PCIe slots collect dust and cards creep. GPU that was fine yesterday and a black screen today is worth a reseat before I file an RMA. It’s mechanical. Rush it and you’ll crack the slot.
Power and the latch
- Shut down, PSU switch off, unplug. Hold the case power button for 10 seconds.
- Unplug the PCIe power connectors from the card. Do not yank by the wires.
- Open the slot latch on the motherboard. If you pull against a locked latch you are levering the slot, not the card.
Pull in line with the slot. A little rock if the bracket’s tight. Never a twist. Blow the slot out (hold blades if a fan’s in the way). Look for debris or a bent slot shield. Reseat until the latch clicks. Plug the PCIe power in fully. An 8-pin that’s one click shy is a new crash.
On the bench
PCIe power cable (only if yours is damaged or you were using an adapter)
If the original cable is burnt at the connector, don’t reseat into a melted plug. Match your PSU’s modular series. Random 8-pin cables are not all pinned the same.
- Modular cables are PSU-specific. The wrong one can put 12V where it does not belong. Buy the kit made for your PSU model, not a random 8-pin.
- No SATA-to-PCIe adapters. Ever.
Verdict
Unplug, unlatch, reseat until it clicks, real PCIe power back on. If the card still isn’t detected, then you’re in driver, power, or RMA land. Not before.