Game issue detected: random game crash, mouse lag and delayed reactions.
Game issue detected: random game crash, mouse lag and delayed reactions.
I’m not sure about the exact place to put this, but recently I’ve been playing First Descendant without any problems for a while. In the last couple of days something unexpected happened.
My game froze and I had to use the keyboard to open Task Manager because the mouse was lagging and didn’t respond properly, making it impossible to click anything.
After closing the game with the keyboard, the mouse started stuttering slowly across the screen, preventing me from clicking at all.
I had to perform a hard reset on the computer, which resolved the issue.
I ran Memtest overnight and it passed without any memory errors.
I also updated the Nvidia driver to the previous version, as the latest one fixed previous crashes.
My temperature was normal, my CPU temperature reached 70°C when First Descendant was running, and I had a stream open on another screen. It usually doesn’t cause problems. Discord is also working fine.
I’m still trying to figure out where to look for more answers. I’d rather avoid opening the computer to remove the CPU cooler if possible. I cleaned the PC thoroughly about two weeks ago.
Check the Reliability History/Monitor and Event Viewer for recent logs around the time the game froze. The original source for the first descendant is listed there.
I can explain how to display full hardware specifications and operating system details. First Descendant is a game on Steam... The issue happens unexpectedly, often while playing a game or streaming with friends in Discord. For hours it seems normal, but then the game freezes and I can't see my mouse in Task Manager—moving it doesn’t bring it back. When I try to shut down, the mouse disappears entirely. I also noticed the screen goes black only when streaming a movie in Firefox for Discord, while gaming causes the screen to go dark and I have to restart completely. My friend suggested checking the power supply; they recommended swapping cables into unused outlets, which I did. This problem started about a month ago.
The issue appears when I'm watching a movie on Discord while streaming on a second monitor, with the game running in the main screen. This has never been a problem before, but recently it began after two months. Initially, while playing D4 and streaming on the second screen, my screen turned black, prompting my fans to leave and requiring a hard restart. Updating the video card drivers helped somewhat, though the problem now arises more frequently during Discord streaming sessions.
When attempting to stream via Chrome or Firefox, sharing my screen through Discord on the second monitor while playing on the main monitor, the situation worsens. Previously, this was not a major concern until about one to two months ago. I apologize if my explanation is unclear or incomplete.
My game frequently freezes, forcing me to open Task Manager using the keyboard because the mouse becomes unresponsive and slow. Closing the game with the keyboard causes the mouse to stutter across the screen, making it difficult to click. After exiting the game, the mouse appears to stutter slowly or may not be visible at all. I’ve had to perform a hard reset of the computer, which resolved the issue.
I ran Memtest overnight and it passed without errors. The Nvidia driver was updated to a previous version instead of the latest, which resolved heavy crashes from earlier problems. My CPU temperature was normal (around 70°C) when First Descendant was open, and I had a stream running on another screen while watching. However, 99% of the time this remains unaffected.
I’ve checked my system for viruses using Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware, finding none. I performed a clean install of the latest Nvidia driver for my 2080Ti, and after letting it run overnight for four hours, no issues were detected. I updated my BIOS last year and haven’t received any new updates. Task Manager showed high CPU usage (70-85%) and GPU usage (1%-10%) during First Descendant, which I attributed to poor optimization. I was advised to set the GPU to High performance in Windows settings, but after checking again, it still appeared to be under heavy load. I also ran a chkdsk scan and found no errors.
This problem started about a month or two ago. On September 1st, while playing Risk of Rain 2 with friends, I used Alt + Tab to open a calculator and returned to the game. The main monitor froze, while my second monitor streamed smoothly. My computer became unresponsive, requiring a hard restart.
I’ve also noticed that my screen goes black only when streaming a movie through Firefox for Discord friends, while gaming. The fans react strongly, and I’m forced to restart the system. My friend suggested it might be related to the power supply, so I swapped cables into unused outlets.
I scanned for viruses with Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware but found nothing. I performed a clean install of the latest Nvidia driver, and after letting it run overnight for four hours, no issues arose. I updated my BIOS last year and haven’t received any new updates. Task Manager indicated high CPU (70-85%) and GPU (1%-10%) usage during First Descendant, which I thought was due to poor optimization. I was told to adjust Windows settings to run the .exe at High performance, but after checking again, it still showed GPU usage. I also ran a chkdsk scan and found no errors.
Various approaches exist. For example, HWinfo64 provides system specifications in summary mode and all sensor telemetry in sensors mode. For the OS version, press the Windows key and hold it while pressing R to open the Run dialog. Enter "winver" in the box and click OK. The "Run" window will close automatically, followed by an "About Windows" window displaying the OS information. This method seems reasonable, though it might be a hidden cause. However, changing power cables into another PSU slot has no effect.
Regarding the PSU: its make and model (or part number) is unclear. How old is the PSU? Was it purchased new or used/refurbished? The CPU cooler can stay in place, but opening the PC is necessary to check the actual PSU and possibly replace components based on further troubleshooting.
Talking about the next troubleshooting steps; does your screen go black in Safe Mode as well, or is everything functioning properly there?
When you examine my PC part picker below the post, it displays all my components. Here are the details:
Hardware info & Windows 10: https://imgur.com/a/skfyW1m
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
I purchased it new and it's been around for about four years. No problems encountered so far.
The G5 unit from EVGA SuperNova G-series stands out as an underdog. It operates on an FSP platform with an ACRF topology. While it's a budget-friendly option that EVGA aimed to improve upon, its foundation is weak, making it difficult to extract quality from. At most, it offers only average performance in PSU.
Just because you haven't encountered problems so far doesn't mean issues won't arise later.
But let me get off topic for now.
It only occurs when I'm using Chrome or Firefox to stream a web browser, while playing a game and sharing my screen via Discord. This is the main issue, though it doesn't always happen instantly—it can take a long time before the screen goes black. My friends can also hear me talking through my headset when my screen goes black and the fans spin, but I always need to restart Windows to recover. I'm not sure how to access safe mode, but it seems to happen only during Discord streams while playing games. Recently, while playing a game, I watched a stream on another monitor, and my screen froze until I performed a hard reset. This time I wasn't streaming through Discord.
Guide on how to enter Safe Mode, link provided.
You mentioned this many times before, but repeating it doesn’t solve the problem.
In short, there’s either a software or hardware issue.
To figure out exactly which, more troubleshooting is needed.
But if you don’t want to dig deeper, I can quickly point out the two main reasons and we’ll stop here. Which one applies?
I managed to enter Safe mode without issues, but I wasn't sure how to verify if the issue occurs there.
I'm ready to start troubleshooting.