3

Nearly a year ago, I came home to find my GPU fans spinning very loudly and my computer getting no video at all. So I restarted it, still no video output from the GPU, GPU fans are spinning at 100%, but the computer still boots as I can hear the windows startup sound and remote desktop into it. I tried reseating the card and unplugging everything and plugging it back in, still didn't work. Even tried the card in a friend's build and it still didn't work. So I sent it back to Gigabyte and they sent me a new card.

Card #2 only lasted about 2 days in my build before it happened again. I checked the Windows event logs and nothing suspicious happened. Temps were also all normal, my build stays fairly cool during idle. And the only stress I had put on the card was a few hours of DayZ and Battlefield. I also don't leave my computer on for very long periods of time. Typically only when I'm at work so I can remote into it.

When card #3 arrived, I swapped the motherboard and PSU for brand new counterparts (I was a little due for an upgrade anyways and I had the brand new PSU for free from CoolerMaster laying around). Here's my build before I swapped the hardware, and here's my build after I swapped the hardware. With that swap, I changed absolutely all cabling besides the cables coming from the system fans (obviously can't change those without getting new fans completely). Card 3 lasted for maybe a month and a half, possibly more I can't remember now. Anyways, it did the same thing as the other two.

I don't know what could be causing it after swapping all hardware where the issue could have originated and all the cabling. I'm very sure everything is plugged in securely, I'm taking all proper static prevention precautions during the build, no metals inside the case are touching and the motherboard headers + risers are all fastened and installed properly. I even got a brand new surge protector to prevent anything bad from the wall reaching my PC, and I also moved my build to the other side of the room so I'm on a different power rail. But still, card 3 shit the bed.

I'm also very sure that Gigabyte is sending me different cards each time and not the same faulty card (can tell by serial numbers). Each card also had varying manufacture dates, so they were even from different batches from the factory as well.

Any guesses? Anything at all? I'm super stumped and the only thing I could possibly think of is maybe the RAM is short circuiting the GPU (I've heard of RAM to cause some weird things), but I ran Memtest86+ through 20 passess and it found no errors, saying my memory passed 100% of tests.

Any help is really appreciated, I just want to be able to play games again without having to worry about this damn thing. I'm willing to answer any and all relevant questions. My entire hardware listing is in the above links from before and after I swapped hardware from my build.

Thanks.

6
  • 3
    Perhaps your computer is on the verge of attaining sentience, but your graphics cards are not ready to evolve.
    – Jason C
    May 22, 2015 at 2:11
  • So you changed the power supply. Have you stop using the same outlet? Do you have stable power where you live? Have you made sure there is nothing wrong with the circuit breaker?
    – Ramhound
    May 22, 2015 at 2:27
  • @Ramhound Yes I'm no longer using the same outlet, I said so in my post. I also said I got a brand new surge protector to protect from anything bad from the outlet. So I'm fairly sure it's nothing to do with the power. I started living here at least 5 months before it first occurred, so the time differences between occurrences seem too irregular for it to be that. May 22, 2015 at 2:36
  • I wonder if Gigabyte are sending you refurbished cards that aren't quite fixed.
    – Paul
    May 22, 2015 at 2:59
  • @Paul I mean, there's not really a way to test that for sure. But these cards are "breaking" all the same way and all at irregular intervals after an irregular overall lifespan. I also kinda doubt Gigabyte would send back 3, possibly 4, faulty cards but I guess there's a small possibility. May 22, 2015 at 3:09

2 Answers 2

3

There's no way to prove this, but it seems like your monitor should be a prime suspect. I've had a monitor kill a graphic card before, and it was a very similar situation: nothing in the logs, components all checked out, and my whole rig on a surge protector. I had another card fail in less than 3 months, and when I replaced it the next time, I got two shiny new monitors to replace my old one at the same time. No problems ever since.
Well, at least not with the graphics card. :P. You know windows, there's always somethin'.

4
  • Do you think something like this amazon.com/ViewHD-HDMI-Surge-Protector-Protection/dp/B00G0NTMH8 would prevent that? Seeing as my monitor works just fine, I'd like to keep it until it actually goes bad. So if I can just prevent the monitor from short circuiting my card, then that'd be an easy way to minimize the cost. May 22, 2015 at 5:48
  • @AustinDizzy If the monitor is the issue, then yes, that should work. Like you said, it's cost-effective idea, I can't vouch for the product because I don't use one, but in theory that seems like an easy fix. If you end up trying it let me know the outcome.
    – TheSpenny
    May 22, 2015 at 5:55
  • @TheSpenny If the case is that the monitor is causing the problem, assuming my monitor is still under warranty, do you think it'd just be easier to get it replaced under warranty? This asus.com/us/Monitors_Projectors/VN248HP is my monitor and as far as I've seen, ASUS will send you a brand new monitor and you just ship the old one back in the same box. I've been reading some reviews for the surge protector I linked to before and some have said it didn't work well, produced visual noise/interference, etc. May 26, 2015 at 18:13
  • If it's really that easy to get it replaced under warranty, I wouldn't hesitate to do it. I'd say your monitor is the most likely culprit, and that its most likely a defective component within the monitor, not a design flaw, so if there's no barrier to getting a replacement monitor other than paying for shipping, that's a cheap, easy way to test the theory. I would do it.
    – TheSpenny
    May 27, 2015 at 6:58
-1

I have the same issue with With my gigabyte rtx 3070. its not your board fault or monitor or any other components it is just their bad GPUs, my gigabyte card also died 2 times being short circuit, second time it died in 2 days. I bought new Asus rtx 3070 card which more expensive than gigabyte for the same machine and running without any issues.

1

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .