# Monitor has signal, screen stays black



## Wrekx (Oct 10, 2011)

Like the title says, my screen stays black but it does have a signal.

The motherboard boot display doesn't show up or anything. But if I unplug the HDMI cable the monitor does notice it's unplugged so it's getting some sort of signal.

I'm using two Gigabyte HD4850 hooked up with the crossfire cables.

I tried just using one video card, didn't work, then I tried the other didn't work.

Is there a chance both went out simultaneously?


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

what are you running
video card brand and model
cpu
m/board
ram
power supply
brand
model
wattage

check the listings in the bios for 12v line voltages and temperatures and post them


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

If the monitor is not showing a display, it is not receiving a signal or it is defective.
Posting the info that dai requested will help us to assist you further.


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## Wrekx (Oct 10, 2011)

video card brand and model: two Gigabyte HD4850 
cpu: i7 930
m/board: Asus p6x58D-E
ram: 14 GB
power: Corsair TX 850
brand: Backyard Tech (Custom)
model: Paper Weight (Custom)
wattage: 850


I slapped in another video card and it's working. Monitor works fine, I just bought it a month ago.

Someone else was messing with the computer, trying to hook up a hard drive on the sata cables to shorten the amount of time it would take to transfer about 1 TB of data (vs using USB 2.0). I was out of the room and personally I think they maybe shorted something with their watch even though they say the computer was turned off.

But both cards going out at once seems like a stretch so I'll double check them, if they don't work, then that's how it go's.

Thank's for the feedback.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

another video card working points to the 2 going out or the psu being faulty with a drop in 

the power output for some reason but unlikely


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## smuglar (Mar 12, 2012)

Hold on... Sometimes its not the monitor. Wrekx reboot and enter your BIOS, look for the option init vga(something like that) and in it pick PCI slot. This tells the motherboard not to use the motherboard integrated VGA but rather the one you installed in the PCI slots. Check that.


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## Wrekx (Oct 10, 2011)

A drop in psu voltage, that's good, hadn't though of that. So was looking in the bios btw.

Ideas like that are why I come to TSF.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

What configuration is the 14GB of RAM?
Using different RAM brand/specs can also cause problems.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

@ smuglar
That Mobo has no option for Onboard Graphics.


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

Yes I too was wondering how you managed 14GB or ram... Answering Tyree's question would help.

I agree with what's already been said, Could be the PSU or GPU's. Have you tried removing one of the cards and seeing if it boots and then switch the card over, You may have a broken card.

Thanks,
Altie


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