PC shuts down unexpectedly during gameplay.
PC shuts down unexpectedly during gameplay.
OS: Windows 11 Pro 23H2
Motherboard: B650M AORUS ELITE AX (rev. 1.3)
BIOS: F30 / F32C
Build link: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TWV9xH
Software in use: Steam Big Picture / Final Fantasy XIV PC
During gameplay, the system tends to shut down abruptly without any warning. No error alerts appear in Event Viewer, only a brief pause followed by fans stopping and audio emitting a steady tone when the power button is held for 5-10 seconds. This has occurred multiple times, usually once or twice each night.
Key instances:
- Playing with FSR slider in-game
- Pressing the PS button to open Steam Big Picture
At first, I suspected a temporary GPU power surge affecting the PSU, especially since I was adjusting the power settings closely. However, when the GPU lights turned off while all fans stayed on, it suggested another issue.
Current observations:
- GPU draws roughly 347-398W (varies with slider)
- CPU usage sits around 60W, with occasional spikes up to ~85W
- A WigiDash shows consistent performance
Attempted fixes:
- Raised GPU power slider beyond 115%
- Changed GPU memory timing to 'Default'
- Set maximum GPU clock speed to 2860
- Updated graphics drivers and BIOS (F30 → F32C)
I’m uncertain about the root cause but believe it may relate to the GPU. Once the GPU LEDs failed completely and my frame rate dropped to 15, restarting the PC resolved the problem temporarily.
Regarding your question: Can the PSU fail while keeping the motherboard and LED lights powered?
Yes, it’s possible. If the PSU trips under load but maintains power to the motherboard and LEDs, it could cause display issues or system instability. Monitor voltage and performance closely during heavy usage.
Begin by verifying the PSU connection to the motherboard and GPU. It’s possible a loose cable is causing issues. Next, test the RAM individually to identify any failures during high demand. I’ve faced a similar situation—performance was smooth at low loads but would crash when launching games.
My advice comes from my personal experience with the 750 watt PSU model. I’ll skip the technical specifics that might confuse you. SeaSonic claims our version has a "noise in the 12V sense wire from the GPU" shutdown issue, but apparently this only affected certain 2017 Prime models and not the FOCUS ones. If your unit was made after 2017, you likely face different problems. I bought mine in January 2018. I can recreate a test that reliably stops my PC, using CPU stress tests and GPU stress tests while rapidly pressing the space bar to pause and resume. This method worked for me—once I switched the GPU cable port, the crashes stopped. What I tried might not suit everyone, but it’s worth a try. Good luck!
A quick way to confirm if the problem lies with the power supply or GPU is to verify all connections, then use Afterburner or your app and lower the GPU power limit to 80 or 75%. If the issue persists, it points to the GPU. To be certain, replace the PSU or run a stress test on an unloaded system. Based on your description, the power supply might struggle with sudden spikes—high FPS tasks should expose this. Your PSU appears reliable, but consider if it was exposed to surges or has backup protection.
focus had a reputation for struggling with 3000-series graphics cards, especially...
Thanks for the updates! I followed the test guide from @johndms but didn’t trigger a crash. Raising the power slider to +15% (maximum) still didn’t cause failure. My PSU is quite recent, yet I was using the 'bad' PCIe connector for the CPU while the GPU used the lower ones. I also tried @HoneyBadger84’s advice and couldn’t force a crash at -10% power, though it’s hard to confirm a negative result. After replacing all four PCIe connectors and repositioning them carefully—especially avoiding the CPU in the 'Bad' slot—I think we should monitor the situation. If it improves, I might go ahead with a 1000W power supply, but I’ll keep this discussion updated.
It's tough to pinpoint the issue with a PSU, so you might need to just operate the system normally and check if the problem continues. Swapping the wire plug could help fix it. Good luck!
The crashes you mention could also stem from RAM issues. I’ve experienced this firsthand on my own machine. If I owned your PC, I’d run a RAM tester for at least two hours to check for problems. I usually rely on MemTest86 and HCI MemTest Pro—HCI MemTest is available in Windows as well.