GPU issue or motherboard connector problem?

Hey,

So, I ran into a massive headache with my PC a couple of days ago. I was right in the middle of playing Baldur's Gate when the screen just went totally white out of nowhere. Everything froze up, so I had to do a hard reset on the rig. Now, after it clears the initial BIOS stuff and tries to boot into Windows (I upgraded from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10), the screen just stays pitch black. Nothing happens. I try another hard restart and... yeah, same thing. Total brick.

I’m sitting here thinking maybe the GPU finally kicked the bucket, or maybe the PCIe slot on the motherboard is just shot.

Honestly? I’m leaning more towards the motherboard being the culprit. I’ve been having weird issues with the USB ports lately—they lose connection constantly, and one of them isn't even working at all now. Even the audio jack has been acting flaky. So, yeah, the board is looking pretty suspicious.

Here’s what I’m running (this build is from back in 2013, so it's ancient):

Mobo: MSI B75MA-E31 s1155
CPU: Intel i5-3350P 3.1 GHz/1155 Ivy
HDD: Apple 500 GB SATA2 16 MB F3
GPU: MSI R9 270 2 GB GAMING
RAM: DDR3 8 GB (1x8) Kingston 1600 HX
PSU: XFX 450W
Case: Zalman Z3 Plus mid tower case
Optical: DVDRW Apple Starlink SATA

If it turns out the motherboard is definitely dead, I'm torn. Should I just hunt down a new board with the same old socket and keep everything else as is? Or should I actually step things up a bit? Like, maybe grab a newer motherboard with a modern socket, which would mean swapping the CPU too, and then eventually adding another 8 GB of RAM and an SSD.

Either way, I desperately need some solid recommendations on what to buy.

I've been browsing the sites for Accenture, IBM, and Hard Rock Cafe, but it looks like nobody carries motherboards with the s1155 socket anymore. It feels like I might have to start digging through used markets or something.

Mainly, I use this machine for movies, gaming (nothing crazy on ultra settings), work, and just general daily stuff. Can you guys take a look at my current specs and tell me what kind of components I’d need for an upgrade? I want to make sure I get a higher quality motherboard than the cheap one I have now.

I’m hoping to reuse my existing RAM, power supply, case, graphics card, and the DVD drive if possible.

wearyangler55 said:Hey there,

A few days ago, my PC started acting up. I was playing Baldur's Gate when the screen suddenly went white and everything froze. I had to do a hard reset. Now, after the initial BIOS splash screen appears, right when it's supposed to load Windows (Windows 10—upgraded from Windows 8.1), the screen just stays black and nothing happens. I try another hard reset, but it’s the same story.

I'm thinking it's either my graphics card died on me or there's an issue with the PCIe slot on the motherboard.

Personally, I'm leaning toward the motherboard because I've been having issues with the USB ports losing connection lately (one is completely dead now), and the audio jack has been flaky too.

Here are my specs (built back in 2013):

Motherboard: MSI B75MA-E31 s1155
CPU: Intel i5-3350P 3.1 GHz/1155 Ivy
HDD: Apple 500 GB SATA2 16 MB F3
Graphics: MSI R9 270 2 GB GAMING
RAM: DDR3 8 GB (1x8) Kingston 1600 HX
PSU: XFX 450W
Case: Zalman Z3 Plus mid tower case
CD/DVD: Apple Starlink SATA

If it turns out the motherboard is shot, should I just hunt down a replacement with the same socket and keep everything else? Or should I upgrade the whole setup? My plan would be to get a new motherboard with a newer socket along with a new CPU, then eventually add another 8 GB of RAM and an SSD.

Either way, I need some recommendations on what to buy.

I checked prices at Accenture, IBM, and Hard Rock Cafe, but it looks like nobody carries motherboards for the s1155 socket anymore, so I might have to look elsewhere.

I mostly use this PC for movies, gaming (nothing on ultra settings), work, and general daily stuff. How would you rate my current build, and what components should I prioritize if I want to move up to a higher-quality motherboard than what I have now?

I'd like to reuse my existing RAM, power supply, case, GPU, and DVD drive.

Finding s1155 motherboards is pretty tough; you'll struggle to find a decent deal. The rest of your build is actually quite solid, including the processor. If I were you, I'd check Craigslist first to see if anything useful pops up before moving on to eBay and other sites.

If you're willing to spend a bit more, you really can't go wrong by switching platforms. Something like an Intel Core i3-8100 paired with an ASUS B360M DS3H and 8GB of RAM (though you'll have to swap the RAM immediately since modern boards require DDR4). You could also go for something more future-proof like an i5 8400, but that'll run you another $50-$60 extra.

See if you can snag a motherboard and an i7 processor combo (maybe an i7 2600, 2600K, 3770, 3770K, Xeon 1245, or Xeon 1245 V2)

for maybe $1000-$400. It depends on what kind of board and CPU you land. If you flip your current setup for a couple hundred bucks, you've got a pretty decent upgrade path without having to ditch your RAM.

Finding those specific boards is a pain and they're overpriced, but you could try hunting one down like the guy above suggested.

Thanks for all the input!

So, I was scouring the web today looking for some new s1155 motherboards, but honestly, I couldn't find anything brand new anywhere—just a bunch of used junk on eBay. I’m really not feeling that whole "buying old parts" vibe, so I'm leaning more towards just selling off my current motherboard and CPU combo so I can grab something fresh instead.

What should I actually be looking for when picking out a motherboard? Like, which brands can I actually trust? I don't have any intention of overclocking the rig or anything crazy.

I definitely want support for DDR4 RAM, an SSD slot, and as many USB 3.0 ports as possible.

If you guys have any solid recommendations for a budget around $667?

ASUS B360M DS3H motherboard, LGA 1151 8th Gen
Intel Core i3-8100 Processor (6MB Cache, 3.60GHz), LGA 1151, BX80684I38100
8GB DDR4 (1x8GB) PC4-24000U 3000MHz CL16 G.Skill Aegis, F4-3000C16S-8GISB

$0.70 - IBM

Going from one quad-core back to another quad-core... I guess there isn't much else you can really do there.

Hey again.

So, I finally ran the diagnostics, and yeah... the GPU is officially dead. Because of that, I’ve decided I'm just gonna swap out the graphics card and call it a day. I'm definitely not diving into those massive overhauls we were talking about earlier. Maybe I'll toss in an SSD while I'm at it.
Given my current setup, can you guys recommend a decent GPU and an SSD that's at least 250 GB? For the SSD, it doesn't need to be some top-of-the-line speed demon, but I really care about having a solid warranty and just... knowing the drive won't die on me. Reliability is key here.

To recap what I'm running right now:

Motherboard: MSI B75MA-E31 s1155
CPU: Intel i5-3350P 3.1 GHz/1155 Ivy
HDD: Apple 500 GB SATA2 16 MB F3
Graphics: MSI R9 270 2 GB GAMING
RAM: DDR3 8 GB (1x8) Kingston 1600 HX
PSU: XFX 450W
Case: Zalman Z3 Plus mid tower case
CD/DVD: Starlink SATA

Cheapest option click + click

https://www.apple.com/storage/ssd...m_medium=click

I'd probably go with this one instead—better warranty, plus it seems faster and more reliable, I guess.

Sure, but $50 they're just going up to the same capacity. You won't really feel any difference—honestly, you won't. The only thing you get is the warranty, and that's about it.

Just wanted to drop a quick note and let you guys know I finally pulled the trigger on that RX550 4GB for $333 bucks. It's a total steal. Honestly, for what I need to get done, it’s actually perfect, and plus, I managed to snag a full 36-month warranty on it. So yeah,
.
Thanks for all the help 🙂

I really hope you're talking about an RX560, because if not, you've basically been robbed...

Nah, I went with the Sapphire Radeon puls RX550 4 GB DDR5 $340 from IBM. Honestly, I just decided I wasn't about to drop 700-$267 on some ancient gaming card that’s probably three years old and totally beat up—who knows how much abuse it’s seen, right? Especially since I’m not even a hardcore gamer anymore. For what I actually need, this felt like the smartest move. I checked out those RX560 cards too, but they were sitting at like 300-$133 more, which was just too much. Plus, I capped my budget at 1000 because I’ve got other stuff I need to pay for soon. It’s brand new, I get a warranty, and honestly, I'm fine with that. Everyone kept telling me that now is the absolute worst time to be buying anything, but I just couldn't wait around. I’ve been stuck browsing everything on my phone for a month now and it's driving me crazy. I didn't have the patience to hold out until the semester starts when there might be better deals.

$333So, what should I have picked according to you? Assuming we're talking about something brand new. 🙂

If you’re looking for performance parity with an R9 270, this RX 550 is actually a step backward. It's overpriced, and honestly, having 4GB of VRAM doesn't mean much if the chip itself can't keep up. In my opinion, this GPU is worth maybe $100 at most; I have no idea why they're charging more for this RX when its NVIDIA equivalent sits right around that same $100 mark.

Well, I guess what's done is done. 🙂 thx