Are games and software experiencing crashes?
Are games and software experiencing crashes?
Hi all,
Here's my PC specs to start:
OS - Windows 11 Pro
Mobo - Asus ROG STRIX Z790-F
CPU - i7-14700k
RAM - Corsair Vengence DDR5 6000mhz (2x16GB)
GPU - MSI 4080
PSU - Corsair CX850M
So I've been having random crashes on games and other bits of software. It can be almost anything really, though there are some pieces of software that are unaffected. I have a feeling it could be partly GPU related, but I also have a feeling it could be RAM, considering what's crashing and how.
The most common crashes I get are:
Google Chrome crashes my active tab, and I get the "Aw snap!" screen
Google Chrome crashes entirely and closes immediately (this actually happened while writing this post, after I opened a new tab lol)
Discord randomly restarts itself every now and then, never completely closes though
Blender freezes and I get a fairly standard crash error, usually happens when doing something intensive
OBS Studio freezes and then closes a few seconds later, usually when live streaming (this is rarer but thought it was worth a mention)
VRChat (while in VR) crashes, but SteamVR itself continues to function fine
DayZ randomly crashes (not exactly the most optimised game but shouldn't crash this often)
Blue Protocol randomly crashes (new game, but not seeing crashing as a common issue)
When something does crash, I don't get any graphical flickering, or any other type of freezing on my PC overall, it's purely just the game/software in the moment that freezes or just closes. Usually after I get a crash on a game, crashes then become more often, until I restart my PC. Blue Protocol for example can function fine for around 45 minutes to an hour before it crashes, after that I'll see crashes every 10-15 mins until I reboot. This alone makes me feel like it's a memory leak issue of some sort?
I've had issues with my PC for a while, but it's all been quite minor stuff, like software not loading properly the first time, frame lag, audio crashes, but nothing I haven't been able to find workarounds for, so I've kinda just dealt with it. In my opinion I just need to completely reinstall Windows from scratch, it's been like, 5 years, and I did an in-place upgrade to 11, so it doesn't really surprise me it's slowly been getting worse, but I'm hoping for a bit more of an immediate fix for these crashes for now though
I've done pretty much all the usual stuff to diagnose/fix the issue - driver updates, clean driver installs, Windows updates, BIOS update, cmos battery reset, RAM reseating, GPU reseating, software reinstalls, memtest (passed with no issues) etc etc
Unfortunately I mostly don't get any event viewer events after something crashes, the only one that has so far is DayZ. I've pasted the event below, but I'm not sure how to read it in a way that'll tell me what exactly is causing the crash
The "Erorr" event:
Faulting application name: DayZ_x64.exe, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Faulting module name: unknown, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Exception code: 0x00000000
Fault offset: 0x0000000000000000
Faulting process id: 0x6A90
Faulting application start time: 0x1DC4939B5E8FDD3
Faulting application path: E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\DayZ\DayZ_x64.exe
Faulting module path: unknown
Report Id: 47b34c6d-c26d-4dcd-b4f2-1af016b3207f
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:
The "Information" event:
Fault bucket 1699516067187149368, type 4
Event Name: APPCRASH
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0
Problem signature:
P1: DayZ_x64.exe
P2: 0.0.0.0
P3: 00000000
P4: StackHash_0000
P5: 0.0.0.0
P6: 00000000
P7: 00000000
P8: PCH_84
P9:
P10:
There's also a Report.wer file that has some info in it, but not sure what I'm looking for, I can attach it if necessary
Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance!
Mobo - Asus ROG STRIX Z790-F
I've tried almost everything to fix or troubleshoot the problem—updated drivers, cleaned installs, Windows updates, BIOS and CMOS resets, RAM and GPU re-seating, reinstalled software, and ran a memtest that passed without issues.
For your reference, please mention the BIOS version you're using on your motherboard.
PSU - Corsair CX850M
Is this device five years old? If so, the warranty has expired; see the details here: https://www.corsair.com/us/en/p/psu...d-...-techspecs
What came before the RTX4080?
In my view, a full Windows reinstall from scratch would be necessary. It's been five years, and I've done an in-place upgrade to version 11, so it makes sense that performance issues have started appearing. I'm still hoping for a quicker resolution until then.
Meaning you upgraded to Windows 11 via the internal upgrade method available on Windows 10? Then yes, you'll need to reinstall the operating system.
There’s no specific reason behind this choice besides the price.
The unit you have is of low quality, barely above average, and falls into Tier C+.
The PSU was released in 2017, which means it’s about eight years old.
For a PC with a dedicated GPU, a Tier A PSU is ideal. Examples include Seasonic Focus/Vertex/PRIME, Corsair RMx/RMi/HXi/AXi, and Super Flower Leadex Gold/Platinum/Titanium.
PSU tiers:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...JW...1973454078
Tier A is suitable, while Tier A+ is preferred.
My two PCs are powered exclusively by Tier A+ PSUs. I own Seasonic PRIME 650 Titanium (Tier A+) and Seasonic PRIME Ultra 650 Titanium (Tier A+). Detailed specs and images are available in my profile.
Seek a fresh, high-quality PSU instead.
By the way, PSU can lead to system instability if it doesn’t meet specifications or has excessive ripple. Since you opted for a cheaper model, it’s possible most of your problems stem from the PSU itself.
Avoid using affected software right away—it’s a quick solution. Other fixes require time, effort, and cost.
A clean OS installation is free, but a new PSU is necessary.
It's currently on version 2703, which is two versions behind. The latest version includes updates for Intel gen 13 and 14, so I might update and check the results.
Around five years old, I bought a pre-built PC. I had a 3080 before my 4080.
That's exactly what I did, not surprised that a reinstall was necessary.
I'm not sure, I bought a pre-built PC back then and upgraded it later, so the PSU didn't need changing because the wattage was sufficient.
I wasn't aware the PSU could have such a big effect; I've never had problems before and used similar Corsair PSUs. It's a silly question, but if I replaced the PSU, would the existing cables work? (just to make installation easier) or should we also consider swapping the cables?
In most cases, PSUs in prebuilt PCs are often reduced in cost because many users aren’t concerned about the power supply and brands can offer lower prices on PSU parts. Not every PSU is the same. Since the PSU supplies power to everything inside the PC, it becomes the most crucial part. Power delivery is a serious matter due to the risks involved. Choosing a cheaper CPU might slow down your performance. A cheaper GPU could mean playing at low resolution or with poor settings. Ignoring SSD/HDD may result in slow read/write speeds and a risk of data loss or corruption. Skipping the PC case isn’t necessary; it simply helps organize components and protect sensitive electronics from external damage, such as children or pets. Only the PSU deserves special attention because poor quality units have caused fires and even fatalities. Lower build quality means a higher chance that other parts will fail when the PSU malfunctions. I’ve seen low-quality units (Tier B) causing additional component failures. Therefore, I strongly advise against using mediocre or worse PSUs in a PC with a dedicated GPU.
Here’s a comparison between two PSUs:
pcpp:
https://de.pcpartpicker.com/products/com...7P,Bxqrxr/
Both offer 650W power. The main differences are cable modularity (fully-wired vs fully modular) and efficiency (80+ Bronze vs 80+ Titanium).
Yeyian costs €50.
Seasonic costs €325.
Could you explain why the Seasonic PSU is six times more expensive than the Yeyian one? It seems the cable modularity and efficiency alone don’t justify such a significant price difference. There must be other factors involved. Also, which PSU would you prefer and why?
I really value all the details you provided; it's clear why the PSU matters but I wasn't thinking about it much before.
In any case, I'm planning to upgrade my BIOS first, just in case it makes a difference, and then reinstall Windows with a new PSU. I'm pretty sure this should fix the problems, so thanks for your suggestions.
It's quite simple to ignore the PSU because it doesn't boost FPS and just appears as a generic box inside the PC. That Seasonic PSU, SSR-650TR, is actually the same unit that powers my Astral build. The Aurora model uses the predecessor of this one, while the SSR-650TD is also an 80+ Titanium Seasonic unit. Photos and specs are in my notes.
But the key difference between Seasonic and Yeyian PSUs lies in their build quality.
The Seasonic unit is top-notch (Tier A+) with a 12-year warranty, making it one of the best PSUs you can purchase.
On the other hand, Yeyian is of poor quality or even a potential fire risk (Tier F) with only a 3-year warranty and misleading labeling. For example, a +12V rail could handle 50A, which equals 600W—but it clearly isn't a 650W unit as claimed. You can verify this on Amazon.
I wouldn't attempt to connect a Yeyian PSU with a long cable or power it directly.
After a few days of testing, I'm sure the BIOS update resolved the crashing problem. I'll still reinstall Windows because it really needs it, and I probably will upgrade my PSU next year or wait for a sale during Christmas. Thanks to everyone for your assistance!