PC fails to start using the VGA diagnostic indicator.
PC fails to start using the VGA diagnostic indicator.
Hey everyone,
I've been experiencing some strange problems with my desktop. After relocating to a different country, a company moved it for me. Apparently, I didn't uninstall my GPU before the transfer. Here are the details:
My system specs:
- Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Gaming OC 12GB GDDR6X Graphics Card
- AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor
- Gigabyte B650 GAMING X AX motherboard
- Kingston Fury Beast Memory, DDR5, 32GB, 6000MHz, CL36
- Gigabyte UD850GM PG5 850W ATX 3.0 Power Supply
- Kingston KC3000 2TB M.2 2280 PCI-E x4 Gen4 NVMe SSD
- Samsung 990 PRO NVMe 4 TB
After moving, my PC started working for a while but then suddenly shut down. When trying to boot again, the VGA debug light appeared. Initially, I checked the GPU connections and everything seemed okay. I searched online for possible reasons and followed these steps:
1. Reconnected GPU – problem still happened
2. Reset CMOS – issue continued
3. Removed one RAM stick at a time – no improvement
4. Tested a cheap Chinese GPU – same issue
5. Tried disconnecting keyboard and mouse ports – it worked briefly before shutting down
6. Brought the GPU to a repair shop – they confirmed it was fine (though unclear what tests were done)
7. Functioned with internal GPU
At this stage, I'm convinced the problem lies with my motherboard or power supply unit. So I decided to upgrade to an SFF desktop and ordered new parts: ASUS ROG STRIX B850-G GAMING WIFI motherboard, Corsair SF1000 PSU, Noctua NH-D15 G2 cooler, and a Ncase M3 case.
I assembled everything on Friday and the debug light came back. I tried seating the GPU again, but it still didn’t work. Then I booted a game which froze the whole system. After restarting, I ran a benchmark with Furmark and temperatures were normal, but the PC shut down afterward.
After testing the new setup:
1. Reconnected GPU – issue persisted
2. Removed one RAM stick at a time – still no fix
3. Tested another Chinese GPU – same result
4. Used only one RAM stick in the Chinese model – it worked temporarily, but didn’t pass the benchmark
5. Removed both SSDs and booted into BIOS with a USB stick – it functioned properly for a day before shutting down again
6. Put one SSD back – it worked all day, but when I tried to boot today, the debug light appeared once more
7. Functioned with internal GPU
I’m completely confused about what’s going on. Only the components I moved from the old case are SSDs, CPU, GPU, RAM, and RAM sticks. I have no idea what might be causing this and I’m really seeking help or else I’m getting anxious.
I have relocated to another country and had my desktop transferred by a company. My error appears to be that I didn't remove my GPU before moving. It's possible that the PCIe slot on the motherboard or the PCIe finger on the GPU was damaged. Could you share images of both? You should upload them to a platform like Imgur and provide a link to those images. How are you managing to cool the processor?
Photos of the GPU and my previous setup are here;
https://imgur.com/a/F7ICW98
See: https://imgur.com/a/F7ICW98
Currently, I'm running a Noctua NH-D15 G2 in my new case.