Freezing on BIOS screen, then in BIOS setup

[AmiableWookie]

My system:
Motherboard: Gigabyte GIGABYTE GA-MA785GMT-UD2H
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 965
RAM: DDR3 1333 in unganged mode
OS: Windows 10
GPU: Nvidia GeForce 780
PSU: 600W Cooler Master

After installing and updating a windows update, I tried to turn on my pc. It turned on, but froze after displaying the ddr info on the post screen.

After resetting, it froze after displaying the complete post screen, including the options for starting BIOS setup, QFlash, boot menu, and qf leash.
I tried many things:

1. Trying each of my 4GB sticks of RAM separately.
2. Trying a stick of RAM from my roommate's PC
3. Unplugged accessories(mouse, controller, mic, webcam, speakers, ethernet cable)
4. Using the jumper option to reset the CMOS, and removing the battery to try and reset the CMOS
5. Unplugged HDD and ODD

At step 5 I was able to interact with the post screen and hit delete on my USB keyboard. After doing so, the BIOS setup came up, but froze after about 2ish seconds. This is the current state of affairs. If I let the startup sequence proceed normally, the screen showing which bits of hardware are attached(black background, grey text) shows up as usual, but at the bottom it says verifying DMI Pool Data........
AMD Data Change........Update New Data to DMI......

There it freezes, and I am at a loss for what to unplug or where the problem is.
Do I need to take my PC to a store, or is this an easily recognizable problem?

Cheers,
-AmiableWookie

 

[Colif]

can be caused by a USB device plugged in - a dongle or a drive. Or bad hard drive
Have you got the latest bios?

does PC boot if you use win 10 installer? if you don't have one, on another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

is there anything on C drive you want to rescue? try making this on another PC: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/

can try my advice here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3078267/stuck-dmi-pool-data-updated-startup.html

 

[AmiableWookie]

can be caused by a USB device plugged in - a dongle or a drive. Or bad hard drive
Have you got the latest bios?

does PC boot if you use win 10 installer? if you don't have one, on another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

is there anything on C drive you want to rescue? try making this on another PC: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/

can try my advice here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3078267/stuck-dmi-pool-data-updated-startup.html

Thanks for the advice. I have the latest BIOS installed. The only things left to unplug are my GPU, keyboard, monitor, and PSU(har har). I will try all the unplugging.

I will also try out the Win 10 installer from a flash drive, and return with an update.
Greets


*Update* I put in a new CR 2032 CMOS battery, and tried starting my PC with the keyboard, monitor, and nothing else plugged in. It worked!
I plugged in the HDD. It turned on and booted all the way through to my desktop!
Plugged in the ODD. Same as before, turned on and booted to desktop!
But just plugged in my graphics card, and the same problem as before happened. Does that mean my GPU is shot? Or do I need to check and see if a BIOS update will get my system to accept the GPU?

*Next update*
I qflashed my BIOS with the newest version, because I didn't have the newest version after all.
That worked, and I was able to boot all the way to Windows. I still didn't have a GPU plugged in, just using the in-board graphics.
When I plugged in my Nvidia GeForce 780, the same problem happened again: Freeze on POST screen, unable to enter BIOS
I have a Nvidia GeForce 760 as well, plugged that in, same problem.
Once upon a time I was using a Nvidia GeForce 460, plugged that in and now my pc works and boots to windows.
Is this a problem with the 700-series GPUs and the most recent Windows update?

*UPDATE*
Now my GeForce 460 stopped working after a restart to apply graphics card driver changes. Mysterious

*NEXT UPDATE*
Uninstalled all my video drivers, tried out the GeForce 780 again. Freezes at POST screen

 

[Colif]

windows doesn't have anything to do with post. IT seems odd to me that drivers would have anything to do with PC stopping at boot.

I am going to get help as I am not sure what is going on.

 

[Colif]

that dmi error it was freezing on seems to be hdd related. See if any of this helps: Your motherboard

 

[AmiableWookie]

that dmi error it was freezing on seems to be hdd related. See if any of this helps: Your motherboard

That was quite a ride to read through. Thanks for all your help thus far, Colif.
I think my setup is wildly different from that of the person in that thread. I have no home server or multiple drives or anything fancy like that, and my system runs fine without a GPU plugged in, or for a while with my GeForce 460 plugged in. I still have to test some components, see if my roomie will let me plug in my PSU and my GPUs into his pc, and that should really help me zero in on the culprit. Will update then.

 

[Colif]

Its not the DMI thing, especially as PC boots fine with out GPU.

Test your stuff and might also test his GPU in your PC. I doubt very much 3 GPU will stop working suddenly like that, more likely something else they attach to (like PSU or Motherboard)

 

[AmiableWookie]

Its not the DMI thing, especially as PC boots fine with out GPU.

Test your stuff and might also test his GPU in your PC. I doubt very much 3 GPU will stop working suddenly like that, more likely something else they attach to (like PSU or Motherboard)

Correct, the DMI thing is no longer an issue, regardless of which GPU is plugged in.
As things stand, I have my GeForce 460 plugged in, uninstalled all old drivers, found out that the GeForce 780 drivers were still there, took them out, installed the Nvidia drivers for the GeForce 460, and after some issues restarting, including a few blue screen errors(GPU related), the proper drivers were installed, and the pc is running, using the GPU and just chilling.

So, next step, uninstall the drivers for the 460 all the way, and see if I can get the pc to boot all the way and install the drivers for the 780.

Parallel to that, gonna run the tests with the PSU and all three GPUs in a different system(as mentioned above), and try what you suggested, running roomie's GPU in my system.

Tests for glory!

 

[Colif]

try this and remove all nvidia from PC and see if that helps - http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2767677/clean-graphics-driver-install-windows.html

 

[AmiableWookie]

I flashed BIOS, reinstalled Win 10, and my PC runs fine without a GPU, and runs fine with the GeForce 460. I just tried running it again with the GeForce 780, and the PC started looping the startup, not making it to Windows. If I hit "Delete" to enter BIOS Setup, the PC freezes and just says in grey text "Preparing to enter setup".

This seems like a PSU issue, which is weird, because it happened pretty much overnight. Or PCI slot issue. Or Motherboard issue. More testing is required!

 

[AmiableWookie]

I tried playing League of Legends with my GTX 460. Started out alright, but while playing on both high and low graphics settings, there were some graphics artifacts. Screen all full of shapes and colors and stuff. Then, my pc crashed. Tried to restart itself a few times and kept crashing. Finally started, but now the graphics are full of horizontal green lines.

 

[Colif]

found one case of horizontal green lines where the cause was the monitor. Monitors can also be to blame for artifacting
My 1st reaction was... no, monitors can't cause crashes until i read this: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/326910-28-monitor-bsod

have you tried another monitor? how old is it?

I don't think its PSU as it doesn't turn itself off, it just crashes.

did you ever test GPU's in another PC?