No display signal/pc hangs while under use.

[Drgoku]

Hey guys,
Please help me trouble shoot this issue.
My pc shuts of screen after few hours of use without any beeps. Gpu psu and cpu fans run and I could see the lights on. But there will be no response. Neither the gpu display nor the igpu display work. I have to force restart with the power button to get it back on. This happens only once in a while and I will be in the middle of some mundane activity. The only pattern is it occurs after atleast 45 mins past boot.

It is sort of work pc, so no gaming is done. I use it for photoshop, sketch up and browsing/youtube. There is no intense stress on any of the components.

Os: windows 10
Gpu: 270x (3 yrs old)
Psu: silverstone essential 500w (4+ yrs old)
Mobo : z97 new.
Cpu: 4790k new.
Hdd: 1 os ssd new and a 3 yr old hdd with bad sectors that store some useless data.

Which component could be the problem? Windows 10 or psu or gpu? Could it be a bent motherboard pin?

 

[Lutfij]

Since you're on Windows 10, I'm curious to ask if your installation is based off the free upgrade path or via the licence key installation? Have you made sure your BIOS and remaining device drivers are up to date? You can try and reinstall your GPU drivers following this guide using the latest drivers but if it's yet persistent then try and revert to a previous known stable driver. If the issue cropped up after a mandatory windows update then try a system restore or a repair install.

Could it be a bent motherboard pin?

You sound with reasonable doubt that the system wasn't installed properly. Confirm that doubt using this guide.

I'm leaning towards Windows 10 but the whole picture hasn't been painted. You didn't include the motherboard make and model number but we know it's a Z97 chipset motherboard. Are you connected tot eh internet using a wireless adapter or the LAN port?

 

[Drgoku]

Thank you for your response lutfij.
The issue is fixed now. It has not reoccured for the past 2.5 months. Now I could leave my computer on for weeks at a time with no issues.

I did several things. Tested gpu with other pc, reseated cpu cooler, replaced the bad hdd with a new one, made a few updates to windows 10 and also the gpu drivers. I think the updates to either windows 10 or the gpu is the one that fixed my problem.

Separately, I have now realized that my motherboard, z97 gryphon, automically disables the onboard igpu if a gpu is installed. I believe this is why my screen was blank when I tried to debug by switching the hdmi cable to igpu. If my motherboard hadn't done that, maybe igpu would have worked and indicated that the problem is with gpu drivers.
I am not sure what the issue was and what fixed it.