PC Hard Freezing During Gaming
PC Hard Freezing During Gaming
Summary: My computer has repeatedly frozen during gaming sessions. The issue occurs when no input is given, without any blue screen display, and it requires a hard reset by pressing the power button. System details: CPU - I7 10700K, Cooler - Corsair Hydro H100x (3 years), GPU - 2080TI, Power Supply - RM 850w Gold (8 years), Motherboard - MSI MPG Z490. Testing steps include checking event logs for clues, reinstalling Windows after a reset, improving CPU cooling, testing with new RAM, scanning drives via CMD, running virus checks, and validating drivers. Observations note consistent crashes on CyberPunk 2077, occasional game freezes, and one random shutdown while using Chrome. PSU is nearly 8 years old. Next steps involve replacing components such as the power supply or CPU/motherboard, possibly due to a capacitor problem. Some consider resetting the system completely. Help would be greatly appreciated before investing heavily.
Unfortunately I don't fully agree though it's definitely on the higher side. Would there be any explanation for why less challenging games and basic PC tasks keep temperatures normal, while more demanding sessions get so hot? Could an AIO like this fail in a way that intense use is the issue? I'm asking because I've experienced an AIO in the past that, when it stopped working, barely cooled the CPU during idle mode, let alone during gaming.
From the symptoms alone, I’d suspect the drive is the main culprit. Since freezes occur under various conditions and don’t appear to depend on load levels (which could be confirmed with benchmarks or stress tests focusing on CPU or GPU), it’s unlikely related to power supply issues. A hard crash or reboot would be more typical of such problems.
It might also be RAM. However, you should perform some stress tests to eliminate CPU and GPU issues. If no similar freezes occur under heavy load, it's highly improbable that the problem lies with those components.
I've confirmed the problem with various RAM configurations. The same issue appeared again. I've also utilized the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool to assess CPU performance under load without freezing.
I restored CyberPunk 2077 on another SSD, ran it for ten minutes. The CPU temperatures climbed to about 87–95°C. After reloading a checkpoint, my computer suddenly froze again. This suggests the drive problem may not be the main cause.
You referred to CPU temperatures as well. Did you check the GPU temperatures? Have you considered updating or changing the GPU drivers? Could another piece of background software be contributing to the issue? An eight-year-old power supply unit might also be causing problems.
Hi there! Thanks for your message. The GPU temperatures stay below 75°C during CyberPunk Load. I’m thinking about purchasing a new PSU and an AIO cooler for my CPU soon. Fingers crossed it works out well!