Question Computer shutting down and restarting unexpectedly
Question Computer shutting down and restarting unexpectedly
Hello,
I’ve been experiencing a problem for nearly a year where my desktop shuts down unexpectedly. Most of the time it restarts itself immediately. I notice the case lights turn off instantly and the fans stop moving, then they come back on. Occasionally it doesn’t turn back on, requiring me to unplug it and wait until it powers up again. Once that happens, I press the power button and see a brief flash of lights followed by a slight spin on the fans, but nothing afterward. Usually it reboots, though. It seems to happen more often during gaming, possibly due to higher temperatures or power issues. I’ve replaced the PSU with a new one, but the problem continues. I’m trying to understand this using Event Viewer, but I have no idea where to start. I see Critical Event ID 41 around the shutdown times, yet I don’t know how to interpret the events or warnings leading up to it. I also enabled complete memory dumps in hopes they could help, but it looks like the files aren’t being written during crashes. This is really frustrating.
Playing a BR and being in the top 5 while this occurs is really stressful.
😵
Z590 Aorus Elite
i7-11700KF
Corsair Vengeance Pro 4x8GB 3200
RTX 3070TI
Corsair 850 PSU
Corsair AIO
Install HWinfo only, not HWmonitor or other tools. Start it and select the "sensors only" setting. Turn off the "summary" option if it’s already chosen. Run your game or whatever appears to trigger the issue while monitoring CPU, memory, motherboard and graphics card temperatures to detect any spikes before shutdown. Any of these could be responsible.
Has this system previously worked well without this issue for some time, then suddenly started experiencing it? Or has this been happening consistently since you’ve owned it—possibly because it’s been around about four years now?
What is the precise model of the Corsair PSU you’re using now, and what was the exact model before replacing it with the Corsair? I’m asking because low-quality or unstable power supplies can gradually or suddenly harm other components, especially the motherboard. Knowing what was there helps determine if this is more likely.
Did you install any hardware or make significant updates to Windows around when this problem started, even if it doesn’t seem obvious? Did you update any firmware? Are all your motherboard and graphics card drivers fully updated—manually, without using any third-party updater software—using the latest versions available from the manufacturer’s support pages for your hardware?
I appreciate your detailed response and questions. I downloaded HWinfo as you recommended and executed it while running Heaven Benchmark. (Running it previously would likely have caused a shutdown. I performed it using OBS to capture the screen so I could observe the final readings just before it crashed. Nothing seems unusual, but I’m curious about your perspective.)
https://imgur.com/a/oIcxwKc
View: https://imgur.com/gallery/sensor-stats-oIcxwKc
I assembled this setup myself about four years ago, buying all components new from Amazon. This problem has only appeared in the last 6 to 12 months, though it has become more frequent recently. I also wanted to clarify earlier when I mentioned having a Corsair PSU. I originally bought a Segotep 850W 80 Plus Gold Certified and replaced it with the same model roughly a year ago when this started. My GPU was upgraded from a 3060 to a 3070TI, and I’ve used the new one without any issues otherwise. Additionally, I used aftermarket power braided cables (Formulamod on Amazon) for my GPU and motherboard, but removed them recently and the crashes continue. The RAM consists of two 8GB modules from the same brand/model/frequency.
My GPU is up to date, and within the past three months I updated the drivers from my manufacturer’s website, but I noticed my BIOS is extremely outdated—it’s version F4, which appears to be the original release for the manufacturer. I could update it, but I’m wondering if this might be the cause of the crashes. I look forward to your insights and thank you again!
Updated my BIOS to the latest release and my machine failed shortly after starting the Heaven Benchmark.
In my past experiences mixed RAM sets can lead to crashing problems. I discovered this the hard way during one of my PC builds; using matched RAM is recommended. Did you reset the CMOS after updating the BIOS? This will reset the motherboard settings. In certain situations it can be effective. It does require some effort, but if you have thermal paste available you might try reinstalling the CPU and applying fresh thermal paste. This resolved a significant crashing issue in my current PC. I change the thermal paste on my CPU roughly every three years. These are just suggestions that could assist you in getting your PC functioning properly again. Best of luck, please share your choices and outcomes. There are individuals here who can provide advanced diagnostics and advice for any further problems. Thanks.
I'm focusing on memory here. If you can spot which sticks joined in one kit, try using just those DIMMs in slots 2 and 4 (A2 and B2), placing slot 4 near the edge of the motherboard.
If none of the DIMMs matched in a kit, test them separately in slot 2 (A2) to check if the issue persists with a single stick or if any cause problems.
Also, make sure you update your BIOS to the most recent stable release before proceeding. No need to switch versions—just go for the latest stable non-beta.
Thank you both for your responses and ideas. I updated my BIOS to the latest version. I plan to experiment with different memory variations. I’m certain two of the sticks were included in a kit when I bought them on Amazon. The second one came from a friend, so I wasn’t sure if it was originally part of a kit. Any advice or methods to identify which ones are the original two I bought? Would they share matching serial numbers or something similar? I’ll look into this more tonight and try additional stress tests with different RAM combinations to see if I can trigger a crash.
Everyone is going to laugh when you read this. But I promise you, it wasn’t funny at all when it happened.
I also experienced random restarts. It really messed with me. Completely unpredictable. Sometimes it lasted days, then the system would shut down and restart on its own—sometimes even in just 15 minutes.
That’s when I decided to play detective. Swapping and testing one by one became my routine.
I cleaned out the system.
No.
Replaced everything.
No.
Swapped the thermal paste everywhere I could find—CPU and GPU.
No.
Changed the motherboard.
No.
Swapped the CPU.
No.
Updated the DDR memory.
No.
Swapped the GPU.
No.
Replaced the PSU.
No.
Now I have almost a completely new AM4 system.
Not just cables—SATA, audio, or any other connections were causing problems.
This left me with very little to test, and I always suspected there was something wrong with that cheap 2 dollar on/off switch.
It turned out it was a terrible, expensive switch.
Finding these issues required replacing and testing each part individually.
Ahem. You didn't mention it clearly or bring up the issue that only this one problem was bothering you. If you had, I'd have addressed it directly, or something similar, across different platforms: https://forums. Nonetheless, it's nice to know you solved it, and it's definitely something you should double-check in the future. Always make sure to verify the fundamentals first. Things like switches, connections, car fuses, etc., can prevent a lot of trouble and ensure you provide complete details when seeking assistance. That way, people can confirm they didn't overlook anything important. Unfortunately, replacing so much is frustrating. Hopefully you still have most components intact—this means you likely have a functional system that could be useful or sold. Wishing you success!