Device power cut off unexpectedly after three months of inactivity
Device power cut off unexpectedly after three months of inactivity
Hello everyone, my computer has been inactive for about three months. It was plugged in but not powered on. After restarting once and playing for roughly six hours over two days, the second day around 1:30 PM, it suddenly shut down. When I tried to turn it back on, pressing the power button didn’t work—it stayed off. I had to toggle the PSU switch to get it to respond. This was the first time it happened, but I’m worried it could damage my system. I’m unsure why this occurred. I checked if the lights went out, but they didn’t. I looked in Event Viewer and found a Kernel Power error (ID 41) at the time of shutdown. My first fix was dusting the PC, thinking overheating might be the cause. After cleaning with compressed air, temperatures stayed normal. My BIOS runs at 44°C. I used OpenHardwareMonitor to check temps, but I don’t have CPU temp data before the idle period. What should I do to figure out the reason before it happens again? Thank you for your support. PC details: case Nfortec Caelum White RGB (fans included), PSU Corsair CX750M 750W 80 Plus Bronze, CPU Intel Core i5-10600KF 4.10GHz, GPU Gigabyte RTX 3060, RAM Kingston FURY Beast DDR4 3200MHz, 16GB, BIOS at 44°C, SSD Kioxia EXCERIA 500GB NVMe M.2 2280, HDD Seagate BarraCuda 3.5", and more.
The temperatures are quite elevated for your cooler and processor. In the BIOS you should see 30°C or less; 44°C is quite high. Based on your hardware monitor screenshot, average temps during game load are in the high 80s to mid-90s, which isn’t ideal. I’d suggest replacing the cooler and re-seating it. With these details, it seems your system likely overheated and shut down due to thermal issues.
Thanks for your prompt response! I'll rearrange the cooler and will let you know once I've done it. Appreciate the update!
Thanks for your response! It seems my power often stops working, especially with voltage changes. Appreciate the clarification.
It's partially accurate, but a thermal shutdown tied to the motherboard can occur within a specific time window where the system won't restart due to excessive heat. I've experienced cases where computers would remain off until the CPU temperature normalized, as the board sensed continued overheating. The best solutions were either resetting the power supply or allowing it to cool sufficiently before attempting to turn it back on. It might also indicate a power-related issue, especially since the thermal shutdown indicators displayed on their screens suggest a likely overheating event.
That's what I considered while it was plugged in and powered off at the back—it might have experienced any spikes if the power went out and then came back, or changed its behavior. The PSU could have suffered damage even when not actively running. It could just be a coincidence, though; I wouldn't worry too much unless it keeps shutting down. I’d still verify the cooler mounting or check if additional intake fans are needed. It’s still running a bit hot for my preference. Overall, on modern systems the CPU tends to throttle rather than stop completely. A serious issue would need peaks above 100°C to trigger that.
Alright, I understand the situation. From the screenshot of HWMonitor, it only displays the lowest and average temperatures, missing the highest category in the cutoff range. If certain cores are consistently reaching 90°C to 95°C during gaming, it’s a clear sign of overheating. That suggests the actual maximum temperature is likely higher than what’s shown. Whether it triggers thermal shutdown or power-related shutdown, OPs temperatures are significantly elevated. A repair and re-seat of the cooler would be advisable in either case. I’m not disputing your point or claiming to have all the answers—I’m just offering options and steps based on what you’ve shared.
I suggested they verify this as well because it’s a relatively inexpensive fix. It might also be worth noting that those fans could be moving a significant amount of air. Checking if the BIOS fan settings are set to Quiet mode instead of Maximum performance could make a difference.
Thanks for your responses. When my PC restarted quickly after shutting down, I think a thermal shutdown is probably the cause. My electricity isn’t great, which could have contributed too. I’m hoping it’s just a coincidence, as you mentioned. I’ll reapply and reattach the cooler. If it happens again, it’s likely power-related. If not, it was temperature issues. Appreciate your advice!