Power surge occurred but no GPU signals were recognized
Power surge occurred but no GPU signals were recognized
I recently completed my new PC build and have experience with several units before. They all performed well initially. Once I installed the operating system and installed my applications, I tried to open a game—Warframe worked fine. After signing in, I loaded into my orbiter, but then the machine crashed abruptly during startup. It rebooted itself, yet it failed again mid-launch. I disconnected the power supply and unplugged the unit. Eventually, I discovered the faulty outlet caused the issue. I switched to an unused circuit in my home and found out that the motherboard LED stayed white, signaling a GPU error. All fans and LEDs, including the GPU fans, were active. I attempted booting without the GPU, following advice from online forums, but it didn’t work. I tested various GPUs in different PCIe slots without success. I cleared the CMOS by shorting pins and removing the battery, though everything else plugged in normally—monitors and my switch dock worked fine.
Here’s a summary of my PC specs:
- Ryzen 5 3600 (stock cooler)
- Asus TUF GAMING X570 PLUS Wi-Fi (no BIOS update)
- Gigabyte RTX 2070 (latest Nvidia driver)
- G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16GB 3600Mhz
- NZXT H510i Crucial P1 500GB (boot), 1TB Corsair RM650x
Updated on June 19, 2020 by Lasagah
Consider rearranging your RAM or using just one module. It might seem unlikely, but sometimes the RAM stores main data. Changing it could clear any cache. If that fails, verify the GPU is functioning properly on a test bench or via the motherboard's video port. If nothing improves, or you've already tried, inform me.
I recently replaced the RAM and started with just one stick, but the white LED still shows the code. I’ve confirmed this GPU functions properly after testing on another machine and using a different GPU here. Your advice about the RAM was really helpful—I didn’t expect it to work that way.
The GPU initially planned for this project was a gigabyte RTX 2070, and it delivered the same performance I expected. The PSU swap didn’t help, and I’m still unsure if the motherboard is the problem.
I've submitted the motherboard for replacement under warranty and received a brand new one from ASUS. When I first tried booting, I saw a post-screen but the computer froze there. After about five minutes, I forced a shutdown by holding the power button, and since then the white VGA LED error has returned consistently. I've tested nearly every part of this PC in another machine, and everything functions correctly. The only component still missing is the CPU; since the other Ryzen 3000 model in my dad's main PC uses the same motherboard and a different chipset (3700X vs my 3600), I can't test it for a week. I'll update once I have another CPU to try on the board.