Problem with Stopping a Crashed Computer
Problem with Stopping a Crashed Computer
Hello everybody, as you can tell by the title, I am really struggling to find the issue with my computer.
Basically, I am crashing while playing games, seemingly randomly. It doesn't matter the intensity of the game, any game will crash. Even Counter Strike 2 on 1280x960 is crashing, lol. Most games just immediately close and I'm back on Steam. CS2 just spazzes out and tabs me between CS2 and Steam like every 0.5 seconds. I have to sign out of Windows and login to fix it (doesn't let me open Task Manager). I think Sid Meier's Civilization 5 typically states it's a runtime error, other games don't offer much info. All of the games run fine until they crash - no stuttering, no low FPS even on High/Ultra, etc. Chrome crashes too, especially when watching YouTube, or something.
This has been happening on and off for probably 8-ish months. I initially figured it was my PSU - it was my oldest component. I replaced it, the GPU, and gave myself some more RAM all within that timeframe, so I don't think the issue was with those.
Specs:
CPU: Intel Core i7-11700K - Core i7 11th Gen Rocket Lake 8-Core 3.6 GHz LGA 1200
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z590 AORUS ELITE AX LGA 1200
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB (4 x 16GB)
GPU: MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 3060 12GB GDDR6
PSU: EVGA 1000 GT 80 Plus Gold 1000W
HDD: WD Blue 1TB SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB / WD Blue 4TB SATA 6 Gb/s 5400 RPM 64 MB
SSD: Samsung 850 EVO - 250GB
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P500A High Airflow
Cooling: Phanteks Glacier One 280MP D-RGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
I feel like I have tried everything - uninstalled and reinstalled games several times, wiped Windows and reinstalled it, same with Steam. I am on liquid cooling and it seems fine, CPU temperatures seem normal to my newbie eyes (though I attached an image right after crashing theHunter: Call to the Wild, just in case it helps). It seems like everything is fine based on sensor/load/temps.
Screenshot right after crashing:
https://imgur.com/a/1Tnajtz
View: https://imgur.com/a/1Tnajtz
To me, that only leaves the possibility of issue with the CPU, Motherboard, or my HDD/SSD. But at this point, I really don't know, so trying to get other opinions/ideas. My CPU was bought 2021, motherboard in 2021, HDD in 2016 (1 TB) and 2020 (4 TB and has most of my games) and SSD in 2016 (I lean most towards the HDD/SSD being the issue, but again, at this point, I don't know).
Any help would be much appreciated, I normally don't ask but I can't figure it out.
Thanks a bunch in advance.
Have you tested your CPU under stress to check for crashes? If not, consider downloading the cpu-z utility and performing a stress test as a first step. Other testing tools are available.
Hi there, I completely understand your annoyance with this matter. I’ve experienced the same challenge over the past few months. My motherboard, CPU, and GPU match yours exactly. After taking apart and reassembling my PC after checking all components for faults (I assembled it myself a few years ago), nothing was wrong. I also reinstalled Windows three times without success. I spent hours searching online, day in and day out.
I was running out of options until I discovered the problem lies with NVIDA. It became apparent after updating a graphics driver that the issue stems from the Ansel feature—a powerful tool for capturing screenshots during gameplay. I’ve never used it before, and it seems NVIDIA activates it automatically.
To resolve this, please follow these steps:
Download the NVIDIA Profile Inspector (free).
Go to "Common" and find the Ansel settings.
Select the Ansel option and turn it off.
Save your changes.
Additionally, if you have an in-game overlay enabled in NVIDIA Experience, disable it as well.
I hope this resolves the issue. Good luck!
I hadn't expected this after your advice, but I gave it a shot. Everything appeared normal, I ran a stress test and benchmarks, which gave me a 6,067 rating for a benchmark.
I attempted this myself, initially believing it resolved the issue, though it didn’t last long. Chrome eventually crashed again after some time.
The temperature is between 36-45° C when I'm typing or idle, but it reaches 55-65° C during heavier usage.
EDIT: I was trying to describe what the interface looks like just before Chrome/YouTube crashes—uncertain if this helps. On Chrome/YouTube it usually works fine, then suddenly it shows this image:
https://imgur.com/a/RBcsbiz
View: https://imgur.com/a/RBcsbiz
After that, I often need to refresh, close, or restart to recover (until it happens again).
Thanks for all the suggestions; I’m running out of ideas and really appreciate it.
Do you have another graphics card to try?
Consider these additional troubleshooting steps...
- install the newest Intel chipset driver
- update the latest firmware for your hard drive
- test with a single 16GB RAM module in slot A2
- disable HDR in display settings
Save memtest86 to a thumb drive and restart your PC. Execute the test through all four passes.
All systems were functioning properly, HDR was disabled, but the crash still occurred. I plan to test the RAM solution soon.
I’ll attempt that now; I’ll need to purchase a thumbstick, but I’ll try it.
CrystalDisk screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/vDlxKhx
View: https://imgur.com/a/vDlxKhx
Appreciate all the feedback, it really helps. I’ll send another update after trying the other two options.
This clearly points to a RAM stability issue. If XMP is active, reset your BIOS and keep the RAM at its standard clock and timing settings. Check if the problem persists. If it doesn’t, it suggests your motherboard and CPU combination aren’t compatible with the advertised RAM speed—either stick to the minimum default speed or try different configurations.
When you mention adding more RAM, are you simply adding two additional sticks from another set? This isn’t advised as it can cause significant instability (even if the same model is used, parts aren’t guaranteed identical). Adding four sticks also increases complexity; it puts extra strain on the controller and requires adjustments to voltage and timing for stability.
And if you don’t have a memory diagnostic tool like a thumb drive, you can run Windows’ built-in memory test at:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/...diagnostic