Computer stops working due to CPU motherboard indicator in certain cases
Computer stops working due to CPU motherboard indicator in certain cases
I’m completely puzzled about this situation and would really value any assistance!
To provide some context, in November I upgraded my CPU and GPU to the specifications listed below. I needed to update my BIOS to the latest release so it could support the new hardware and prevent the warning light during startup. Once that was done, everything proceeded smoothly and benchmarks looked satisfactory. I managed to play City Skylines II without any problems. But then, issues began with Guild Wars 2. This game is one I play often and never encountered any difficulties with. I revisited an older map and suddenly, without any stuttering or performance drop, my display signal disappeared and the red CPU indicator lit up on my motherboard. All internal fans and indicators stayed active. The PC became unresponsive when I held the power button, so I had to shut down the power supply unit to stop it. At startup, there was no indication of a problem and everything returned to normal. Once I resumed playing, I crashed again on the same map. Believing this might be related to GW2, I reinstalled the game and tried once more. A few days later, on a different map, the issue repeated. So far, these are the only two sections of the game that trigger this problem. The remaining 99% runs perfectly. I decided to pause on GW2 and switch to Airship: Kingdoms Adrift. The game performed well on my PC for about two weeks, totaling around 17 hours. But then, when entering a new city, my computer crashed once more. The same pattern continued.
I investigated further:
- CPU, GPU, and motherboard temperatures stayed between 60-70°C during gameplay.
- Windows Event Viewer displayed no errors except for the PSU power failure incident.
- I updated drivers via Driver Booster and kept graphics and BIOS up to date.
- Removed the CMOS battery and reset the motherboard.
- Deleted and reinstalled both games.
- Ran Windows Memory Diagnostic with no issues.
- Tested RAM individually and in different slots, still encountering the same problem.
Things escalated when I was advised to run Cinebench and Furmark benchmarks simultaneously. Starting with Cinebench, adding Furmark caused my PC to crash repeatedly. This led me to suspect a power supply issue. I purchased a new Corsair 1000W RMe PSU and installed it. Initially, both Furmark and Cinebench completed their cycles without problems. However, when I tried Airship afterward, the crash occurred again.
Feeling overwhelmed, I took my PC to Microcenter for repairs. So far, they only reinstalled my graphics drivers and ran their tests, finding no faults. As soon as I brought it back and played Airship, the crashes resumed.
At this stage, I’m stuck. My computer functions normally under most conditions, but in rare cases—like with the two GW2 maps and the Airship city—it tends to fail. I’m now convinced that entering Firefort in Airship will likely cause a crash within 1-5 minutes.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated! I might consider returning to Microcenter if I can’t resolve this and take advantage of their repair warranty. Thank you!
Specs:
OS: Windows 11
Motherboard: MSI Tomahawk B450 Max
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
GPU: Nvidia 4070Ti
RAM: 2x 16GB Corsair DDR4 3200MHz
SSD: Samsung EVO
PSU details: make, model, wattage, age, condition (original to build, new, refurbished, used)?
Error codes recorded in Reliability History and/or Event Viewer?
The problem began with my older Apevia PSU. Assuming that was the cause, I installed a brand new Corsair 1000W RMe (with fresh cables) just last week, but the issue continued.
The only error code in Event Viewer is a Critical Power Failure. Yet I’m not sure if this is due to me turning off the PSU to shut down the PC. I haven’t reviewed the reliability history and plan to investigate that.
I ran the Windows Memory Diagnostic and it came back clean. I also tested each stick separately in different slots and still encountered the problem. I’ll attempt to run Prime 95 next.
Forced power downs may corrupt files. Use "dism" and "sfc /scannow" to detect and resolve these issues.
Remember that certain motherboards need the first installed RAM stick in a particular slot.
Refer to the motherboard's User Guide/Manual.
Both DISM scanhealth and sfc returned clean results. I also checked the reliability history and discovered Windows reported it wasn't shutting down properly, which is the end of the story. The RAM is positioned correctly as required by the motherboard, and I verified this by testing individual sticks in various slots. For additional details, I should mention that I've experienced crashes with both XMP enabled and disabled.
Additionally, I performed another test using Prime 95 and FurMark for comparison. Both applications operated smoothly at around 70°C on both CPU and GPU. There were no crashes observed. Notably, FurMark achieved only about half GPU usage, similar to some games I've seen. I'm puzzled as to why it doesn't reach maximum performance. Prime 95 consistently reached 100% on both CPU and memory. At this stage, the only issue appears to be with the Airship game, which doesn't match the intensity of the others. I plan to uninstall and reinstall again to see if it improves.
Sadly, the issue recurred after reinstalling. There was a brief period of stability around five minutes before it crashed again. I was keeping an eye on system usage and temperatures, which remained within normal ranges (CPU: 30%, 70°C, GPU: 50% at 65°C, Memory: 10/32 GB).
Power off, disconnect, and open the case.
Remove dust and debris.
Check visually and by touch to ensure all connectors, cards, RAM, jumpers, and case connections are securely installed.
Examine with a bright flashlight for any signs of damage.
Follow the CMOS instructions in the Motherboard's User Guide/Manual.
[Note: I assume MicroCenter would handle this, but I have no certainty about their actions.]
Airship: observed that you reinstalled the game: source?