[SOLVED] PC crashes while idle since removal GPU

[TheGamefreak484]

Recently my graphics card died so I removed it, and my PC crashes when idling ever since. I already had plenty of unexplainable crashes since I built the PC but I've never had my PC crash this consistent.

I managed to fix the issue for a couple of days by performing a scan for corrupt files (sfc /scannow command), however my PC started crashing again, and there are no corrupt files to be found. All drivers are up-to-date.

The screen looks like this when my PC has crashed:

https://imgur.com/DrQFfoi

View: https://imgur.com/DrQFfoi


I'd love to know what's causing this so I can hopefully fix it before I sell this PC. Plugging in a new GPU sounds like a logical solution but I feel like there's more to this (and I don't have another GPU handy). Any help?

Rig:

Intel Core i5-6600K Processor
Asus Z170 PRO GAMING Motherboard
Intel HD Graphics 530 (actual GPU was removed)
Adata XPG Z1 AX4U2800W8G17-DRZ (2 x 8 Gb) RAM
EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G2 (550 W) Power Supply
WD Blue WD10EZEX (1 Tb) Harddrive
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler
Samsung 850 EVO 120Gb SSD
Windows 10 64bit

There are two displays connected to my motherboard now.

 

[Paperdoc]

With something as complex as a graphics card, when you want to remove it it is ALWAYS best to use its utilities to UN-Install ALL of the software associated with it BEFORE you remove that card. Did you do that?

You can try to do that now using Control Panel .... Add/ Remove Programs and the Device Manager driver page, but often you NEED to have the graphics card installed and operating (even if poorly) in order to do that. Is it possible for you to re-install that card and do this software and driver removal step now? Then you could remove the card again and see if that helps.

 

[TheGamefreak484]

With something as complex as a graphics card, when you want to remove it it is ALWAYS best to use its utilities to UN-Install ALL of the software associated with it BEFORE you remove that card. Did you do that?

You can try to do that now using Control Panel .... Add/ Remove Programs and the Device Manager driver page, but often you NEED to have the graphics card installed and operating (even if poorly) in order to do that. Is it possible for you to re-install that card and do this software and driver removal step now? Then you could remove the card again and see if that helps.

I didn't because I couldn't. Sadly, my PC refuses to boot up at all when I have my broken graphics card installed. The only way to get my PC to run is to remove the card. And yeah I will need the card to uninstall.

Though since I'm planning to sell this PC, I'll be wiping this PC anyways. If you're confident this is the issue at hand, the next owner shouldn't experience this issue after a clean wipe, the installation of a new graphics card and new drivers for it, right?

 

[Paperdoc]

Right.

IF you want to try anyway before selling, you can go thought Device Manager and the Add / Remove Software tools and remove anything related to the old graphics card. That MIGHT get rid of whatever gremlin is causing your glitches now.

 

[TheGamefreak484]

Right.

IF you want to try anyway before selling, you can go thought Device Manager and the Add / Remove Software tools and remove anything related to the old graphics card. That MIGHT get rid of whatever gremlin is causing your glitches now.

Removed my GTX 970 driver using a driver program, rebooted. PC crashed after ~10 minutes of idling. Used Guru3d DDU to remove anything related to my graphics card or Nvidia, rebooted again. Let it idle for 15 minutes, no issues. Used it for a bit, let it idle again, PC crashed again after ~10 minutes of idling.

Wiping the PC may still solve the issue, but are there any other potential gremlins that could cause the issue I'm having?

 

[Ferimer]

Removed my GTX 970 driver using a driver program, rebooted. PC crashed after ~10 minutes of idling. Used Guru3d DDU to remove anything related to my graphics card or Nvidia, rebooted again. Let it idle for 15 minutes, no issues. Used it for a bit, let it idle again, PC crashed again after ~10 minutes of idling.

Wiping the PC may still solve the issue, but are there any other potential gremlins that could cause the issue I'm having?

When was the last time you cleaned it? Have you been checking the temps?

 

[TheGamefreak484]

When was the last time you cleaned it? Have you been checking the temps?

I cleaned my PC when my graphics card died nearly 2 weeks ago. When idling my PC sits at about 30-35 degrees celsius. The task manager performance window didn't show any odd high usage of anything.

 

[Ferimer]

I cleaned my PC when my graphics card died nearly 2 weeks ago. When idling my PC sits at about 30-35 degrees celsius. The task manager performance window didn't show any odd high usage of anything.

Just trying to cross out all possibly variables.

 

[scout_03]

do you have tis latest intel vga driver on and try to use only one monitor at the time on system https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/Z170-PRO-GAMING/HelpDesk_Download/

 

[TheGamefreak484]

do you have tis latest intel vga driver on and try to use only one monitor at the time on system https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/Z170-PRO-GAMING/HelpDesk_Download/

When trying to install that VGA driver, I get a popup saying that I have a newer version of the driver I'm about to install.

I tried unplugging my second monitor and well... it worked! Done two tests so far and haven't had any crashes yet. I'll continue to do some tests in the next couple of days but it seems like this did the trick.

Any idea why having a second monitor makes my PC crash when idle? Is it a driver thing or are Intel HD Graphics 530 just not suited for double screens?

 

[scout_03]

now try the other monitor on for a few days alone and see and yes the internal might be not able to handle both monitor ,

 

[TheGamefreak484]

now try the other monitor on for a few days alone and see and yes the internal might be not able to handle both monitor ,

Tested some more, either monitor works fine, the PC just crashes when I have two connected. I also noticed that the colour of the second monitor starts to fade if I have both connected, which is fixed if I unplug my main.

So yeah, it's definitely the Intel HD Graphics 530 not being able to handle two monitors at a time.

Thanks for your time and answers everyone!