It might relate to the motherboard, but check other signs before concluding.
It might relate to the motherboard, but check other signs before concluding.
I've been dealing with this for a while. At first I thought my faulty SSD—also the boost drive—might be the cause. After swapping it out with a reliable one, the problem still pops up occasionally. Could it be the motherboard? (My RAM, CPU, and motherboard are all quite old: i7 4770, Z97, plus a few random dual-channel DDR3 sticks, maybe a HyperX model?)
It might indicate an issue with power distribution, possibly related to the PSU or motherboard VRMs.
I understand, yes this could be a likely cause. My setup uses a 850W Gold Cooler Master and it behaves similarly to my i7 4770. While my PC usually doesn’t shut down unexpectedly, it often starts due to app or folder crashes before eventually restarting or requiring manual intervention. To check if your PSU is the problem, you can monitor voltage fluctuations or test with a known-good PSU.
Do you have any extra PSU units? Try swapping one in and observe the changes. My old Thermaltake Tr2 700W was around seven years old and would restart unexpectedly during intense 3D games. Testers said it was fine, but after replacing the PSU, the issues disappeared. I suspected my motherboard was the problem, as it would sometimes report overclock failures even when running at normal settings. Power supplies are usually the most frequently affected component in a PC, and mine was just worn out. It seems you're facing a similar situation.
Check if your PSU causes issues and see if the motherboard supports video. Also, test crashes when the card is taken out and the same PSU remains.
It seems like a mix of PSU and MMO was needed. Try swapping one or the other and see if it works. Hardware lottery is happening because makers can't meet standards.