# What GPU should I use in the system I'm building

**URL:** <https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470>\
**Category:** Hardware\
**Created:** [July 9, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470 "2020-07-09T21:56:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 4:53am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/43 "2020-08-17T04:53:05Z")

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I want to have a dual display setup but am using an HDMI switch. Is there a way to tell the computer to use both but only use both monitors issues.

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**Author:** ![CleVeRFeLLa](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/cleverfella/32/8015_2.png) [@CleVeRFeLLa](https://www.twit.community/u/CleVeRFeLLa)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 4:01am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/44 "2020-08-18T04:01:35Z")

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Don’t use the switch. plug both monitors in to your video card and set them up in windows. you can extend your desktop or mirror

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**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 3:21am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/45 "2020-08-24T03:21:11Z")

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@PHolder @CleVeRFeLLa@knewman I finished just now but it won’t turn on.

 ![IMG_20200823_231826](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/twit/original/2X/7/7ee5cda9f326a55bb7f4cd00267cd49278add60c.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![knewman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/knewman/32/1153_2.png) [@knewman](https://www.twit.community/u/knewman)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 3:43am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/46 "2020-08-24T03:43:41Z")

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oh no! what does it do when you hit the power button? do the fans spin up at all?

start with the basics - check that all connections are tight, and all necessary connections are plugged in (some people miss the CPU power connections), and the PSU is switched on. try reseating components as well.

if your motherboard is getting power it should give you POST codes to try and provide hints about what component is causing the problem. you can look these up in the troubleshooting section of the motherboard manual.

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**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 4:00am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/47 "2020-08-24T04:00:12Z")

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> [@knewman](#):
>
> what does it do when you hit the power button?

Nothing. The power indicator light doesn’t even go on.

I think the PSU might be dead.

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**Author:** ![PHolder](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/pholder/32/2439_2.png) [@PHolder](https://www.twit.community/u/PHolder)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 4:49am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/48 "2020-08-24T04:49:54Z")

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You plugged in and turned on the power to the PSU, right? (Always best to check the simplest things first.)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 5:22am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/49 "2020-08-24T05:22:50Z")

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Yes I did. It’s definitely plugged in and I also tried flipping the PSU switch a couple of times.

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**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 5:26am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/50 "2020-08-24T05:26:42Z")

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> [@knewman](#):
>
> try reseating components as well.

I can’t find where the reset button is the manual doesn’t seem to say anything even. It’s a Gigabyte X570 GAMING X Motherboard

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**Author:** ![PHolder](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/pholder/32/2439_2.png) [@PHolder](https://www.twit.community/u/PHolder)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 5:30am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/51 "2020-08-24T05:30:07Z")

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> [@SamGreenwood](#):
>
> I think the PSU might be dead.

One of these might be helpful

> **[Thermaltake Dr. Power II Automated Power Supply Tester Oversized LCD for All...](https://www.amazon.ca/Thermaltake-Automated-Oversized-Supplies-AC0015/dp/B005F778JO)**
>
> Dr. Power ii is a fully automated diagnostic tool that allows full testing of the power supply and the output voltages of all of the rails and connectors to assist with diagnosis and troubleshooting of stability or non-posting issues due to faulty or...

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**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/52 "2020-08-24T22:57:50Z")

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@PHolder Here’s the reading I got:

 ![20200824_190034](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/twit/original/2X/9/9557dd632cf08cad4405fe6a8ce266041c6a18e0.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:50pm UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/53 "2020-08-24T23:50:51Z")

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Ends up that the front panel connectors were disconnected. I’m having trouble reconnecting them, is there an adapter that I use that plugs into the board and the connectors plug into it?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PHolder](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/pholder/32/2439_2.png) [@PHolder](https://www.twit.community/u/PHolder)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 1:19am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/54 "2020-08-25T01:19:21Z")

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> [@SamGreenwood](#):
>
> Ends up that the front panel connectors were disconnected

Disconnected on which end? It would not be normal for them to disconnect from the case itself, so I assume you mean disconnected from the motherboard?

Some motherboards come with a little thingie that holds all the connectors for the power switch, the reset switch, and HDD activity LED and system speaker in one unit to make them easier to disconnect and reconnect. That is only usually on the higher end boards, and even then it’s not entirely common.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 1:22am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/55 "2020-08-25T01:22:47Z")

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The board end. They keep coming disconnected. I got them connected again but they just came down to disconnected again.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PHolder](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/pholder/32/2439_2.png) [@PHolder](https://www.twit.community/u/PHolder)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 1:24am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/56 "2020-08-25T01:24:58Z")

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They’re just friction fit over the pins on the MOBO. There shouldn’t be any strain on them, so there is no reason for them to spontaneously disconnect. You got cats or ghosts there or something? 😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 4:40am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/57 "2020-08-25T04:40:11Z")

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There back in and it still won’t turn on.

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**Author:** ![PHolder](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/pholder/32/2439_2.png) [@PHolder](https://www.twit.community/u/PHolder)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 4:54am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/58 "2020-08-25T04:54:07Z")

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Well you know the PSU is good, so then there are really only a few things you could have wrong…

The MOBO needs power in two locations. There is a large connector with 24 pins and then a small 6 or 8 pin connector at a different location. Check your MOBO manual for these locations.

Assuming those are connected properly, then you need to make sure the power switch is properly connected. Its normally not polarized, but on some systems it could be, so make sure you see if there is a positive and negative indication. There may be a white stripe on the cable to let you know which side is the positive.

If that’s all right, I think the thing should power up… however, you should check all over for any grounds or shorts. I once had a problem where a metal pin slid into a USB port from the I/O shield (that metal thing that covers the hole in the back of the case where all the MOBO connectors (like keyboard) are.)

There is frequently some LED to let you know the MOBO is getting power at all. And on a lot of MOBOs there are some basic diagnostic LEDs for POSTing.

I donno if this will help or not:

> **[Here's How to Troubleshoot a DIY PC That Won't Start | Digital Trends](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/pc-troubleshooting-guide/)**
>
> It's not uncommon to run into PC problems, especially if you built your own rig. This troubleshooting guide will take you through all the fixes step by step.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/59 "2020-08-25T20:25:16Z")

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I think I dented the CMOS battery while installing the GPU. At the time I didn’t realize what it was at the time.

**Update:** ends up I didn’t damage it, I received the mobo with the battery not in all the way.

**Update 2:** tried resetting the CMOS, that didn’t work either.

@PHolder

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 10:36pm UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/61 "2020-08-27T22:36:42Z")

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@PHolder @CleVeRFeLLa @knewman Still won’t turn on. have any other ideas?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SamGreenwood](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/samgreenwood/32/16086_2.png) [@SamGreenwood](https://www.twit.community/u/SamGreenwood)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/62 "2020-08-27T23:19:56Z")

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I’m gonna try to do a jumper test. But I have 1 problem the 12 pin seems to be stuck to the mobo.

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**Author:** ![knewman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/knewman/32/1153_2.png) [@knewman](https://www.twit.community/u/knewman)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 1:59am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/what-gpu-should-i-use-in-the-system-im-building/7470/63 "2020-08-28T01:59:29Z")

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PHolder had some good suggestions, did you go through his post? If so, what were the results?

- Motherboard has proper power connections (reference mobo user guide)
- Power switch is properly connected (reference mobo user guide)
- Any grounds/shorts to the mobo? Did you use insulating washers on the mobo mounts?
- Any diagnostic LEDs/beeps?
- From the article he linked - are there any idle LEDs that should be active on the mobo which would indicate it’s getting power?

Building a PC yourself requires a bit of finagling and thinking. We can answer specific questions but you’re the only one with the equipment in front of you.

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