Need assistance figuring out a strange BSOD problem
Need assistance figuring out a strange BSOD problem
Hello LTC community! The setup I assembled has been facing numerous BSOD problems for nearly two years, and I’ve reached my limit. Here’s the machine in question: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/JcLPxr , and I’ll share the details below. To set the scene, I’m quite meticulous about keeping things clean—dust and debris often block vents and fans, so I clean regularly. My system specs are as follows: CPU is an AMD Ryzen 7 3800X, motherboard MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX with 32 GB RAM (2x Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB DDR4-3600 CL18), GPU is Nvidia 3080 Founders Edition, PSU is Corsair RM650x (2018) 650W (80+ Gold certified), and the main drive is a 2 TB Samsung 990 Pro AIO. It runs Windows 11. Now, regarding the issues: I recently experienced a BSOD while researching new components. After playing two games of Overwatch, I closed it, waited five minutes, then encountered the error: “KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x1E)”. No other applications were running. I’ve noted this in my logs from the second perfmon report failure, which I saved to Dropbox. These logs cover June 2024 up to now. Other signs include reduced performance compared to a friend with identical hardware, occasional screen glitches, and jumbled graphics. Swapping the GPU to a Radeon 580 didn’t stop the BSODs. This suggests the PSU might be contributing, but I’m not sure. I’ve also tried cleaning display drivers, reinstalling Windows, using stripped Nvidia drivers, and even replacing RAM. Still, the problems persist. A false flag from The Finals anti-cheat caused me anxiety—though I suspected memory issues instead. After reinstalling the game and resetting RAM, it helped temporarily. I’ve also used HWiNFO to check RAM, but it flagged a problem with my second stick. I replaced it after reboots and reinstalls, but BSODs continued. I’ve swapped out RAM multiple times, even using CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 32GB, yet issues remain. The GPU was less demanding, but still caused problems. Sometimes leaving the PC overnight leads to a BSOD screen, and monitors go dark while the keyboard lights up. The screen shows zero input, and the PC powers off instantly with just one click. BIOS is up-to-date, though I had hiccups before updating. I disabled Game Mode and AMD Precision Boost Overdrive to reduce stress, but now I’m seeing crashes even when those are off. I’ve run memtest86 and RAM tests—no errors found. OCCT heavy testing showed no BSODs under load. Recently, enabling Re-enter support or TPM fixes triggered more crashes. I tried motherboard settings, full rebuilds, and even a reset, but nothing seems to fix it. I’m at a loss and worried about overspending on parts as prices rise. Please help me figure out what’s wrong before I waste more time. Thank you!
You're facing tight power constraints for your PSU and components. It's possible this isn't a major concern yet, but it could become significant depending on your workload. Checking tools like HWMonitor can help verify if your CPU or GPU is drawing the expected power under stress.
Hello, thank you for your message. I've added everything to the original post as you requested. Your testing results are solid—memtest86 and RAM checks passed consistently across several runs. OCCT performed well under heavy load without any BSODs during maximum settings. I'll set up HWMonitor and collect the data for upload.
Update: During the full OCCT test, my PC froze completely. No keyboard input detected, but all fans remained at maximum speed, suggesting it might still be processing. I apologize for the missing screenshot, but the issue appears to be related to system stability during the test.
Navigate to C:\Windows\Minidump and verify the presence of any minidump files. If found, return to the Windows directory and transfer the Minidump folder to the Downloads folder (use your desktop if needed). Compress the copied folder and include it in a post. Avoid messing around in C:\Windows and stick to the instructions carefully.
Welcome to the forums! That's an insanely tight power budget. I'd absolutely recommend upgrading that Also, 990 pro? Have you updated the firmware? I literally just discovered a couple days ago that one of my boot drives was on the bad firmware which explained why the PC was slowly losing its mind.