Issues with PC stability and unexpected shutdowns are common. Need help identifying the cause?
Issues with PC stability and unexpected shutdowns are common. Need help identifying the cause?
PC Details: CPU model I7 6700, GPU GTX 1070, RAM G.Skill 2x8 3000mhz CL16, Power supply MWE 500W 80+ Bronze from Cooler Master, one SSD and one HDD (250GB/2TB), recent instability issues. I've faced random shutdowns while gaming, boot cycling, BIOS clearing, and immediate restarts. Tried troubleshooting like USB checks, file scans, reinstalling Windows, and stress tests. Recently the PC froze during games, restarted repeatedly, and after a fix it crashed again soon after. I also noticed microphone settings changed and an LED error appeared. The SSD remained functional but the system kept failing. I'm unsure what's causing this now that the PSU can handle heavy loads.
It could be the PSU or your motherboard. Verify if the debug light is on.
Did you unplug your HDD? Check if everything connected to the mainboard still causes crashes in BIOS.
Wouldn't any harm to the motherboard lead to total system failure? I suspect it's the motherboard itself causing the issue. I noticed that after connecting a microphone to one of the USB ports, it stopped working properly during crashes, and now it's doing the same with the new port after switching it. I'm worried about using USB ports because of voltage changes on my power supply, which could damage them. I'm afraid of trying anything now.
Turn off all storage devices as suggested by @Robchil and check if the system boots into BIOS.
I just completed this process, turned off all peripherals, and unplugged both disks. What remained connected were the CPU, RAM, and GPU (it lacks built-in graphics, so it requires a dedicated GPU). Front IO and USB 3.0 were also active. After trying both RAM sticks installed together and separately, the system would restart after 10 to 15 seconds.
I attempted to start the PC without any external devices or disks connected. It started with: CPU, two RAM modules, GPU, Front IO, and USB 3.0 main power connector. The CPU and GPU slots each had one RAM stick, while the Front IO and USB 3.0 slots had a single stick. I tested both RAM sticks individually in each slot, but it would boot into BIOS and then crash after 10 to 15 seconds every time.
Also this could be helpful. I tried it yesterday and it started up, ran for roughly 15 minutes before failing. After rebooting, it remained operational for about 4 to 6 hours. During testing, the PC handled full CPU and GPU usage with 50% RAM load for around 15 minutes. CPU temperatures stayed below 75°F, with one core reaching 72°F and others under 70°F. The GPU didn’t exceed the typical 82°F rating for a Founders Edition 1070 (82°F). I played games on it and eventually it crashed again, restarting every 15 seconds. Something unusual was noticed: during the first crash, my microphone was connected to a rear USB 3.0 port and wasn’t detected by Windows afterward. Switching it to the front IO port resolved the issue immediately.