Gameplay Intensity Causes PC Freezes on Startup or Operation
Gameplay Intensity Causes PC Freezes on Startup or Operation
Thanks for the support! I'm glad to see others ready to assist. I'm about to start the Prime95 test now and look forward to seeing the outcomes. I'll update you once I have any findings. The support team mentioned a Stress Scan that tests the CPU, memory, storage, and video card for 10 minutes, which seems to cause consistent crashes when each component is active. Each individual scan appears to work fine otherwise. I'll keep you informed as soon as I discover anything.
I can discuss this further while Prime95 operates on my machine. It’s worth mentioning the red CPU indicator appeared on my motherboard soon after it began. I recently tried LatencyMon and encountered some problems. Attached are images showing the spikes during gameplay. Regarding power delivery concerns, do you mean potential issues with the I/O ports on my motherboard? If yes, what steps would you recommend to resolve it?
From your LatencyMon images: ACPI.sys and nvlddmkm.sys display very long DPC execution times, which may lead to audio issues or crashes when under stress. Such delays usually indicate power management conflicts or driver stack latency. Possible fixes include adjusting BIOS settings (turn off CPU power saving features), modifying platform configurations, and ensuring drivers are up to date. For Nvidia, consider using DDU, installing the latest drivers from AMD.com, or rolling back to a previous version if needed. Let me know if this helps...
Thanks for your support! I'll give these a shot. Prime95 reached 58 minutes, so it seems the problem isn't here. Here are your questions: 1) Should I run all these steps together or one after another? 2) Do the AMD settings also work for Intel, like my i7 14700K? 3) I've already cleared the GPU drivers with DDU and Studio—should I try this again?
Hey there, sorry about that oversight—Intel was definitely on my mind! I’m a bit confused today. It’s really warm and late for me (Europe). Intel: usually set under Advanced > CPU Configuration or similar—C1E Support > Disabled, Intel C-State > Disabled, Package C-State Limit > C0/C1 only (or disabled), Intel SpeedStep (EIST) > Optional, keep it on unless you’re debugging idle issues. In Advanced > Platform Misc Configuration (or similar): ErP Ready > Disabled CPU Power Phase Control > Extreme (helps stabilize voltage during load changes), Advanced > PCH Configuration or PCI Subsystem: PCI Express Native Power Management > Disabled ASPM Support > Disabled Windows Power Plan. Go to Control Panel > Power Options: Pick High Performance (or set Ultimate via CMD as admin: powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61). Then in Advanced settings: Processor power management—Minimum 100%, Maximum 100%, PCI Express, Link State Power Management, Off USB selective suspend, Disabled. Because your freeze only occurs when all subsystems are under heavy load (CPU, GPU, RAM, I/O), minor adjustments might not fix it. Try changing just one thing at a time; partial tweaks can still cause problems. Also, all these settings are safe to revert and won’t hurt performance (they boost stability at the expense of some idle power savings). It’s useful to narrow down where the problem lies—rule out CPU, VRM, drivers, and power states first.
I’m reviewing your BIOS settings now. You’d like me to turn off certain options from top to bottom: in CPU Configuration, disable Enhanced C-states and Auto; in Platform Misc, turn ErP Ready off. Also, set CPU Power Phase Control to Extreme and disable PCI Express Native Power Management. Overall, I believe you’ve adjusted most of these except a few C-state choices. Please confirm if anything is missing. I also noticed you kept Intel SpeedStep active and searched for ASPM Support, which seems to be labeled simply as “ASPM.”
It seems you've accurately identified the key adjustments. The combination of Enhanced C-States and CPU C-States ensures comprehensive coverage of lower-level options such as C1E and C6. Activating Power Phase Control at an extreme level helps preserve voltage consistency during operation. Turning off PCI Express Native Power Management eliminates transitions that might lead to latency or freezing on boards equipped with risers or high-speed components. Overall, these changes are precise and effective. Once you confirm everything is stable, consider re-enabling C-States for essential states like C1 and C6. Adjusting PL2 in BIOS to a suitable power limit and monitoring thermal/voltage data will further optimize performance. Keep up the good work!
Great questions! For BIOS settings, you’ll likely need to switch back to Enhanced C-states and CPU C-states after a few days if you haven’t experienced any more freezes. Safe features to consider re-enabling depend on your system’s stability, but common ones include power management and thermal controls. When checking HWinfo voltages, focus on the CPU voltage and system voltage readings to ensure they’re within manufacturer specifications.
If your setup remains steady for a couple of days without interruptions, you can slowly turn some power-saving options back on one by one after each reboot. Begin with “Enhanced C-States,” which typically restores the basic idle power reduction (such as C1) without major issues. Once stability returns, switch “CPU C-States” back to Auto, enabling more advanced states like C6. If your board supports it, this should work smoothly. Keep PCIe Power Management off unless you’re dealing with riser connections or experience audio delays. The same applies to CPU Power Phase Control – leaving it at “Extreme” provides the best stability during high demand and minimizes power fluctuations. ErP Ready can also stay off unless you’re investigating sleep patterns or RGB power consumption. Regarding HWinfo tracking, watch Vcore or IA Voltage values; they usually sit between 1.25 and 1.35V at idle with C-States off. Under load, like during Prime95 tests, they may dip slightly or stay stable depending on your workload. If you notice consistent voltages above 1.40V during load—particularly with elevated temperatures—that might need attention.