Still stuck on VGA LED, but system started after a couple of minutes. Need assistance.
Still stuck on VGA LED, but system started after a couple of minutes. Need assistance.
I have my complete basic configuration details here.
The system runs an Intel Core i7-6700K with MSI Z170A Gaming Pro Carbon Corsair LPX DDR4 2400MHz processor.
It includes a 2x8GB 1TB SSD M.2 SATA Toshiba 2x3TB HDD and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founder's Edition (dGPU).
Intel iGPU is active via BIOS, while all monitors are connected to the GTX 1070.
Cooling units are CM GX II 650W ASUS VK228H and Acer H226HQL (LED colors: orange not detected, blue detected).
Today was normal until I tried to boot. The MSI EZ Debug LED stayed stuck on VGA.
My monitor correctly picked up the dGPU signal because its LED is blue, yet the screen remained black.
I swapped the dGPU for the iGPU and repeated the process—still no improvement.
After clearing CMOS and removing the battery, the iGPU worked, but the screen stayed black.
I searched online for a used Z1/270 board and found it in about two minutes.
I tried resetting the BIOS to default settings and got into Windows. Then I shut down and reinserted the dGPU. The issue persisted, so I disabled the iGPU temporarily.
I planned a BIOS update, assuming my current version is outdated. I upgraded to 1.4 (supports Kaby Lake).
After six minutes of waiting and two restarts, the system still booted slowly.
I’m concerned this setup might be failing.
Start with the basics—did you not power on the GPU using the latest BIOS? Also, verify that secure boot is active and the CSM is turned off.
As far as I remember, I didn't flash the GPU with the latest BIOS, as my 1070 is using Samsung memory, not Micron. There's no reason to mess around the BIOS. While it's a Founder's Edition, it's from ASUS, with the . Secure Boot is disabled (default), and CSM is disabled, as I'm not using it for Windows 7 or older. I'm using Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit. Plus, it's like any other day, the previous day, it was working well, I didn't touch anything, just cold start (turn on)/resume from sleep. There wasn't even a Windows Update.
Verifying if the PC starts without a screen and testing alternative GPU outputs.
I changed just one of the DP cables to the other two outputs on my 1070, but it still didn’t work. The display stays off with a black screen, and the EZ Debug LED on the VGA lights up. I tried this on the iGPU too, but it didn’t succeed.
I question if the issue lies with the dGPU, since I also tried iGPU without it installed. The display remains stuck on the VGA screen while the power is on and black. I should wait 2-3 minutes for the MSI logo or wallpaper to appear.
I would like a PCIe riser. I own two PCs, RVZ02 and an 'office' LP case. I can't use the RVZ02 because I managed to secure a HDD at the GPU with strong double-sided tape. The office PC is a LP model, and I don’t want to risk damaging it. I’ve tried a GT 520 and a GTX 760 before—they all have the same problem. The POST check is very slow. The display picks up, and the EZ debug LED shows VGA. I’m not sure if this should display anything other than 'Unknown Driver':
I tried to resolve the issue and adjusted the settings to eliminate the odd behavior. The problem persists on both the MSI Z390A-Pro and the 4-minute boot.