Freeze occurs then display black screen and restart automatically
Freeze occurs then display black screen and restart automatically
Hello everyone, I’m really seeking some advice. I’m experiencing lockups or freezing situations, especially while playing games like Escape from Tarkov or Halo MCC. It usually starts with everything freezing, but the sound stays on and then the screen goes black. After a few seconds, I hear a distinct click from the power supply, it shuts off, and restarts. While frozen, fans run at full speed, but once the black screen appears, they slow down slightly—though not to idle. Once it’s done, it doesn’t happen again until after a full shutdown.
This usually happens within the first hour of playing. After that, it often runs smoothly for about 4 to 6 hours without further problems. However, if I leave it off overnight, it will repeat the issue the next time I log in.
My rig was built around 2019 and hasn’t had this problem before. It’s been a few months since it started happening. Here are my specs: Intel i7-9700K, 32GB DDR4 RAM at 3000MHz, Nvidia RTX2070 Super with EK Vector water block, ASUS Prime Z390-P II Mobo Seasonic Prime PX-1000, 1000W PSU, WD Black 500GB M.2 drive, WD Blue 2TB game drive (please confirm if I missed anything), Win10 Home (Full Retail).
I’ve tried several fixes: reinstalling Windows 10 (version 22H2), running memory tests, cleaning and reinstalling drivers, removing Intel and AMD software. Under load, temperatures are normal—around the high 70s on both CPU and GPU. I suspect it’s not an overheating problem since that wouldn’t explain the reboot behavior either.
I’m also concerned about the GPU itself, but haven’t updated the BIOS yet. It’s been nearly five years since I last changed it, and this has only started happening recently. Someone might know what’s going on. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot!
I would consider refreshing the BIOS. The previous versions for my Z390 were released around 21, so if there was an issue they should have updated it already. Disable Fastboot to see the difference. How significantly does it speed up? My 9900K with two 2080 Ti in a custom loop is still running under 20 seconds without Fastboot. Also, I'm using the system drive 2 Samsung 960 Pro 500GB in RAID 0, which is quite efficient. I've turned off all power-saving features and C states in the BIOS as well. If you have another unit, a 750W or higher GPU would be worth testing on this rig—keep cables separate to avoid damage. I’d try it with just one RAM stick initially; if it fails again, switch to the other. The 2070 model is about five years old and could be showing signs of failure. It’s normal for anything to start failing at any age, but a spare GPU running around 70°C near a 20-series GPU might be overheating. On my 2080 Ti, hotspots tend to be lower, and the maximum safe temperature is around 84°C depending on power settings. How many radiators are in your loop? The 9700K and 2070 models usually aren’t the hottest parts.
It's not so much uploading a problematic BIOS that I'm worried about but more about the process of doing it itself. That's why I've held off. If I can, I might hold off to see if anything else fixes it before I take that path. I'll try disabling fast boot and see what it does. Maybe it'll help. Will check back in. I haven't got another PSU that I could use. Most of my mates aren't really into gaming so aren't really able to help out there. I'll try that test with the RAM sticks removed too, maybe it'll be the problem. Yeah, I'm afraid of the GPU being on the way out. Don't get me wrong, I want a new one but the prices they're charging are so stupid right now and I just can't bring myself to do it. As for the temps, yeah, I know they're a little high but it's a custom desk pc that they're fitted into so it's not your normal cooling setup. It's very low profile and the cooling isn't straightforward. Also, I should have mentioned that the 9700k has an over clock to 4.6/4.7 all core. Means that it regularly sucks back around 90W and can go as high as 150. When you've got a single combined loop, it can mean relatively high temps across the board.
Start by turning off any overclocking features. This simple step can make a big difference, as overclocking shortens the device's lifespan. It’s often just as straightforward as addressing the instability you’re seeing.
It took some time to get back on track—things are moving fast. I refreshed the BIOS and it still updates, so maybe it wasn’t the problem. I’m continuing to experiment in hopes of resolving it, but it’s frustrating and feels like I’m guessing blindly. Once the BIOS is current (the newest version found by the built-in tool is from 2021), do you think there might be a specific cause I should consider? Thanks!
Have you stopped pushing the limits? I experienced the same issues before, but the sound stayed and I restarted. I enabled BIOS overclocking at 37%, yet the real cause of crashes was instability, and it’s remained consistent since I disabled all overclocking. It operates autonomously until it determines stability, locking in a specific core clock and frequency. Though I’m not certain it interacts with power input, that’s possible too. Last year I used the Intel utility for overclocking, and now it’s functioning smoothly. Just remember, this isn’t a certainty for your setup.