Sometimes when PC starts, monitor doesn't get signal from GPU, have to do power cycling a few times

[m-mag]

Hello,

First off I am confused whether to post this in Graphics or Displays (or Components), but I thought this is most suitable. Anyway.

Sometimes when I turn on my PC, or reboot it, the monitor doesn't start as if PC is turned off.

When I leave the PC to complete booting, I connect through Remote Desktop and it works fine while the monitor is off. And I could control it through Remote Desktop.

To solve this issue I had to power cycle. Turn off the PC, switch off the power supply then try again until the monitor displays something.

What could be the cause of this problem and how to solve it?

My PC specs:

• 
  Processor: Intel i3-2100 @ 3.10GHz
  Memory: 8 GB (2x4GB)
  Motherboard/Chipset: PH67A-D3-B3 (No integrated display)
  GPU: Sapphire - AMD HD6850
  Display: Samsung SyncMaster B2030
  Display is connected through DVI-D
  
  Temperatures are fine.

Thank you guys.

 

[MeanMachine41]

Hi m-mag How long has this been happening or has this just suddenly started. ?

Remove the GPU and clean the terminals on the GPU then blow out the PCIe slot with compressed air from a canister. Just make sure your system is powered down when cleaning.

Check all cabling and connections for cracks or cable malfunction and try swapping the cables.

Your SyncMaster only has one DVI input. I don't know which type but there are differing DVI cable formats.
Ensure your cable is the correct one.

You can also check the monitor works OK with another system, If you have one.

Check the PSU for an insufficient supply.
That's a few of the most common causes so, see how you go.

 

[m-mag]

Hi m-mag How long has this been happening or has this just suddenly started. ?

Remove the GPU and clean the terminals on the GPU then blow out the PCIe slot with compressed air from a canister. Just make sure your system is powered down when cleaning.

Check all cabling and connections for cracks or cable malfunction and try swapping the cables.

Your SyncMaster only has one DVI input. I don't know which type but there are differing DVI cable formats.
Ensure your cable is the correct one.

You can also check the monitor works OK with another system, If you have one.

Check the PSU for an insufficient supply.
That's a few of the most common causes so, see how you go.

Thanks MeanMachine41 for reply.

I will try taking the GPU out and putting it again.

BTW, my PSU is CoolerMaster 500W. And the cable is the one that came with the monitor already.

 

[MeanMachine41]

Hi m-mag How long has this been happening or has this just suddenly started. ?

Remove the GPU and clean the terminals on the GPU then blow out the PCIe slot with compressed air from a canister. Just make sure your system is powered down when cleaning.

Check all cabling and connections for cracks or cable malfunction and try swapping the cables.

Your SyncMaster only has one DVI input. I don't know which type but there are differing DVI cable formats.
Ensure your cable is the correct one.

You can also check the monitor works OK with another system, If you have one.

Check the PSU for an insufficient supply.
That's a few of the most common causes so, see how you go.

Thanks MeanMachine41 for reply.

I will try taking the GPU out and putting it again.

BTW, my PSU is CoolerMaster 500W. And the cable is the one that came with the monitor already.

CoolerMaster generally make quality units. imo
However at peak demand and if the unit is only Bronze certified, and you intend to OC or you upgrade for more hardware, then the PSU is questionable.

I do feel however the PSU has enough Wattage for your current requirement.

Buy a new cable for your monitor just incase.

 

[m-mag]

Thanks, man.

Well, I made sure that the GPU is in place, cleaned a bit and rechecked power cables to GPU.

I don't have a clear way of reproducing or fixing the issue. It just randomly appears and disappears.

When I logged in through Remote Desktop this morning, when I go to task manager, there's no single trace of a GPU. As if it is completely disconnected.

I think it doesn't get read by the motherboard at all, and since my chipset was designed to have an integrated display that does make it pass the POST?

Also, the PC randomly has boot loops when I soft-reboot or sometimes return from sleep. It doesn't even boot, it just operates lights and fans for a few seconds, then stops, then operates again, etc. And when I switch off the PSU, it continue booting for one more time but for a shorter time (maybe it knows it wants to boot again but uses all the charge stored in the capacitors and shuts off since it's switched off). I don't know if this issue is related.

 

[Lemiwinks]

Im not sure why but i was having this issue the other week and taking the CMOS battery out of my motherboard (PC powered down of course) for about a half hour and then re install it seemed to stop the issue, i'm about 3 days without an issue now!

 

[MeanMachine41]

Thanks, man.

Well, I made sure that the GPU is in place, cleaned a bit and rechecked power cables to GPU.

I don't have a clear way of reproducing or fixing the issue. It just randomly appears and disappears.

When I logged in through Remote Desktop this morning, when I go to task manager, there's no single trace of a GPU. As if it is completely disconnected.

I think it doesn't get read by the motherboard at all, and since my chipset was designed to have an integrated display that does make it pass the POST?

Also, the PC randomly has boot loops when I soft-reboot or sometimes return from sleep. It doesn't even boot, it just operates lights and fans for a few seconds, then stops, then operates again, etc. And when I switch off the PSU, it continue booting for one more time but for a shorter time (maybe it knows it wants to boot again but uses all the charge stored in the capacitors and shuts off since it's switched off). I don't know if this issue is related.

Hmmm, Maybe its time to check the PSU. Can you swap it out with a known working unit of equal or greater wattage.?

Also change your CMOS battery just incase.

 

[m-mag]

Thanks, man.

Well, I made sure that the GPU is in place, cleaned a bit and rechecked power cables to GPU.

I don't have a clear way of reproducing or fixing the issue. It just randomly appears and disappears.

When I logged in through Remote Desktop this morning, when I go to task manager, there's no single trace of a GPU. As if it is completely disconnected.

I think it doesn't get read by the motherboard at all, and since my chipset was designed to have an integrated display that does make it pass the POST?

Also, the PC randomly has boot loops when I soft-reboot or sometimes return from sleep. It doesn't even boot, it just operates lights and fans for a few seconds, then stops, then operates again, etc. And when I switch off the PSU, it continue booting for one more time but for a shorter time (maybe it knows it wants to boot again but uses all the charge stored in the capacitors and shuts off since it's switched off). I don't know if this issue is related.

Hmmm, Maybe its time to check the PSU. Can you swap it out with a known working unit of equal or greater wattage.?

Also change your CMOS battery just incase.

Thanks for reply again.

I think it's time to replace things one by one and try if issues persist. The thing is I don't have spare parts, but I'll have to borrow from a friend.

So I think the issue will not be known until I start replacing parts...

However, if there's a way to check things and know the cause without replacing and monitoring please tell me. I can extract whatever kind of reports from my system.

Thanks for help all the way!

 

[MeanMachine41]

Well m-mag with certain issues the only way to confirm a hardware failure is to swap out the part.

Very often a stress test can be an indicator but without proper testing equipment you can only rely on indicators or swapping components.
For stress testing I use HWMonitor and AIDA64, and run the stress test. This way you can determine such things as GPU performance and temps, Voltage stability from the PSU, CPU problems. and indicators as to conditions with the MB.

Download those I have mentioned and put them on your desktop side by side. Run the tests for the various components available for 10mins and take a screen shot during the test. First test the CPU and monitor with HWMonitor as the test is in progress. Then test your GPU and you can also test your DIMMs. For that I like to use MemTest86+ by booting from a USB stick.

To determine the results, Post the results here for analysis, use your file host and get the BB url as a link. IMGUR is good.
I can analyze them for you.

 

[m-mag]

Thanks MeanMachine41, I apologize for the very late response but I was busy with my college grades.

I will download these and run stress tests and will post results ASAP.

FYI, I just updated my BIOS from F3 to F6, but it did not seem to fix the problem.

For quite some days the "loss of signal from GPU" didn't happen, yet the booting loops after a soft-reset or using button in case are still happening.

 

[MeanMachine41]

I can normally finger the culprit but this is a strange one. See how you go with the tests.

 

[m-mag]

Hello again, MeanMachine.

I've done the tests you've mentioned and I have the results. Tell me if I missed something or should have let a test run longer.

MemTest86+: https://imgur.com/a/75HUg
BIOS: http://imgur.com/777z97j
Stress test and HWMonitor: https://imgur.com/a/SqZdB
HWMonitor extracted by the end of the test: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ogezn86suvghunm/HWMonitor.txt?dl=0
HWMonitor report this morning (right after 10 hours and a half of MemTest): https://www.dropbox.com/s/nw234bm5h18gfr3/HWMonitor2.txt?dl=0

Edit: Do you think this thread (http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2524537/asus-motherboard-voltage.html) is related?

 

[MeanMachine41]

I can confirm that in all your tests, they failed due to drop in voltage from the 12v Rail. readings indicate only .192v.
Other 5v and 3v rails are within tolerance.
So either the 12v cables on the 12v rail have a massive resistance or the PSU has failed.

Memtest86+ is OK and your DIMMs are not the culprit.

 

[m-mag]

Thank you.

Also, does this mean it's something with the PSU? Can I disconnect a fan or two (only case fan, CPU fan, GPU fan) and see the voltage drops?

Does this mean that the motherboard has some issues?

I think I should try another PSU, hopefully it's not an issue with the MB.

Edit: Also, in BIOS readings, it reads 11.9V.

Thanks for the quick replies!

 

[MeanMachine41]

Bios may read 12v but its what happens under load that counts.

Yes the PSU is the culprit and I'M 99% sure if your cabling and sockets are all OK.
Go and have it tested if you like, but make sure they test the unit under load as a paper clip test will not tell you.

You won't know for sure about the MB till you install a new PSU.

When you get the PSU, buy a 650 - 750W gold certified unit from EVGA, Seasonic or similar quality vendor.

 

[m-mag]

Thanks, I thought so too, since when I'm at BIOS there's no load.

So I happened to open BIOS now and was charging my phone through USB and voltage drop changed when I disconnect/connect the phone. Tried for over 6 times.

Here's when phone's disconnected: http://imgur.com/uMS2EdO
And here's when it's connected: http://imgur.com/NRvPXqi

I think my only way would be measuring the pins with a multimeter or replace the PSU.

It's a 500W CoolerMaster though. Not sure if it's failing or 500W isn't enough for my built (I believe it is enough though) because readings in BIOS have been like that since I assembled it (the boot loops issue persisted since then too).

Thanks for help, I think I'll try to get a new one.

 

[MeanMachine41]

You would need more than a simple multi-meter to test under load.

The PSU is the life blood of your system and the PC can demand a lot from it.
Read my PSU fact sheet.

 

[m-mag]

You would need more than a simple multi-meter to test under load.

The PSU is the life blood of your system and the PC can demand a lot from it.
Read my PSU fact sheet.

Thanks. I am sorry if I reply too many times, but I do as soon as I have an update.

I managed to boot my PC without GPU. And this time I used HWInfo and it gave different readings (of course couldn't read BIOS with no GPU installed... (no integrated graphics, it's PH67 not H67).

These are the results: http://imgur.com/a/yT8hQ Without GPU (via remote desktop) and usage during stress test with GPU.

I don't know if this will affect what you think of the PSU.

 

[MeanMachine41]

Well the 12V rail voltage in those readouts are acceptable.
You will also have to get the GPU tested or swap it out with a known working unit.

 

[m-mag]

Well the 12V rail voltage in those readouts are acceptable.
You will also have to get the GPU tested or swap it out with a known working unit.

Thanks for help. I know the thread is old but I'm back to the forum and got a notification. I'm just saying that the GPU had died completely so looks like it was GPU problem.

 

[MeanMachine41]

Well the 12V rail voltage in those readouts are acceptable.
You will also have to get the GPU tested or swap it out with a known working unit.

Thanks for help. I know the thread is old but I'm back to the forum and got a notification. I'm just saying that the GPU had died completely so looks like it was GPU problem.

Excellent m-mag, glad you have it sorted