MSI PRO Z690-A faulty PCI or what?

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a.shpitonko15b402e6

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Hi there!
I have an MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 WIFI motherboard that’s over two years old, so unfortunately, it’s out of warranty. 🥲

A few weeks ago, I started experiencing crashes and initially thought it might be an issue with my GPU. I reinstalled the drivers, ran some tests, and eventually swapped out the GPU for my old one—but the crashes persisted.

Here’s how it crashes: the video signal suddenly cuts out (black screen), and when I reboot the PC, there’s still no video signal. The GPU’s LED lights don’t turn on, and the motherboard’s VGA debug light comes on. However, if I apply slight pressure to the GPU (pushing it inward in the PCIe slot), the connection seems to restore. The GPU lights come back on, and I can reboot the PC with video output again. But after a few minutes, it crashes the same way.

Mechanically, the PCIe slot seems fine. The GPU fits snugly, is supported by a vertical holder, and I’ve even tried running the PC on its side—no luck. I’ve tested the motherboard with a different GPU, CPU, and power supply, and the issue still happens, so I’m confident the motherboard is the culprit.

Any idea what might be causing this? Is there a way to fix it without replacing the motherboard? Thanks in advance!
 
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a.shpitonko15b402e6 said:
Hi there!
I have an MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 WIFI motherboard that’s over two years old, so unfortunately, it’s out of warranty. 🥲

A few weeks ago, I started experiencing crashes and initially thought it might be an issue with my GPU. I reinstalled the drivers, ran some tests, and eventually swapped out the GPU for my old one—but the crashes persisted.

Here’s how it crashes: the video signal suddenly cuts out (black screen), and when I reboot the PC, there’s still no video signal. The GPU’s LED lights don’t turn on, and the motherboard’s VGA debug light comes on. However, if I apply slight pressure to the GPU (pushing it inward in the PCIe slot), the connection seems to restore. The GPU lights come back on, and I can reboot the PC with video output again. But after a few minutes, it crashes the same way.

Mechanically, the PCIe slot seems fine. The GPU fits snugly, is supported by a vertical holder, and I’ve even tried running the PC on its side—no luck. I’ve tested the motherboard with a different GPU, CPU, and power supply, and the issue still happens, so I’m confident the motherboard is the culprit.

Any idea what might be causing this? Is there a way to fix it without replacing the motherboard? Thanks in advance!
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I'm interested to know what graphics card model you have installed and for how long? Also, did you always support it? Can you upload a picture of the support setup? I ask because it's possible to put too much upward stress on a graphics card when supporting it. This can result in bending the graphics card's PCB (causing eventual failure of the GPU ball connectors, etc.) or presumably it could also loosen the surface mounted PCIe slot. That would need to be repaired by a professional if you want to keep the motherboard. Replacement DDR4 Z690/Z790 motherboards are getting hard to find these days.

But I would also examine the gold contact pins ("fingers") on the graphics card very closely to see if there is any obvious signs of wear or scratches. The same damage could be on the PCIe slot contacts in the same area. Of course, you could get lucky and find debris in the PCIe slot, so it's worth inspecting with a magnifying glass.
 
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Thanks for getting back to me!

I was using a massive Colorful 3080 Ti in my setup. Before this issue started, the only support for the card was a metal horizontal brace placed under the card’s hanging corner on the side. Once the issue first appeared, I added a vertical support—one of those adjustable poles you extend by twisting it. I’m confident there wasn’t any extreme upward or downward pressure on the card before the issue, at least nothing beyond what you’d expect in a typical setup with a heavy GPU.

I’ve also tried cleaning the PCIe slot and the card’s pins, but unfortunately, that didn’t help either.

Sadly, I’ve already sent my PC to a repair shop, so I can’t take a photo of the setup right now. The technicians are looking into it, but so far, they don’t have any answers. If they manage to fix it, I’ll be sure to share the solution here with you guys!
 
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