# Help Diagnosing a Random Black Screen Issue



## Liquid4rt

*So first and foremost is the specs:*

9900k (Stock)
32gb (4x8gb) Corsair Vengeance RGB Ram 3200mhz
Z390 Gaming SLI Board
RTX 3090 (Stock)
EVGA P2 1000w psu
NVME drive for storage
SSD for Windows
SSD for storage
(System is custom watercooled)

1 x 1440p 34" ultrawide connected via DP
1 x 1080p 24" connected via DP
1 x LCD Sensor panel connected via HDMI

*The Problem:*
The system has been running flawlessly for around 6-7 months in this setup until about 1-2 weeks ago. Initially the gpu was mounted vertically using a Riser when the black screening started. I started to diagnose it as it was doing it quite frequently, once every 15-30 mins. Doesn't matter what i was doing, could be idle, web browsing, youtubing, gaming it would just black screen across all monitors but i can still hear sound and its NOT looping which tells me the pc is still running but somehow the display has been disconnected. I can also hear what sounds like a Hardware disconnect sound (the sound you hear when you remove a USB device).

Event viewer would throw up the usual after i restart to check the logs *"nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered"* followed by:

*The Desktop Window Manager process has exited. (Process exit code: 0xe0464645, Restart count: 6, Primary display device ID: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090)*

and also:

*Faulting application name: dwm.exe, version: 10.0.19041.746, time stamp: 0x6be51595 Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.19041.964, time stamp: 0x812662a7 Exception code: 0xe0464645 Fault offset: 0x000000000010b39c Faulting process ID: 0x1bcc Faulting application start time: 0x01d75a6f0de9d0f8 Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\dwm.exe Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll Report ID: ad0557b8-ee51-4a26-bc20-c854c480007e Faulting package full name: Faulting package-relative application ID: *

Also:

*Winlogon in session 1 (console) reuqested session stop using GPU, returned status STATUS_SUCCESS*

I managed to replicate the issue by gently moving the riser cable which again caused it to black screen... So i thought okay thats the culprit, removed it and now the gpu is directly plugged into the PCIE slot on the board (no more riser cable).


However, although it does not black screen as frequent, it still does at random occasions same as before maybe once a day. The event viewer will throw up the same errors repeatedly till i restart. Restarting the system will go back to normal.


*So far i have tried the following:*
Reseated the GPU
Reseated the Ram and moved to different slots
Increased RAM voltage from 1.35v to 1.4v
Downclocked gpu (core and mem)
Removed the Extension cables for the pcie power to the gpu so now its running directly from the psu.
Checked cables for damage (no damage)
Lowered the hz rate from 144hz to 120hz on both displays
Updated to latest nvidia drivers
Updated windows 10 to latest version
Checked bios settings and set to run Gen 3, gpu-z is showing its running correctly.

*Yet to try:*
New PSU (On the way)
New DP cables (Don't think its this as all screens are going black not just 1)
DDU drivers and try a fresh
Try gpu in a different pcie slot
Trying a different gpu in the same slot
Clean windows install


Im pretty sure its not the gpu that's faulty as there's no artifacts or weird behavior and it runs spot on in games. Core temp is around 46c and Vram temp is around 66c.
I'm heading more towards a software compatibility or conflict issue or possibly a bad psu thats tripping it?


What do you guys think? Any help or advice or anything else to try i would much appreciate it.
Thank you.


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## shilka

To me it sounds like it might be the motherboard so try another GPU before you swap the PSU
Also what new PSU did you order?


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## Liquid4rt

shilka said:


> To me it sounds like it might be the motherboard so try another GPU before you swap the PSU
> Also what new PSU did you order?


I'll admit ive spilled coolant onto the board before but it was always a tiny amount and quickly dabbed away and dried properly before turning the system back on. Theres no visible staining on the board either. 

Should i try another gpu in the same slot or a different slot?

I ordered the new batch of Seasonic Focus GX 850w. Seems pretty highly rated, should be ample for my build.


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## Liquid4rt

I forgot to note, the EVGA 1000w P2 is quite old, i'd say it was around 5 years, maybe more. Was bought secondhand and was pretty dusty when i received it so had to dust it out. I got this installed roughly the same time i installed the 3090 around 5 months ago.


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## shilka

Try another GPU in the same slot if the problem goes away its your old GPU if the problem is still there its either the slot or the motherboard in which case you try another slot and if the second GPU does the same in that slot then the motherboard is probably FUBAR

You could also try another DP cable and save the PSU for last since its the most work
Unless the PSU is broken its probably not the problem the P2 is a Super Flower Leadex which is still quite good but on the other hand i have heard stories anout P2´s having problems

If a new DP cable new PSU and trying a second GPU in more than one slot does not fix the problem then its the motherboard for sure i cant see what else it could be


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## ku4eto

Check with another OS, not Windows. Try Linux Mint for example off a USB, and see if it will do the same.
Black screening, but having the OS keep running seems like a software issue, not a hardware one. If you physically disconnect your GPU, while its running, you will most probably crash your PC.


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## Liquid4rt

shilka said:


> Try another GPU in the same slot if the problem goes away its your old GPU if the problem is still there its either the slot or the motherboard in which case you try another slot and if tthe second GPU does the same in that slot then the motherboard is probably FUBAR
> 
> You could also try another DP cable and save the PSU for last since its the most work
> Unless the PSU is broken its probably not the problem the P2 is a Super Flower Leadex which is still quite good but on the other hand i have heard stories anout P2´s having problems
> 
> If a new DP cable new PSU and trying a second GPU in more than one slot does not fix the problem then its the motherboard for sure i cant see what else it could be


I like your logic here, i have a 3070 which i can try.

Would a DP cable really cause this issue though? I mean if it was 1 faulty cable, surely wouldn't cause all 3 screens to go black?


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## Liquid4rt

ku4eto said:


> Check with another OS, not Windows. Try Linux Mint for example off a USB, and see if it will do the same.
> Black screening, but having the OS keep running seems like a software issue, not a hardware one. If you physically disconnect your GPU, while its running, you will most probably crash your PC.


That was my thoughts also, it doesn't seem like the gpu has failed, it seems more like a driver failure or driver conflict. Shortly after the black screen i will hear a USB or Hardware disconnect sound.


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## shilka

Liquid4rt said:


> I like your logic here, i have a 3070 which i can try.
> 
> Would a DP cable really cause this issue though? I mean if it was 1 faulty cable, surely wouldn't cause all 3 screens to go black?


Almost forgot what you should do first is remove all traces of your drives BEFORE you start messing around with hardware
Download this and remove all traces of your drivers that might fix the problem if its sofware Display Driver Uninstaller Download version 18.0.3.9


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## Liquid4rt

shilka said:


> Almost forgot what you should do first is remove all traces of your drives BEFORE you start messing around with hardware
> Download this and remove all traces of your drivers that might fix the problem if its sofware Display Driver Uninstaller Download version 18.0.3.9


Will do mate, will DDU the drivers before i plug in the 3070 and start a fresh.


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## Liquid4rt

So just to update, removed the card to inspect the PCIE slot and i noticed what looks like water staining and some of the pins in the PCIE slot look discolored. This is probably from my last water leak when the cpu block leaked and dripped onto the pcie slot. 

Will try the 3090 in the second slot and see if it produces the same black screen. If it doesn't i know for sure its the slot thats knackered.


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## kiriakos

Liquid4rt said:


> So just to update, removed the card to inspect the PCIE slot and i noticed what looks like water staining and some of the pins in the PCIE slot look discolored. This is probably from my last water leak when the cpu block leaked and dripped onto the pcie slot.
> 
> Will try the 3090 in the second slot and see if it produces the same black screen. If it doesn't i know for sure its the slot thats knackered.


As hot supporter of Air-cooling, I do totally avoid engaging in to such topics, because I do receive attacks of nastiness.
*CPU block leaked and dripped* this is normality and a huge risk that anyone takes for him self.

Try to find one of these and if the motherboard this gets rescued ? then you own me a donation.





fiber glass pencil & corroded contact terminals


fiber glass pencil & corroded contact terminals



www.ittsb.eu


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## p1tch5

Liquid4rt said:


> So just to update, removed the card to inspect the PCIE slot and i noticed what looks like water staining and some of the pins in the PCIE slot look discolored. This is probably from my last water leak when the cpu block leaked and dripped onto the pcie slot.
> 
> Will try the 3090 in the second slot and see if it produces the same black screen. If it doesn't i know for sure its the slot thats knackered.


DId you manage to find a fix? Ive been getting the exact same problem with my 2080 and havent found a fix for months


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## Liquid4rt

p1tch5 said:


> DId you manage to find a fix? Ive been getting the exact same problem with my 2080 and havent found a fix for months


Think for me it was a combination of things. 

A bad PCIE slot on the riser cable plus liquid on the pcie slot on the motherboard
A bad DP cable

I cleaned up the slot on the motherboard and on the card and both have been working great though i ended up changing board anyway as i migrated over to a ITX build. 

No issues since the change over.


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## p1tch5

Liquid4rt said:


> Think for me it was a combination of things.
> 
> A bad PCIE slot on the riser cable plus liquid on the pcie slot on the motherboard
> A bad DP cable
> 
> I cleaned up the slot on the motherboard and on the card and both have been working great though i ended up changing board anyway as i migrated over to a ITX build.
> 
> No issues since the change over.


Oh damn. I've changed every part but my GPU and still got the problem. Maybe i have some spilled liquid on my slot too


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