Problem: screen goes black randomly, computer stays on, don't know where to start

[tfastg]

I just finished building my first PC, it's been up and running for about a week. About three times now, the screen has just gone blank. The computer stays running -- no changes in sound or anything. The monitor stays on, but blank.

I don't know where to start the troubleshooting. I don't even know if it's software or hardware based.

I'd love to find the cause, esp. if it's hardware, so I can get this taken care of. Please help me get on the right track!

I'm sure there's more info I need to tell you. Just ask what you need to know and I'll provide it. For now here are the parts used in my build:

(also I'm running Windows 7 Professional 64-bit)

Rosewill Challenger ATX Mid Tower
Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P AM3+ Motherboard
AMD FX-6350 Vishera CPU
Sapphire 100366-2L Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 RAM
Corsair CX600 600W Power Supply
Transcend SSD340 64GB SSD
Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD
Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD Burner
Rosewill RCR-IC001 Internal Card Reader

Thanks, any input or inquiry is appreciated!

 

[edogyip]

Maybe the BIOS has a power setting that is set incorrectly? I had this issue on a computer many years ago.

 

[tfastg]

I think I've just found that I'm not alone with this problem. My experience fits right in with other folks who have the R7 260X graphics card. Now I just have to decide if I'm going to return it or try their workarounds.

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2089881/sapphire-260x-black-screen.html#13265161