External Cable Check Guide

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Is your PC experiencing issues that might be related to external connections? No worries! Follow this guide to check all cables outside your PC and ensure everything is properly plugged in and set up correctly.

Why Should I Check the External Cables?

A minimal peripheral setup can help identify if external devices are causing issues:

Isolate Issues: By connecting only essential peripherals, you can determine if a specific device is causing the problem.
Simplify Troubleshooting: Reduces the number of variables, making it easier to identify the root cause of the issue.
Improve Performance: Sometimes, less is more. Removing unnecessary peripherals can improve system stability and performance.

Using this approach is a straightforward way to diagnose and resolve hardware-related issues.

A minimal peripheral setup can help identify if external devices are causing issues:

Isolate Issues: By connecting only essential peripherals, you can determine if a specific device is causing the problem.
Simplify Troubleshooting: Reduces the number of variables, making it easier to identify the root cause of the issue.
Improve Performance: Sometimes, less is more. Removing unnecessary peripherals can improve system stability and performance.

Using this approach is a straightforward way to diagnose and resolve hardware-related issues.

Confirming Monitors Are Plugged into Your GPU

Look at the back of your PC where your monitor cables are plugged in.
There are HDMI/DisplayPort connectors on both your GPU and the motherboard's IO panel. Ensure your monitors are plugged into the ports on your GPU, not the motherboard IO panel.
The ports on the motherboard are for systems with an integrated GPU (iGPU), which is a less powerful graphics solution.
If the cables are plugged into the motherboard ports, unplug them and connect them to the GPU ports. This ensures you're utilising your dedicated GPU for optimal performance.

Look at the back of your PC where your monitor cables are plugged in.
There are HDMI/DisplayPort connectors on both your GPU and the motherboard's IO panel. Ensure your monitors are plugged into the ports on your GPU, not the motherboard IO panel.
The ports on the motherboard are for systems with an integrated GPU (iGPU), which is a less powerful graphics solution.
If the cables are plugged into the motherboard ports, unplug them and connect them to the GPU ports. This ensures you're utilising your dedicated GPU for optimal performance.

Power Cable Check

At the back of your PC, locate the black power cable.
Ensure the power cable is firmly seated in the socket by pushing it in securely.
Check that the power switch on the back of the power supply is in the ON [I] position.
If the power cable is connected to an extension lead, power board, surge protector, or similar adapter, try plugging the power cable directly into a wall power outlet.
If this resolves the issue, there may be a fault with the power board, or other devices connected to the board may be drawing too much power.

At the back of your PC, locate the black power cable.
Ensure the power cable is firmly seated in the socket by pushing it in securely.
Check that the power switch on the back of the power supply is in the ON [I] position.
If the power cable is connected to an extension lead, power board, surge protector, or similar adapter, try plugging the power cable directly into a wall power outlet.
If this resolves the issue, there may be a fault with the power board, or other devices connected to the board may be drawing too much power.

USB Hubs (if applicable)

If you're experiencing power-related issues and using a USB hub or extender, try unplugging it. Cheap or faulty USB hubs can overdraw USB ports, causing problems.

If you're experiencing power-related issues and using a USB hub or extender, try unplugging it. Cheap or faulty USB hubs can overdraw USB ports, causing problems.

Try a Different Power Point

In some cases, specific circuits in houses may have faulty wiring or "bad power."
To rule this out, try plugging your PC into a power point in a different room, preferably on a different circuit if known.

In some cases, specific circuits in houses may have faulty wiring or "bad power."
To rule this out, try plugging your PC into a power point in a different room, preferably on a different circuit if known.

What's Next?

After checking and securing all external cables, power on your PC to ensure everything is functioning correctly. If problems persist, consider further troubleshooting with the following guides:

How to Check Your Internal Cables (Easy)
How to Perform a Power Cycle (Easy)
Minimal Peripheral Guide (Easy)

If you need further assistance or have any questions, feel free to reach out for additional support - we're always happy to help!

After checking and securing all external cables, power on your PC to ensure everything is functioning correctly. If problems persist, consider further troubleshooting with the following guides: