Graphics card/monitor issues

Hey everyone, a few days ago my PC started lagging like crazy while I was running Windows. After opening up the case, I tried unplugging the graphics card and plugging it back in, but now the monitor isn't detecting anything at all. The PC seems to be running fine, but nothing shows up on the screen—just that blinking light you get when a monitor is stuck in standby mode. I'm stumped. Is this a monitor issue, a GPU problem, or something else entirely? My setup uses a Samsung monitor and a GeForce GTX 690. Any advice or ideas on what I should check next?

Is it freezing? Does the screen stutter or is the whole PC locking up?

Did you seat the GPU properly? Maybe there's an issue with the cable connecting the monitor to the card? Also, double-check that you actually plugged in the power connector for the graphics card.

Timothy Kim60 said:Is it stuttering? Is the screen flickering, or is the whole PC just freezing up?

Did you seat the GPU properly? Maybe there’s a loose connection with the HDMI cable? And don't tell me you forgot to plug in the PCIe power connector from the PSU.

Everything is seated correctly—GPU, power cables, all of it. I tried running it via HDMI to my TV and it's the exact same result: no signal, and the TV just sits there in standby mode.

I honestly don't know. It's bizarre because everything was running just fine, but once I took it all apart—it's a total disaster.

Maybe the graphics card finally kicked the bucket? I might have to borrow one from someone just to test things out.

Timothy Kim60 said:I don't know. It’s weird because it was running just fine, but once I took everything apart—it’s a total disaster.

Maybe the GPU kicked the bucket. I'll probably borrow one from someone just to test the theory.

It’s likely the graphics card. I'm going to drop it off at a repair shop. If they can save it, great; if not, I'll just have to drink a couple of beers to deal with the disappointment. :/

Well, you've got much more powerful graphics cards available than that now.

Does this board have integrated graphics? Also, what motherboard are we actually looking at here?

Here’s my current setup:
Intel Core i5-2400, 3.1 GHz, LGA 1155, 7MB cache
ASUS P8H61M-LE
2x4GB G-Skill Ripjaws DDR3
Corsair CX500 V2
500GB Toshiba HDD

I’m looking to set aside $833 to upgrade my GPU, grab a new case, and pick up an SSD. Any suggestions?

Here’s the breakdown:
1 x Cooler Master Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. Standard MB support
1 x Intel 120GB SSD 520, 2.5", SATA III-600, R/W:550/520MB/s
1 x Gigabyte R9 280 3GB WF3 OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, GV-R928WF3OC-3GD

$799craigslist.com

You can always throw in a bit more for $33 if you want a higher-end case, but this Cooler Master one is perfectly fine 🙂

Adam Moore3 said:Here's the breakdown:
1 x Cooler Master Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. Standard MB support
1 x Intel 120GB SSD 520, 2.5", SATA III-600, R/W:550/520MB/s
1 x Gigabyte R9 280 3GB WF3 OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, GV-R928WF3OC-3GD

$799admin.com

If you want to throw an extra $33 at it, you could always grab a higher-end case, but honestly, this Cooler Master one gets the job done just fine.🙂

Nice. Just let me know if my CPU can actually keep up with this GPU, or if I'm going to be hunting for an upgrade soon—and whether I should look into a better cooler for the processor too.

Matthew White6 said:Awesome. Just let me know if this processor is enough to handle this GPU, or if I’ll need to grab something more powerful soon—or maybe even install a new cooler for it?

Yeah, that i5 will drive a 280 without any issues. You can grab a better cooler if you want, but it won't really change much besides potentially keeping things quieter (which shouldn't be an issue anyway). You can't overclock since it's a non-K CPU, and since you aren't overclocking, the chip isn't going to overheat, so I think you're fine without a new cooler. 🙂 Even though it's a Sandy Bridge chip, it's still plenty strong enough to run modern cards like the 280/280X or even better, so I don't think you'll need to worry about an upgrade anytime soon. 🙂

Adam Moore3 said:Yeah, that Intel Core i5 will handle a 280 series card without breaking a sweat. You can grab an extra cooler if you really want to, but honestly, it won't change much besides maybe keeping things a bit quieter (though it shouldn't be loud anyway). Since it’s a non-K chip, overclocking isn't on the table, and since you aren't pushing the clock speeds, the CPU isn't going to overheat, so you're probably fine with the stock setup. 🙂 Even though we're talking about older tech, it's still plenty capable of driving modern GPUs like the 280/280X or even beefier cards, so I don't see a need for an upgrade anytime soon. 🙂

Awesome. Thanks!