GPU might be broken?

  • Hi there and welcome to PC Help Forum (PCHF), a more effective way to get the Tech Support you need!
    We have Experts in all areas of Tech, including Malware Removal, Crash Fixing and BSOD's , Microsoft Windows, Computer DIY and PC Hardware, Networking, Gaming, Tablets and iPads, General and Specific Software Support and so much more.

    Why not Click Here To Sign Up and start enjoying great FREE Tech Support.

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.
  • Hello everyone We want to personally apologize to everyone for the downtime that we've experienced. We are working to get everything back up as quickly as possible. Due to the issues we've had, your password will need to be reset. Please click the button that says "Forgot Your Password" and change it. We are working to have things back to normal. Emails are fixed and should now send properly. Thank you all for your patience. Thanks, PCHF Management
Status
Not open for further replies.
Apr 28, 2019
2
0
22
I got an old 9 270X from a friend that he thought broke due to liquid damage, but he didn't try to power it afterwards anymore. I cleaned it with some 96% alcohol, applied new thermal paste and tried it in my PC a few months ago, and it worked fine for a few minutes, but whilst installing the drivers i got a black screen, after which i couldn't get it to boot anymore. Then a friend tried it for me, and he said that it powered just fine for him (but I assume that he didn't try to download the driver or use for a long time).
Now, months later, I tried to put it in a different PC and it didn't boot with it. After this I booted into Windows with the GPU installed but using the MoBo video connector. Doing this, I saw in the device manager that the "basic adapter" (or something along those lines) (one of the 2, presumably the 270X one) had an issue with the drivers. I tried to reinstall the driver multiple times now (with and without safe mode) and the PC kept on freezing the PC or rebooting during the install, losing the entirety of the installation progress. Now when I try to boot the PC using the 270X as primary video controller I get to the BIOS splash screen (for a shorter amount of time than normal) after which I get a no signal black screen. I've tried to boot to the BIOS and to windows, but I get the same effect that I just said.
After all of this I tried to boot the PC using an R9 280 instead, with it working perfectly, even with the same R9 200 series drivers.
The fact that it boots to the splash screen and has worked multiple times with different PCs (without anything major happening to it in between the time that I tried it) makes me assume that it still works.
Can anyone give me some advice or final verdicts? Any help is appreciated.

TL/DR: GPU worked fine in PC until installing drivers, after which no signal and unable to boot. Tried in another PC and worked fine (without driver install though). Put it in new PC after a while and used MoBo video out, device manager showed a driver issue. When installing drivers auto reboot and losing driver install progress. Different GPU, same series works fine, with the same drivers("broken" R9 270X to normal R9 280). Original GPU now boots to BIOS splash screen, then no signal and unable to boot to BIOS or windows.

PS: Booted the PC into safe mode, still using the MoBo video. Now the 270X gets seen as "AMD Radeon R9 200 Series" and what I assume to be the MoBo video gets seen as "ATI Radeon 3000 Graphics".

Specs:
  • AMD Athlon II X4 635
  • Asus M4A78L-M Le
  • 2 * DDR2 4GB 800mHz
  • AMD Radeon R9 270X Twin Frozr 2G
  • Cooler Master G650M (650W, Semi-Mod)
 
Can you advise as to where you are up to with testing + any outcome.

Please note that while troubleshooting it is important that we stick to a plan so that we can keep a check on what has been tried.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.