PC restarting unexpectedly without any specific cause.
PC restarting unexpectedly without any specific cause.
Hello everyone,
For a long time my PC has been experiencing frequent reboots without any Blue screens or error messages, and I haven’t managed to identify the cause. These reboots seem to occur without a clear pattern. They can happen during the middle of booting (after the post and before Windows loads), in standby mode (once everything is loaded), or when under load, such as while playing games. However, the most common scenario is that they occur during heavy usage with games. Under BIOS settings, I never encountered a reboot.
Making it even more difficult to diagnose, these reboots tend to happen between 1 and 3 days, after which the system becomes stable for about 3 to 4 months—very unusual. The briefest period of stability I experienced was close to 15 days.
Since the issue began, I’ve noticed a decline in disk performance (4 x HDD).
Another point worth noting is that when I shut down the computer, a small clicking sound comes from the motherboard as it engages the power contacts. This sound also occurs during reboots, but the reset button doesn’t make it.
Recent tests I’ve conducted:
- Memtest86 passed
- OCCT Personal, all stability and power tests completed without reboots
- Ran the system without XMP settings; crashes still occurred
- I don’t perform overclocking, so there’s nothing to reset
Regarding the 4 HDDs: no stability tests were done, but they didn’t report any errors and passed speed tests.
I tried running the PC without any connectors (HDD, power lights, reset connector, etc.), and the reboot still happened.
On the hardware side:
- The power supply was replaced, but the reboot continued (the old fan was failing, so I bought a new one)
- The motherboard was replaced, and the reboot persisted after about 3 months. I was convinced the issue came from the disk controller, so I bought a used one
- The PC was remounted several times to check for causes of short circuits that might trigger a reboot. Nothing was found. One minor detail: one of the placeholders behind the motherboard wasn’t fully centered, but it was still within the MB protection. I left it in place for extra support.
I also tried a different power socket (same result), but it was on a different edge of the wall, so I wasn’t sure if it was drawing power from the same outlet.
However, the previous PC (before this one) didn’t have issues on the same wall socket—though time definitely affects things.
So, what should I do to reach a conclusion? How can I pinpoint the problem?
Getting another CPU and GPU to test isn’t an option, as it would require someone to have one for at least three months. A professional shop would be ideal, but even then, it might just gather dust after three months. I’m not seeing a professional working on it for that long, and it would mean missing out on having a PC for at least three months.
Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.
What is your PC configuration, components? Consider turning off automatic restart to potentially trigger an error message or BSOD with a specific indicator. Even a color change can provide useful clues for troubleshooting.
the auto reboot feature is already turned off (typically one of the first things removed after a reinstall)
now regarding the system specifications:
cpu: intel i5-6600
memory: 4x 4gb - Crucial Technology (ddr4-2400)
motherboard: old - msi z170a gaming m3
new - msi z170a gaming pro carbon
graphics: nvidia 960 armor (4gb)
storage: 3 x western digital (1gb)
1 x seagate (1gb)
power supply: old: 600 w
new: 700 w
both storage and power supply models would require removal to verify, but it’s not really necessary
i also overlooked that the pc doesn’t have temperature issues, so shutdowns aren’t caused by that
cpu and graphics stay under 75c during maximum load