Member Avatar for ColbaltHD

Ok my problem is a little tricky and I need help ASAP. I am a bit tech savy my self but I have been at this probem for weeks. My computer starts up fine, fans are spnning and such, but there is no display on my screen. It does not show "No signal" just empty black ness as if it was off.I think it might be the graphics card because it's discontinued but I cant be for sure, and I have no other PC in my house to test it.s Here is the tricky thing, I CAN get it on sometimes when I unplug the power cables everwhere and plug them back in. Once I do that I can play games such as BF4 fine. Although when I manage to start up my computer the time is always off, I have also tried to replace the CMOS battery, which did not help solve anything. I do know its not the monitor cause I tried it on two.
SPECS: CPU: AMD FX-6300
GPU: Sapphire radeon 7850
PSU: XFX 450w
RAM: 8GB

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by JoeMcB

Dani AI

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Quick diagnostic summary for : a black screen that sometimes comes back only after you unplug and re-plug power most often points at a power‑initialization problem (PSU standby / PWR_OK or failing caps), a flaky GPU seat or power lead, or a motherboard BIOS/initialization fault — not the monitor. ’s corrosion-clean idea and ’s suggestion to try the motherboard/video outputs are both useful ways to narrow the fault. (dell.com)

Immediate, safe checks (do these first):

  1. Drain residual power: fully shut down, unplug the PC, hold the front-panel power button 15–30s, then reconnect and try to boot. This discharges “flea” power and can reproduce your unplug‑for‑hours effect in a safer way. (dell.com)
  2. Reseat and inspect the GPU and cables: unplug the PCIe power leads, remove the card, check the gold fingers and slot for debris or corrosion, reseat firmly and reattach power leads. If the board has on‑board video, plug the monitor there to confirm whether the discrete GPU is the issue (as @JoeMcB advised). (manuals.plus)

If the problem persists:

  • Do a minimal boot (CPU, PSU, one RAM stick, GPU or onboard video only) to isolate components; watch motherboard debug LEDs or listen for POST beeps to see which stage fails. (asus.com)
  • Test or swap the PSU: use a PSU tester or a known‑good supply (Corsair’s guide explains safe testing basics). A PSU that intermittently fails to bring up main rails can cause exactly the symptom you describe. (help.corsair.com)

Notes on CMOS/time resets and next steps: replacing a CR2032 doesn’t rule out BIOS corruption or a motherboard power‑delivery fault; clearing CMOS with the jumper and, only if stable, updating the BIOS are standard next steps — but update only when the system can boot reliably. If reseating, PSU swap, and the minimal boot still point to the GPU or motherboard, plan for RMA/repair or a bench test at a local shop. (lifewire.com)

Summary: prioritize the safe power‑drain + reseat + minimal‑boot sequence, test the PSU if you can, and inspect/clean any corrosion carefully (isopropyl/contact‑cleaner techniques). If those checks don’t isolate it, the intermittent nature strongly suggests PSU or motherboard failure rather than drivers or the monitor. (dell.com)

Member Avatar for Member #1111401

I had a similar problem with a Dell tower PC, Come to find out, my cat sprayed on the back of it and caused a corrosion build up on the circuit board near the VGA port. After I removed the cover and brushed away the residue and cleaned it off. the monitor worked again.

Member Avatar for JoeMcB

Does your mobo have a VGA port with onboard graphics, that could be an option? Are you using HDMI or dual link DVI? Try swapping out.

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