Looking for the cause of random system failures while playing games
Looking for the cause of random system failures while playing games
Hello everyone.
I'm experiencing quite randomly occurring system crashes (PC shuts down completely without any warning) during games. At least Baldur's Gate 3 and The Witcher 3 ("Next-Gen") have this problem, mostly during NPC-heavy parts like in cities. So when I'm playing the game and the problem occurs, there's no anticipatory fan reving, for example, but just a complete system shutdown. This doesn't happen during every gaming session but often enough to drive one nuts.
I thought maybe the RAM was the issue, and actually figured out with MemTest86 that couple of my sticks were faulty. When I removed those the issue still persisted (DOCP profile doesn't seem to have an effect on the problem). Then I tried running Unigine Heaven without problems, then FurMark to check how stable the system would be during that (default settings). When I hit start, the PC shut down immediately. It seemed to be some kind of PSU protection measure as I had to unplug the PC from the wall and hold down the power button to reset the PSU, only then could I boot the PC up again. And this kept happening with FurMark.
So does that sound like a GPU or PSU problem? Faulty GPU/faulty PSU or insufficient PSU? Thank you for answers.
PC specs:
- MSI Tomahawk X570
- Ryzen 7 5800X (stock)
- 16GB (atm, 32GB before MemTest) 3000MHz CL15 RAM (happens with stock/DOCP)
- Sapphire Radeon RX 6900 XT (stock)
- Seasonic Focus GX-750, 80 Plus Gold
- 2 x M.2 + 1 x 3,5"
- 3 x 120mm fans + 280mm AIO
It seems more likely a PSU issue, as a defective GPU usually causes visual glitches.
Yes, the PSU problem is likely due to insufficient power supply. GPU problems don't lead to abrupt shutdowns; instead they cause artifacts, freezing, or stuttering. A suitable PSU should be around 850W for a high-quality system. 750W could work in some cases, but this particular setup would benefit more from a higher wattage and better quality unit like 850W.