Question Dell Optiplex 9020 randomly gives no signal from graphics card!

[noob-ish]

I have a Dell Optiplex 9020 MT which I've added a GTX 1050 Ti video card for gaming. It was working fine for months until a couple of weeks ago. The graphics card is randomly giving no signal when booting. I can get a signal from the onboard graphics, but can't game on that. The GPU sometimes works, but I'd have to reboot the computer several times for it to happen. Secure Boot, and Block Sleep (S3 State) are disabled in BIOS, and Boot List Option is set to Legacy, and Legacy Option ROMs is enabled. Sometimes graphics card is not showing up under Primary Display list in BIOS (it only shows onboard graphics). It used to work fine with these settings until recently. When I change boot mode to UEFI, it can't find the boot drive (it says no boot devices found). Any advice on how to get the graphics card to work again would be appreciated.

 

[gdansk]

Do you use display port and change monitors recently by chance? Only idea I have other than a failing GPU: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/nv-uefi-update-x64/

Ah, you're in legacy mode so this probably doesn't apply.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I had similar problems with a recent custom AM4 build and an RX 480 Gaming X. It was a Rosewill chassis, and for some reason, the card didn't want to seat all the way into the mobo slot.

 

[Jimminy]

With power off and unplugged, try removing and re-inserting the video card a few times. (Maybe the contacts are dirty.)

 

[noob-ish]

Do you use display port and change monitors recently by chance? Only idea I have other than a failing GPU: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/nv-uefi-update-x64/

Ah, you're in legacy mode so this probably doesn't apply.

I'm using the DVI port on the GPU.

 

[noob-ish]

I had similar problems with a recent custom AM4 build and an RX 480 Gaming X. It was a Rosewill chassis, and for some reason, the card didn't want to seat all the way into the mobo slot.

With power off and unplugged, try removing and re-inserting the video card a few times. (Maybe the contacts are dirty.)

I took the card out a couple of days ago and cleaned both the card and the slot with compressed air. Still having the same issue (not getting signal from the card and having to reboot several times for it to work). I wonder why this is happening after several months of working fine.

 

[Jimminy]

Since it sometimes doesn't show up in bios, I'm thinking either the card has a problem, or perhaps the motherboard. Can you borrow another video card to see if the problem still exists? Wouldn't have to be the same model, in fact even an older cheap used card might tell you something.

 

[noob-ish]

Replacing the CMOS battery solved the issue.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Replacing the CMOS battery solved the issue.

I know that can solve some boot issues, but this is the first time that I've heard it helped with a non-detecting or black-screen graphics card. Good to know~!

(I've been having some issues with an RX 480 4GB MSI Gaming X card, that I purchased off of one of our members, together with an AM4 mobo and CPU that I purchased off of a different forum member, both highly-respected, and throwing it into a Rosewill chassis + PSU that I purchased new, and I was having black-screen no-GPU boot issues, although the LEDs would all light up, and the HDD light would indicate that Windows was booting. It has been a frustrating few days. So far, I have it working, but I'm going to try your suggestion, as the board was used, and several years old. Maybe swapping the CMOS battery will help ME too...)