PC randomly shuts off
PC randomly shuts off
Hello,
I’m dealing with a rather unusual issue with my PC that I’ve been working on for several months without success. It suddenly powers off during gaming or when running stress tests. It feels like some protective mechanism is triggered, but the motherboard LEDs stay lit while the fan doesn’t.
Some notes:
- The problem seems related to temperature, though it isn’t near the thermal limits.
- There’s no consistent pattern; it can occur at different times (5 minutes into a game or after 30 seconds).
- When the shutdown happens, temperatures are around 50°C for the CPU, 55°C for the GPU, 65°C for the GPU hotspot, 41°C for the motherboard, 38°C for RAM, and 55°C for the M.2 drive.
- Previously, it worked fine in an open testbench environment.
- Leaving the side panel off reduces the frequency of occurrences.
- Stressing individual components can raise temperatures without issues.
- Pushing the GPU while the panel is on still causes shutdowns.
- It never shows any thermal throttling signs—just a complete power cut.
- The GPU I tested on another PC functioned properly.
- My PC uses a different PSU and has been working with another motherboard.
- I’ve tried running fans on certain parts (like the motherboard, RAM M.2, etc.) to manage temperatures, but the problem persists.
- I’ve upgraded and downgraded all BIOS versions I could find.
- Windows has been formatted.
- I attempted to force a fan to run at maximum speed on specific components, but it still triggered shutdowns.
- I’ve used a 1080 Ti model without issues (so power isn’t the issue).
I’m unsure what else to try and would appreciate any advice or suggestions.
Specs:
AMD Ryzen 3600, 280mm Arctic Water Cooler
16GB Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4
ASRock B450M Steel Legend
MSI MECH X2 RX 6650XT
Samsung 960 EVO
2x WD 500GB HDD
Corsair CX550F RGB
2x 120mm fans (tested with and without, no effect)
Case includes RGB lighting (tested with and without, no impact)
Please let me know if you need any further details.
Which monitoring software are you employing for temperature tracking? I assume HWiNFO can be used to observe MOFSET/VRM temperatures if your motherboard includes a corresponding sensor.
Event viewer reports kernel power 41 error. Possible causes range from various triggers to an emergency shutdown. All updates appear normal, and a full format was completed.
I've used OCCT, HWINFO, and afterburner for checking in games, but only 2-3 mobile sensors are present. It's hard to determine their positions. No sensor reaches high temperatures. I've also tried placing a fan directly over the motherboard VRMs without success. Additionally, I have an Arctic Liquid freezer with a mini fan blowing on the VRMs, which makes me think it might not be the issue.
PSU = Corsair CX550F RGB - accurate?
Recorded your test using a different PSU. Could you provide the make, model, and wattage, as well as its age?
Did you rely solely on the cables included with the test PSU?
CPU: thermal paste. Details on the type and application method.
The temperatures can rise extremely quickly and unexpectedly, often before they are detected or recorded prior to the thermal shutdown being triggered.
The comparison I’ve made is with a lightning bolt. Extremely hot, yet it doesn’t significantly increase ambient air temperature. However, there’s a warning that if you’re too close, the problem might not matter. ⚡
Studies (searching online) have used terms like “signs of a computer CPU thermal shutdown” and focused on results from the past year.
As you go through this information, adjust your search terms to narrow down further according to your system and what you observe.
Do you believe the issue is linked to CPU heat? With a 95W processor and 280mm cooling, it seems plausible. If yes, what would be a fix? LN2? Well, jokes aside, how can I investigate further? A small FFT on stress tests hits 85 degrees. I haven’t seen throttling before.
I tried putting only the GPU under stress with the side panel closed, which made it heat more, and the problem still exists. Voltages and CPU should be normal (remember I put the CPU cooler in front as an intake for the case). Therefore, it doesn’t seem to be the issue.
Just two quick questions:
1) Stress test: Did the procedure generate any circumstances likely to trigger a shutdown?
For reference (you can check these links):
https://techlibrary.hpe.com/docs/is...tilities screen,degrees of the critical level
.
2) "Vrms and cpu should be cool" – what are the real temperatures?
A cooler placement is helpful, but it’s less important than the actual performance of the cooling system and the resulting air movement. The different fans might work against each other, reducing overall airflow.
I recommend capturing a few photos illustrating the setup, the cooler, the fans, etc., and pointing out the airflow directions. Share them here via imgur (www.imgur.com).
This will help identify any real issues or possible causes.
The main goal is to eliminate potential problems, including thermal shutdown.
I’m confident you don’t want to perform tests that could damage anything unless it’s necessary for the test itself.
I’ll rely on the "cooling" community to advise on what tests are most useful for troubleshooting.