Odd Black Screen Behavior

Question

I have an MX17r3 with a GeForce GTX 675M on Win10 Pro 64. I am having an issue with my screen staying blank after computer has booted up. There are several differences in each occurrence. It goes through the process of booting up and at the point where the login screen should be displayed, the screen is just blank, but light can be seen that appears as if it is coming from the bottom of the screen. The screen looks more like a black background with a gray hue. Sometimes a white line is momentarily displayed and then the screen goes black with no visible light. I sometimes have to just wait a while before I can use it. It has just gone black while being used. I then have to force stop the machine, wait a while and try again. Sometimes I get the windows repair screen. I thought maybe it was because the graphics card is getting hot, however, I have had this issue from a cold boot. I should also note that I have an extended desktop and whatever the main screen is doing, so it the other display. This machine can be coaxed into booting up and works for an extended period of time.

So far I have done the following:

1: On bootup I F12 and ran hardware performance test. Everything checked out.

2: I did a computer reset where Windows re-installs but keep your files. It removed some programs.

3: Reinstalled NVIDIA Control Panel and driver, v384.76.

Is there any idea as to what would be causing this? What are some good graphics cards that I can put into my system, preferably one that can handle more than two displays?

Thanks!

4l83r7 · Answer

I had a similar experience on a non-Alienware machine several months ago. It was quite a tough nut to crack. At one time, holding down the shift key helped the system boot normally. At other times, this method didn't work. I only experienced this issue while I was running several Windows Insider Preview builds. I haven't had that issue since the Anniversary Update. I reckon it has more to do with the OS than your hardware.

What version of Windows 10 do you have installed? Are you enrolled in the Windows Insider program?

Carbon Based Lifeform · Answer

Hallo.does Black Screen show up when you Boot in Save Mode?have you tried to reset the BIOS Settings via Clear CMOS? like remove Laptop and Coin Cell Battery and hold Power On Button for a Minute. the Procedure will discharge your entire System and your BIOS Settings will be gone.sometimes you can see whats going on if you check the Reliability Monitor. open Start Menu and type Reliability. it will show up in the Result List. watch for some Errors like Hardware Error or Nvidia Driver Error.also i would try to install Windows from Scratch. backup your Files and Nuke all Partitions.just some Ideas before you go shopping for a new GPU, you know?i like your User Name BTW.

DudeWithAKeyboa · Answer

Thank you to those who replied. I bought a pad with 4 fans and have been running the machine on it. I have not had another occurrence since. I would like to upgrade my video card anyway. The one I have only supports duel monitors and I would like to have more. How can I find our which video cards are compatible with my machine?

Thanks again for your replies. :-)

Carbon Based Lifeform · Answer

so it's Overheating short after Cold Boot? re-paste the Thermal Paste would probably help. as for GPU Swap, i can't answer the Question. maybe Alienware-Eimy or Alienware-Rodrigo  can help here?

Eimy_B · Answer

Hi ‌, Unofficially the biggest card you can get for your model will be the GTX780. But it will work just for dual monitors, not more.

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Odd Black Screen Behavior

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