Issue PC shuts down unexpectedly, displaying VGA and debug LED lights during startup.
Issue PC shuts down unexpectedly, displaying VGA and debug LED lights during startup.
Hello.
Over the last few weeks, I've experienced this unusual problem where my PC freezes with the screen going black. When I do something—like watching a YouTube video—I can hear the audio clearly, but nothing appears on the display, forcing me to restart. Other times, the PC reboots by itself. After restarting, it reaches the power-on-self-test; the VGA debug LED and BOOT debug LED light up, then stay illuminated without any further action, preventing Windows from booting and leaving the screen blank. My investigation pointed to a GPU issue in its PCIe slot, suggesting that repositioning it might resolve the matter. Typically, removing and reinserting the GPU has worked well in most cases. However, in rare instances, I have had to extract it from the slot and reinstall it to restore functionality. Recently, the PC began crashing outright and rebooting. The video plays without interruption, but the audio does not, and sometimes the VGA and BOOT LED lights illuminate while the fans spin at full speed. The screen remains black.
Recently, I spent over an hour attempting a fix, yet it still wouldn't boot into Windows. When I powered on the PC, the standard VGA and BOOT LEDs activated, but nothing proceeded. I then removed the GPU from its PCIe slot and reinserted it, but the issue persisted. Fortunately, I have a spare GT 610 card for troubleshooting. Placing it in the same PCIe slot as my regular GPU caused the PC to power on and boot into Windows immediately. Before that, I encountered a BIOS prompt indicating a new CPU had been installed; I was instructed to press F1 to access the setup screen, which led me to the BIOS configuration. I exited it without issue, and the OS launched successfully. Then, I powered off the PC and swapped in my regular RX 6600 GPU, and it began functioning properly again.
I'm struggling to grasp the root cause of these intermittent crashes, which are happening unpredictably—regardless of load levels. The debug LEDs on the motherboard remain steady without changing. Occasionally, the PC restarts while stuck in this state, but I return to the same condition where the LEDs stay illuminated. All fans are actively running, and their sounds suggest full operation.
Recently, several changes were made to my system:
- Updated my PC case.
- Removed the CPU, reapplied thermal paste, and reinstalled it.
- Cleaned the PC thoroughly, removing every component temporarily.
- Replaced a failing NVME M.2 SSD.
- Installed a new 2.5-inch SATA hard drive.
- Added a new 2.5-inch SATA SSD.
- Updated my motherboard's BIOS to version 3607 (ASUS).
During cleaning, I removed the stock AMD Wraith Prism cooler, and the CPU came out completely detached—since it was stuck together with the cooler. It was a tense moment, but physical inspection revealed no damage to the pins. The CPU was functioning correctly.
Rare specimen available. Also, average PSU quality.
I’d consider the second option, which is known to work and has good quality PSUs. This eliminates the possibility of a PSU problem because your symptoms suggest the issue lies with the PSU.
Recommended good PSUs for you are: Seasonic Focus/Vertex/PRIME, Corsair RMx/RMi/HXi/AXi, Super Flower Leadex Gold/Platinum/Titanium in the 650W range.
If you prefer the newest ATX 3.0/3.1 models, here’s a link:
https://hwbusters.com/best_picks/best-at...busters/2/
(My three PCs are also Seasonic-powered. I own two PRIME TX-650 units and one Focus PX-550. Full specs with pictures are in my profile.)
Only three factors can independently trigger the PC to restart on its own:
Rare specimen available. Also, the quality of the PSU is mediocre.
I’d consider the second one, which is known to work and has good quality PSU. This eliminates the possibility that the PSU is the problem given your symptoms suggest otherwise.
Recommended good PSUs are: Seasonic Focus/Vertex/PRIME, Corsair RMx/RMi/HXi/AXi, Super Flower Leadex Gold/Platinum/Titanium in the 650W range.
If you prefer the newest ATX 3.0/3.1 options, here’s a link:
https://hwbusters.com/best_picks/best-at...busters/2/
(My three PCs are also Seasonic-powered. I own two PRIME TX-650 units and one Focus PX-550. Full specs with pictures in my profile.)
Only three factors can cause the PC to restart on its own:
1. Excessively high CPU/GPU temperatures.
2. Faulty PSU.
3. Malware.
Verify your hardware temperatures, both idle and under load. Probably not a temperature issue.
A PSU test is straightforward by swapping with another unit. Malware can be removed using any antivirus tool, such as MalwareBytes.
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
When I'm using something like a YouTube video, I can hear the audio but nothing appears on the screen, so I have to restart. Sometimes the PC restarts itself.
I suspect there might be an issue with the PSU, or my GPU is failing or the PSU is slowly affecting the GPU.
PSU:
Cougar GEX 850W PSU.
How old is your PSU? It might be worth finding a more reliable PSU with at least 550W for your whole PC and checking if the same problems occur.
After removing my original AMD Wraith Prism Cooler, the CPU popped out because they were fused together while the CPU lock on the motherboard wasn't released.
This shouldn't be a problem if you managed to put the CPU back in the socket and the retention arm locked properly when you lowered it. Did you notice any bent pins on the bottom of the processor?
BIOS Version:
3607
https://www.asus.com/motherboards-c...pl...-B550-PLUS
You still have one more BIOS version that needs updating. After confirming your BIOS was flashed correctly, clear the CMOS.
RAM:
ADATA XPG Z1 8GB x 4.
Do you have a link for these? Have you tried using just two RAM sticks to test stability?
I believe the main suspect in your setup for what's occurring is three factors. You reference two points but overlook the third.
The SSD is a NVME M.2 model from Western Digital. I replaced it with another M.2 from Crucial, and similar problems occurred.
Thank you all for your feedback. It appears there might be an issue with my PSU affecting how my PC operates. Therefore, I have set up a PSU and CPU for testing purposes. Meanwhile, I removed every component from my motherboard and reinserted it, including the CPU, just in case a loose connection is causing these crashes. I also carefully checked my CPU pins and found no visible damage. Additionally, I updated my ASUS Motherboard BIOS to version 3611, which was released recently. Some cables, particularly the GPU power supply cable, were stretched and bent at an unusual angle; I straightened them out as well. When I first started using the old parts, the PC ran smoothly with normal temperatures and behavior. After running it for about 50 minutes, no abnormal signs appeared. I plan to use the spare PSU and CPU to further test the system and resolve this issue.