My computer suddenly shuts down to a blank screen without any warning?
My computer suddenly shuts down to a blank screen without any warning?
System specifications are listed at the bottom.
Over the past few months, I've experienced random crashes where my computer shuts down to a black screen while playing games. The audio sometimes plays through, other times it stops completely. I can't consistently reproduce the issue—sometimes it occurs multiple times daily and occasionally twice weekly. Previously, it only affected one game for about a month, but now it happens with every game across all difficulty levels on my system. There are no error messages or warnings, and it only appears during gameplay.
The only solution so far is to restart the case by pressing the reboot button. This has worked with various video driver versions. Initially, I had 64GB RAM with all four DIMM slots filled. Removing two slots improved stability slightly but didn't fully resolve the problem. I've also replaced the two RAM sticks and the other two for the same reason. Performing tests like Memtest, HD Tune, and chkdsk all returned clean results. I've re-seated the RAM and video card, and even tried changing the display port cable to an HDMI connection.
The only hint I have comes from the Windows Reliability Monitor. Each crash displays a message indicating improper shutdown followed by a hardware error, but I'm unsure what this means.
When sharing a troubleshooting thread, it's important to provide detailed system specifications. List your hardware details in the following format:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
Include the age of the PSU along with its make and model. Also mention the current BIOS version for your motherboard. This issue appears across several video driver versions.
Tell me about any previous driver versions you've used and how you transitioned between them during troubleshooting.
At first, I had 64GB RAM with all four DIMM slots filled. Removing two of them improved stability slightly but hasn't fully resolved the problem.
Are you currently using Corsair RAM kits? Specifically, two 2x16GB kits? If so, please share photos of the PCB revision for those kits.
Do you have any dump files in the folder C:\WIndows\Minidump? If yes, please share all of them with a link to the cloud. Also, check the folder C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports for any dump files in its subfolders and upload those as well, providing links to them.
I don't recall the exact start of this issue, as it initially appeared in a closed beta game. I assumed it was typical beta behavior, though I didn’t encounter this problem for several months. The issue began across all games, but it has been occurring for about two months now—likely around June to mid-July. It seems related to GeForce driver version 576.80, 576.88, or 577.00, and I’m currently using version 581.15.
I tried updating the drivers via the clean install option in the nVidia App, hoping a fix would appear. I also considered reverting to an older version, possibly from April. My RAM is G.Skill, not Corsair. I updated the first post with specifications.
There are several of these reports. Here’s a link to a .zip file. There’s also another .dmp file that’s 20GB, but it had the same name as one already in my folder, so I skipped it. The .zip itself is about 13MB.
I have the latest drivers installed, including recent chipset updates. The game doesn’t crash to the desktop—it just goes black. I can’t confirm if it crashes to the desktop, but it’s not visible. It might be crashing to the desktop, though I can’t see it. For now, the game still runs.
This issue also appears in single-player games without anti-cheat or internet features. I usually disable Vanguard before starting games. I’ll probably uninstall it since I don’t play that game much anymore.
I also checked with someone else who had a similar problem; they found their PSU cable was damaged and partially melted at the connectors. They replaced it, and it resolved the issue. My cable seems to be in good condition now.
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix X570-E Gaming (BIOS ver 5013)
ROG Strix X570-E Gaming | Motherboards | ROG Global
AMD Ryzen 3000 series ATX board featuring Aura Sync, WiFi 6(802.11ax), 2.5G LAN, Intel 1G LAN, Dual PCIe 4.0 M.2 with heatsinks, SupremeFX and USB 3.2 Gen 2
rog.asus.com
Current BIOS version is 5041. It’s important to verify the latest chipset driver for your board and update it manually to that version.
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA750 G3 (purchased around 2015)
https://www.evga.com/products/product.as...g3-0750-x1
The unit comes with a 10-year warranty, suggesting a replacement PSU is likely. However, a concern remains about the GPU in your system.
GPU: Asus TUF Gaming OC RTX 3080 10GB
Users have noted that the RTX 3000 series can experience significant temporary power demands. It’s recommended to overprovision your PSU based on wattage requirements, and consider choosing a well-built unit.
View: https://youtu.be/wnRyyCsuHFQ
When installing new or existing drivers, it’s best to clear the cache using DDU. Open the app in Safe Mode, remove all GPU drivers (Intel, AMD, Nvidia), then install the preferred driver manually via an elevated command—right-click the installer and select Run as Administrator. For driver compatibility, try version 566.36.
I switched to BIOS version 5031 since 5041 is still in beta. I also went back to video driver 566.36 using DDU. I plan to test some games to check the results. I heard someone else had a similar issue and that uninstalling and reinstalling graphics drivers with DDU resolved it, so hopefully this is the fix.
Thank you for the live kernel dumps. They seem mostly graphics-related, indicating the problem likely lies there. However, three BIOS updates have been released since your 5013 version—each includes AGESA microcode improvements, so staying current is essential. The most recent is Beta 5041 (dated 14th August 2025), but I recommend applying the stable 5031 update from 7th April 2025. These updates might help resolve your issue, though it's still important to ensure you have the latest AGESA version for an AMD CPU.
What is AGESA and why does it matter? I recently updated to version 5031 and used DDU to remove the video drivers, switching back to a more reliable one. It worked for some games intermittently without a black screen. I’m not sure if it’s fully fixed yet, but I’ll keep it as it is and check again next week. For future updates, should I always use DDU to uninstall old graphics drivers before installing new ones? I’ve never heard of this software before. Is the “clean install” feature for nVidia drivers just a standard option, or does it do something different from what I’m used to?
For AGESA there is additional microcode needed to support AMD CPUs. Refer to the provided link for further information. Using DDU isn't always required after updating the graphics driver; it helps resolve graphics issues by clearing old driver traces. I would appreciate more detailed problem data. Please download the SysnativeBSODCollectionApp, save it to your Desktop, run it, and upload the resulting zip file to a cloud service with a link. This tool compiles all troubleshooting information, simplifying diagnosis without collecting personal data. It is utilized by several reputable Windows help forums. You may review the contents of the zip file before uploading, as most files are text documents. Avoid modifying or deleting anything. For descriptions of each file, see the provided link.