Troubleshooting a Mysterious GPU Failure: A Gamer’s Dilemma

As a passionate gamer, there’s nothing quite as frustrating as encountering a sudden hardware failure right in the middle of an exhilarating game session. Recently, I experienced this very nightmare when my gaming rig completely shut down while I was immersed in a 40-man raid in World of Warcraft Classic. Here’s the journey I undertook to diagnose the issue, and I’m seeking insights from the community to ensure I’m on the right track.

Initial Trouble

As I was engaged in an intense boss fight, my screen abruptly went black, and my computer became unresponsive. Initially, I suspected that the power supply unit (PSU) might be the culprit, particularly since it was over six years old. However, after running through a series of tests and configurations, my suspicions shifted towards the graphics processing unit (GPU).

My System Specs

To provide some context, here are the specifications of my current gaming setup:
– CPU: Ryzen 7 3700X (recent upgrade, used)
– GPU: RTX 2070 (Inno3D TwinX2, approximately 1.5 years old)
– Motherboard: MSI B450 Pro Max (2 years old)
– RAM: 32GB DDR4
– PSU: Switched from 600W to 750W

Diagnosing the Issue

After the initial shutdown, I took some immediate steps to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Power Check: I verified that the power socket was functional by plugging in other devices that were working correctly.
2. Cable Replacement: I tested a different cable for the PSU, but the issue persisted.
3. New PSU Installation: After purchasing a new 750W PSU, I connected only the CPU and motherboard to check for signs of life. To my relief, the fans spun up. However, upon connecting the entire system, it remained completely unresponsive—no sounds, no lights, nothing.

When I disconnected the GPU, the fans would start again after I unplugged and re-plugged the PSU connection. This was a puzzling clue pointing towards the GPU being the potential issue.

Temporary Fix and Further Testing

In an attempt to troubleshoot further, I installed an old GT 9800 GPU I had lying around, and to my surprise, my PC powered on successfully. This observation further indicated that my RTX 2070 was likely the