PC shuts down during gameplay; power supply problem?
PC shuts down during gameplay; power supply problem?
My configuration is reflected in my signature. Roughly two days ago, my PC began restarting while gaming. I've mainly played Gloomhaven and Baldur's Gate 3. Here’s what I’ve done so far:
Removed dust using an air blower inside the entire case
Applied fresh arctic silver 5 thermal paste (it’s been about two years)
Checked game files for both titles on Steam
Disabled Steam Overlay
Updated .NET framework
Installed new NVIDIA graphics drivers
Updated VC x64 and x86 (I believe I only needed x86 with Skylake, though I wasn’t entirely sure)
Deactivated overclocking by clearing CMOS; currently operating at default BIOS settings
Executed Windows Memory Diagnostic (no issues)
Performed OCCT stress test on power supply (passed, no errors)
Ran MemTest86 (passed) – wanted to verify memory again
Would you run any additional diagnostics?
I played Baldur's Gate 3 for about an hour last night after completing MemTest86 and didn’t experience any restarts. However, this doesn’t confirm anything because prior to most of the checks/cleaning, it had been running for around two hours before I restarted. When the system powers on cold after a night’s sleep, it seems to take longer. This appears to point toward a PSU problem, though I’m uncertain since the OCCT test passed. I’ve maintained a stable overclock using the Game Boost button in BIOS for roughly 15 months, which might indicate some wear. My CPU typically operates between 64-68°C during games (I rarely see it exceed 70°C), and my GPU gets warmer slightly when playing new titles at 1080p (around 78°C) but rarely surpasses 80°C.
I’m considering upgrading my 980 Ti to a 4080 once prices drop, so I can run newer games at higher resolutions without frame drops. This could be a good time to get a new PSU as well. Would you have any suggestions? For PSUs, I favor quality over cost. I was looking at this model:
https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-vertex-g...6817320022
Is 1000W excessive for a 4080?
You can examine the Windows Event Viewer -
Windows Logs > System
and search for critical errors on the restart date. I think the issue might be with the PSU and possibly the GPU.
Regarding the upgrade - a 4080 is too much for that CPU, it will cause bottlenecks. You should focus on 20 series cards or upgrade the CPU+Motherboard for the 4080 to make sense.
Here is the revised version with the requested adjustments:
The critical error observed after the last reboot is clear. It’s hard to grasp what it means at first, but I’m trying to understand. Could you clarify what you’re referring to?
Spoiler:
Event Log Friendly View
-
System
-
Provider
[
Name
]
Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
[
Guid
]
{331c3b3a-2005-44c2-ac5e-77220c37d6b4}
EventID
41
Version
8
Level
1
Task
63
Opcode
0
Keywords
0x8000400000000002
-
TimeCreated
[
SystemTime]
2023-11-26T02:18:05.4665665Z
EventRecordID
72241
Correlation
-
Execution
[
ProcessID
]
4
[
ThreadID
]
8
Channel
System
Computer
desktop
-
Security
[
UserID
]
S-1-5-18
-
EventData
BugcheckCode
0
BugcheckParameter1
0x0
BugcheckParameter2
0x0
BugcheckParameter3
0x0
BugcheckParameter4
0x0
SleepInProgress
6
PowerButtonTimestamp
0
BootAppStatus
3221225684
Checkpoint
0
ConnectedStandbyInProgress
false
SystemSleepTransitionsToOn
1
CsEntryScenarioInstanceId
0
BugcheckInfoFromEFI
false
CheckpointStatus
0
CsEntryScenarioInstanceIdV2
0
LongPowerButtonPressDetected
false
Spoiler:
Event Log XML View
-
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
...
</Event>
In the logs, there are multiple entries at the same timestamp for each processor (0 through 7), and a link at the end points to a support page which isn’t immediately helpful without further context.
These eight issues are linked to the same critical error.
Yeah, the event viewer usually doesn't provide much useful information (the error code is important here - the error code is 41 Kernel power) - but it seems like the PSU might be the issue. You need to figure out what you're planning to upgrade to; if you're starting with a 4080 and not wanting a 1000W, you won't need that much power, and you shouldn't settle for just a bottleneck.
Thanks for the guidance. I purchased a new EVGA SuperNOVA 850 GT at a good price and discovered a solid offer on an RX 6700 XT, which should keep me going until I’m prepared to upgrade my mb+CPU. Your advice helped me reconsider the GPU overkill and another friend encouraged me to think about switching to AMD. Thanks!