PC Problem

[Monoochrom]

So, I've been trying to fix a Issue with my GFs PC. But I'm starting to get frustrated with it.

The Problem is that, despite otherwise working without Issue, her Monitor will go into Standby at seemingly random (though certain Streaming Sites seem to make this more likely to happen.) which can be really annoying as we've forgone buying TVs for over a decade now, meaning the PC pretty much is our TV. For the most part this can be solved by simply turning it back on (though sometimes it will refuse to show a Picture unless I hard-reset the PC).

I've already tried re-installing Windows, didn't help.

I gave the insides a cleaning after noticing that the GPU wasn't cooling well when I tested it with furmark. Fixed the heat problem, nothing else changed.

I don't think it's the Monitor because, as stated it otherwise works fine.

Now, here's the biggest issue. I have 0 Options for trading Hardware and figuring it out that way, there is simply no other Hardware available. At this point, from my perspective it could be pretty much anything (though I assume the GPU is the problem child) from where I'm standing.

Any ideas on what my next move should be (barring the obvious like sending it to a repair shop or running out and buying expensive hardware based on a assumption) given the circumstances? Any Tools I may not be aware of? A angle I may have not considered?

 

[Gauche]

Consider performing an exorcist.

Sounds like the monitor is the issue to me.
Don't know of a properly working monitor which refuses to display the video baring a hard reset of the video source. That sounds spooky to me.

Maybe some fuckery with the power cord?

Safe mode should disable external GPU cards so if you can boot into that and not experience the issue the problem is there.

 

[Arnox]

Consider performing an exorcist.

Sounds like the monitor is the issue to me.
Don't know of a properly working monitor which refuses to display the video baring a hard reset of the video source. That sounds spooky to me.

Maybe some fuckery with the power cord?

Safe mode should disable external GPU cards so if you can boot into that and not experience the issue the problem is there.

If he doesn't have an internal GPU, he'll have to use the external one regardless. So yeah, I would plug the monitor into the motherboard GPU if you have one, Mono, and if you don't, then I would take the monitor over to someone else's computer and see if it has the same problem.

Ultimately though, if it's still acting up after a system reinstall, then this is a heavy indicator that this is a hardware issue, and if so, then it doesn't really matter what's broken if you don't have the money to replace it.

Check your wire connections, and check the seating of the GPU on the motherboard. Lastly, make sure that the GPU you have is actually what you think it is by downloading GPU-Z and then making sure you have the right drivers for it downloaded and installed.

 

[Monoochrom]

Funds aren't lacking...well, unless you'd expect anyone to fix their computer by randomly buying new parts until the problem goes away. The point there was simply that we don't want to go through with the hassle of trying to return the hardware if it turns out to not solve the problem.

I'll see if I can hook it up to the mainboard, not sure if she has the right port there off the top of my head though. The Monitor is definitely older (no hdmi) but, as stated, otherwise works fine. And also, since thos doesn't seem to have come across, one of my main reasons for not thinking it's the monitor is that even when I have to do the hard reset (which isn't typically necessary) it will start showing picture again when Windows displays the shut down message.

 

[Battousai]

Funds aren't lacking...well, unless you'd expect anyone to fix their computer by randomly buying new parts until the problem goes away. The point there was simply that we don't want to go through with the hassle of trying to return the hardware if it turns out to not solve the problem.

I'll see if I can hook it up to the mainboard, not sure if she has the right port there off the top of my head though. The Monitor is definitely older (no hdmi) but, as stated, otherwise works fine. And also, since thos doesn't seem to have come across, one of my main reasons for not thinking it's the monitor is that even when I have to do the hard reset (which isn't typically necessary) it will start showing picture again when Windows displays the shut down message.

Sounds more like the problem is in the transmission from the PC to the monitor, doesn't mean your gpu is broken, might be just that the cable is a bit wonky and needs a replacement. I'm using an older HDMI cable for my PC for example and sometimes when I'm gaming or surfing the web it will make my monitor blink a bit when I'm doing several things at the same time.