I'm experiencing a sudden issue with a black screen.
I'm experiencing a sudden issue with a black screen.
Hello, everyone. I’m facing a confusing issue that hasn’t been resolved.
I played Outer Worlds without any issues. The next day, I switched to Hades and then encountered a problem with my new build (just two days old). It crashed to a black screen, and all components stopped functioning—PC parts, peripherals, fans halted, lights went out. We didn’t see any power surge, so it wasn’t that.
When I tried to restart by flipping the case power switch, the keyboard and mouse lights came on, fans started spinning, but the screen remained black. A few seconds later, the mouse and keyboard lights flickered briefly before the fans stopped for about two seconds before returning to normal.
We went through every step in the "sticky" checklist and got stuck after the 23rd step.
My build uses brand-new parts except for RAM:
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (stock HSF)
- MoBo – GIGABYTE B550 UD AC Rev 1.2
- GPU – ASROCK Radeon RX6700 XT CLD
- Memory – PATRIOT Viper 4 DDR4 3000 Hz (2x4GB)
- PSU – THERMALTAKE Smart 600W 80+
Running Windows 10
We purchased a MoBo speaker and began breadboarding with just the CPU, HSF, CPU power, and 24-pin ATX power. The paperclip test didn’t produce any noise.
We tested the PSU separately with a paperclip—fan spun. One front panel plug on the MoBo was loose, preventing Q-Flash of BIOS; we had to order a replacement. After swapping, it still didn’t work.
No CPU pins appear bent, and no extra thermal paste is visible on contacts or socket.
We thought the paperclip test might have been insufficient, so we used a multimeter to check all 24 pins on the main connector and the 8-pin PCIe connector. All readings matched specifications.
Currently:
- Breadboarding with just CPU, HSF, CPU power, and 24-pin ATX power plugged in; shorting the power switch pins causes the HSF to spin briefly, then stop and restart. No beeping.
- With the new MoBo, same silence occurred despite testing.
- Adding one stick of memory to the A2 slot produced 1 long and 3 short beeps—expected, but conflicting with the silence in the previous attempt. HSF spins continuously.
- Connecting GPU to the top PCIe slot and powering it up gave 1 long and 3 short beeps, with fans spinning.
- With all components connected, key/mouse lights activate when power is pressed (though the power LED no longer lights). HSF and GPU fans run continuously.
- With the monitor connected via HDMI, lights on the key/mouse turn on when power is flipped (LED seems off). The HSF and GPU fans operate.
- No output from the connected monitor via HDMI—no graphics, so nothing comes out of the MoBo’s HDMI. We tested the monitor and HDMI cable with a laptop, which works fine.
Possible component issues:
- The silence at first suggests a bad MoBo, PSU, or CPU. Testing with both first and second units didn’t change the outcome, so it’s unlikely to be the unit. The PSU fan spins and voltages look normal via multimeter, though under load it might struggle. The CPU seems fine, and it’s rare for a new CPU to fail.
- The final beep pattern hints at either GPU failure or insufficient PSU power ("Inadequate PSU will cause failure here or any step later").
Help Requested:
What should we do? We still have return options through Amazon and NewEgg until the 31st of January, but we’re unsure if the GPU, CPU, or PSU is the problem. We don’t have another PC to test replacements. I’m considering a friend with an AMD build—would it be safe to try running my GPU and CPU separately in their build, or is that risky?
Thanks for your assistance.