]

Thanks! I have zero experience flashing VBIOS, but it does look like GIGABYTE has their own utility (and files), so I will pursue that. They list F3 and F31 VBIOS versions - hopefully there's some way to see which one I need via their flashing utility? Not sure how else to see whether or not the current VBIOS version is in the F1 or F30 range, which would determine that as stated on the website you linked.

Yes, I did uninstall drivers using DDU while troubleshooting, which didn't change anything. This was a clean installation of Windows, so there shouldn't have been anything to uninstall, though stranger things have happened.

As of now, my to-do list for this evening (if the kids will allow):

• Boot into safe mode - any change?
• Disable onboard graphics - what happens?
• Flash VBIOS using old computer and GIGABYTE file/utility - what happens when reinstalled into new computer?

 

[dece870717]

Thanks! I have zero experience flashing VBIOS, but it does look like GIGABYTE has their own utility (and files), so I will pursue that. They list F3 and F31 VBIOS versions - hopefully there's some way to see which one I need via their flashing utility? Not sure how else to see whether or not the current VBIOS version is in the F1 or F30 range, which would determine that as stated on the website you linked.

Yes, I did uninstall drivers using DDU while troubleshooting, which didn't change anything. This was a clean installation of Windows, so there shouldn't have been anything to uninstall, though stranger things have happened.

As of now, my to-do list for this evening (if the kids will allow):

• Boot into safe mode - any change?
• Disable onboard graphics - what happens?
• Flash VBIOS using old computer and GIGABYTE file/utility - what happens when reinstalled into new computer?

A program like gpu-z will tell you which revision and such, among many other things

 

[m090030]

Alright, evening update! Nothing good, though.

Reflashing VBIOS using the old computer = no change (it was F31, btw)
Booting into safe mode = no change (still freezes shortly after windows starts to load)
Disabling integrated graphics - I cannot find this setting for the life of me. The ASRock BIOS setup guide says it's in the Onboard Devices Configuration menu, but that setting is not present in my BIOS (the setup guide is generic, though). I navigated around for a bit and couldn't find anything.

Anything else of note? I took screenshots of all the GPU-Z screens with the old working computer, so perhaps there's useful information there?

 

[m090030]

Final update: Appears to have been a defective motherboard. Both ASRock and GIGABYTE technical support couldn't offer any other ideas, so I returned the motherboard and bought MSI's mini-ITX AM5 offering (B650i Edge). So either it was some weird compatibility issue with ASRock, or a defective product that only surfaced when trying to use a current-generation video card.