My computer keeps crashing and freezing during gameplay, then suddenly returns to normal.
My computer keeps crashing and freezing during gameplay, then suddenly returns to normal.
I’ve been dealing with this problem for a very long time, and I'm completely exhausted from trying to resolve it. When I’m playing games, I can usually tell my PC is about to freeze – in-game images or text will simply vanish. For instance, when I open the Destiny 2 menu, the words disappear within around 20 seconds, followed by a complete system freeze. I'm still able to move my mouse, but nothing else works; I can’t access Task Manager while this is happening. It typically lasts between 30 and 60 seconds before everything returns to normal, often causing the game to crash, which I then have to close through Task Manager. Yes, I’ve ensured all my drivers are up-to-date, as well as updating Windows. My system specifications are: Gigabyte GTX 1660 OC GPU (previously a GTX 1050 Ti where I experienced the same issues), AMD FX 8350 CPU, Gigabyte 78LMT-USB R2 motherboard, HyperX FURY 16GB (2x8GB) RAM, EVGA 600BR PSU, CiT G Force Mid-Tower RGB PC Gaming Case, and a 1TB Sandisk Ultra 3D SSD – this is my third storage device in less than two years; I’ve previously used two hard drives that both failed. Any advice or assistance would be greatly appreciated.
1) Let’s check your CPU temperature while gaming – could you please try using AMD Overdrive if you haven’t already? You can find it here: https://www.techspot.com/downloads/4645-...drive.html. If the thermal margin for the cores drops to zero or goes negative, that's a clear sign of a cooling problem.
2) Regarding your HyperX FURY 16GB RAM – is this a standard dual-channel kit, or did you add more memory yourself later on? I recommend running Memtest86 (the free version), particularly if you expanded the system manually: https://www.memtest86.com/. It’s a lengthy process—plan to run it overnight—and error-free results with no freezes or crashes are what we're looking for.
3) Could you tell me about the condition of your storage drive? Your drive might have its own diagnostic software, but here’s one that works as well…
1)Cpu thermal margin while in game - please use AMD Overdrive, if you haven't been already:
https://www.techspot.com/downloads/4645-...drive.html
If thermal margin for the cores gets to 0 or even a negative number, then you definitely have a cooling issue.
2)HyperX FURY 16GB ram: is this a normal dual channel kit, or did you buy one and add more later?
I suggest you run Memtest86 free version - especially if you did the latter:
https://www.memtest86.com/
It takes a few hours, so run it overnight. The results should be error-free, and with no system hangs or crashes.
3)Condition of the storage drive?
Your current drive may have it's own software for checking that, but just in case, I'll link one that works:
https://crystalmark.info/redirect.php?pr...oInstaller
4)Your motherboard isn't adequate for handling the 125w FX cpus. They overwhelm and eventually burn out the board's VRMs.
You're then forced to downclock the cpu or just use the PowerNow! feature at #1 in bios:
Low power features
PowerNow!
Low power P states [1]
#1: 3400 MHz, 1.225V
#2: 2800 MHz, 1.125V
#3: 2100 MHz, 1V
#4: 1400 MHz, 0.875V
5)Psu isn't great, but it's probably not the source if this was going on even with the 1050Ti.
I spent about 10-15 minutes playing Destiny 2 on high graphics, and I managed to achieve a thermal margin of 11°C to 19°C. Honestly, I’m not really sure if that's good or bad – I don’t know much about this stuff. Usually, my game crashes and freezes my PC, but it worked perfectly today for some reason. And yes, just so you know, I have dual 8GB of RAM.
That motherboard seems like it’s on its last legs. It suffered from weak VRMs and wasn’t really designed for those 125W CPUs, even though it was advertised as “compatible.” Your power supply also isn’t great, but the board itself was just fundamentally flawed. I personally experienced issues with a few of them when I used them with FX 8320 processors – they didn't last very long at all.
It’s alright. Ram seems okay as well. The most probable cause of this issue appears to be a stressed-out motherboard.
“That’s disappointing; please forgive me for all the questions – you've been incredibly helpful so far. Do you have any recommendations for a solid motherboard that would work well as a replacement? Also, is my power supply sufficient, or should I be looking to upgrade it too? I don’t want to overspend, but thank you again for taking the time to assist me; I really appreciate your help – you do these forums great justice.”
That’s really challenging. Honestly, I'd prefer not to recommend replacing the motherboard for such an older system. We shouldn’t keep spending money on it; getting a new CPU, motherboard, and RAM together would be much better. What’s your budget looking like? And how old is the power supply – I noticed it still has a three-year warranty.
The power supply, motherboard, and CPU are all roughly a year and a half old. I think I'd have about €400 to work with for this project.