Persistent WHEA 18 cache issues causing black screens and frequent restarts on my computer!
Persistent WHEA 18 cache issues causing black screens and frequent restarts on my computer!
TL;DR: My PC frequently freezes to a WHEA 18 Cache Hierarchy error only during gaming. It doesn’t occur in tests, idle tasks, or when CPU/GPU are healthy. After replacing the CPU, GPU, PSU, and even the motherboard, the issue remains. The problem seems tied to gameplay—sudden crashes at game start, mid-game, or end, regardless of load. I’ve tried everything, but nothing works. This leaves my system essentially unusable for gaming now.
There might be an issue with the outlet you're using. Try moving it to another room and see if the problem persists. Running stress tests on CPU and GPU can sometimes trigger crashes.
I've noticed recurring WHEA errors only when Folding@Home is active. I might consider trying a solution. A UPS I purchased earlier failed, which could mean power issues were involved. The wiring in this building seems subpar—like running the microwave near a high-power device triggers a breaker but the microwave continues. I plan to replace my UPS.
There might be a possibility of a bad power outlet, or even electric issues in general in the house. In the other side of the wall from my outlet is another outlet, there is a clothes iron connected to that. When the iron is on, my display will artifact or even flicker for a split second. This is why I decided to get a Cyberpower AVR. Unfortunately I still get this WHEA 18 crash twice after getting that AVR. As for the stress test question, nope. I did all the tests mentioned in my OP, without crashing. Then I ran the most torturous stress test I can think of, the OCCT power test. For an entire hour that I ran it, the PC did not crash ever. And yet it crashes in games, and only in games, which I know to be less stressful than stress tests. Before I went to sleep tonight, i decided to do an overnight Memtest86+ run. When I woke up, I see a big green "PASS" and saw that it passed 8 times and failed 0 time. This is on XMP off. The last crash happened with my RAM XMP set to 3200, let me run the test again with XMP on. But then the crash did happen in the past with XMP off...
I tested Memtest86+ with XMP enabled at 3200 MHz for two passes, achieving zero failures. After that, I disabled XMP in BIOS to run RAM at 2133 MHz. Another point to note: the WHEA 18 error appears only with the RX5600XT card before and after a warranty claim; it doesn’t occur with my other cards like the emergency RX550 or RX580. Notably, the RX580 also experiences black screen issues where the display shuts down independently, but audio continues and the PC doesn’t restart on its own. I had to manually press the power button. When checking Event Viewer, no WHEA-Logger event was recorded.
Attempt to lower the clock speed of the RX580 significantly and see if the black screen issue persists. It seems a WHEA error and a black screen could be linked. Please share an image of the internal components if possible, and check the temperatures as well.
Unfortunately the RX580 card (Sapphire Pulse 4GB) stopped working completely now, it's no longer functioning. When it was working, I adjusted its voltage and clock speed. Black screens appeared less often than before, but they still did. It didn't support WHEA 18s either. What changed was the number of PCIe lanes shifting from x16 to x8 and then back to x16 without any changes to the GPU. This happened with the RX550 as well (x8 to x4 and back), but it never caused black screens. This likely explains why I assumed it was a motherboard problem, which is why I upgraded my current one, though it didn't fix the WHEA 18s issue. Edits: Temper readings came from an OCCT power test that tests CPU and GPU together. The CPU hit 89°C, while the GPU (RX5600XT) reached 78°C. It's hot but not critically so. Of course, in games the temperatures are lower. But crashes only occur during gameplay. Edited February 24, 2023 by emothxughts
There is a quick test for power stability 1. Connect a light to socket your PC is connected. 2. Connect a hairdryer to socket next to it. 3. Turn on light. 4. Turn of hairdryer. If light flickers then there's a problem with power.