System experiencing signal loss accompanied by sound and occasional restarts
System experiencing signal loss accompanied by sound and occasional restarts
Hey everyone, I’m facing a major issue with my system and really need some assistance. This problem began about six to seven months ago after I bought a new GPU—initially everything worked fine for months. Then, I started experiencing rare display signal loss, which gradually intensified over a couple of weeks, becoming frequent every time I launched a game. Eventually, I took it to a local tech shop who diagnosed it as a faulty GPU. Around $500 later, I got a new one, and the problem appeared to be resolved.
Six months passed until yesterday, and suddenly the issue resurfaced. After restarting once, it seemed fine, but now it’s persistent—every time I open a game, I encounter black screens, signal loss errors, and the system remains responsive for several minutes before locking up. I can multitask easily: watch YouTube, juggle multiple tabs, play browser games, and even run browser games without any trouble. However, once a game starts loading, everything freezes. It happens with various titles—World of Warcraft, Ark, Stardew Valley, Call of Duty, Starfield, Red Dead Redemption 2, and more.
I’ve tried several solutions: updating GPU drivers, reinstalling drivers via DDU, performing a full Windows update, reinstalling Windows, using new HDMI and DP cables, running NVIDIA in different modes, installing shell fixes, stripping the system thoroughly, resetting CMOS, testing internal graphics, checking for Instanz crashes, and even testing with a new power supply. I’ve also tried updating the BIOS, but the Aisuite indicated no updates were available, which isn’t reassuring.
I’ve experimented with Overclocking tools and OC/UC settings, but I’m not confident enough to make those changes myself. I haven’t updated the BIOS or made any significant changes to the operating system. I’ve also tested a new power supply, but since I only have access to one unit, it’s just a precaution due to the high cost of GPUs.
I’m quite concerned that this might be an issue beyond the GPU itself—perhaps something else in my system is causing these problems. Since buying two GPUs from different brands in quick succession is unlikely to cause such issues, I’m wondering if there’s another factor at play.
Here’s a summary of what I’ve done:
- Updated GPU drivers
- Reinstalled drivers with DDU
- Performed Windows updates and reinstall
- Used new HDMI and DP cables
- Ran NVIDIA diagnostics in various modes
- Installed shell fixes
- Completely reset system, cleaned components
- Stripped system thoroughly
- Reset CMOS
- Tested internal graphics
- Checked for Instanz crashes
- Tested with a new PSU (last resort due to cost)
Any thoughts would be appreciated. I’m really worried it could be something else in my setup that’s damaging my GPUs, not the GPUs themselves.
Check the Reliability History/Monitor and Event Viewer for any error codes, warnings, or informational events recorded right before or during the lockups.
I'm not familiar with the Event Viewer, but from what I can see, the "Critical" tabs show many "Kernal-power" errors. It seems this issue might be linked to a system reboot that didn't shut down properly. This error could result if the system stopped working, crashed, or lost power suddenly.
I suspect this isn't the cause of the original problem, but rather something related to resetting power.
It's unclear which details are most important here; the Information section contains many entries and appears safe, while the Error section has numerous "Metadata staging failed" entries and a high count for "nvlddmkm" in the last 24 hours.
The following data was recorded with the event:
\Device\Video3
Error occurred on GPUID: 100
I spent the night looking for more answers, mostly checking my RAM which I didn’t do, but now it seems both are working fine. I’m leaning toward the PSU being the issue, probably because the one I have is over 10 years old. I don’t remember how long it’s been installed—whether it’s 5 or 3 years—but it was made in 2015, so it’s an older model. I found a thread with someone asking for details, but unfortunately there was no solution provided, so I’m not sure if this helps.