220-801 · Question #190
A gaming PC has been built from components. The system is getting power but there is no video on the display. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?
The correct answer is C. The PCIe 6-pin power cable is not connected to the high-end video card. High-end discrete video cards require supplemental power via a PCIe power connector; without it, the card will not initialize and no video will be displayed.
Question
A gaming PC has been built from components. The system is getting power but there is no video on the display. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?
Options
- AThe display is defective and needs to be replaced.
- BThe SATA controller is disabled in the BIOS.
- CThe PCIe 6-pin power cable is not connected to the high-end video card.
- DThe CPU is not powerful enough to provide adequate speed to the system.
How the community answered
(27 responses)- A4% (1)
- B7% (2)
- C85% (23)
- D4% (1)
Why each option
High-end discrete video cards require supplemental power via a PCIe power connector; without it, the card will not initialize and no video will be displayed.
A defective display is possible but unlikely as the most probable cause on a new build; the PCIe power oversight is a far more common assembly mistake.
The SATA controller manages storage devices and has no relationship to video card initialization or display output.
A PCIe slot provides a maximum of 75W of power, which is insufficient for high-end gaming GPUs. These cards require a dedicated 6-pin or 8-pin PCIe power cable directly from the PSU; if this cable is absent, the GPU will not receive enough power to operate and the system will fail to produce video output even though the rest of the system powers on.
CPU performance does not prevent video output; even a slow CPU would still allow the GPU to initialize and display a POST screen.
Concept tested: PCIe power requirements for discrete GPU installation
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