Question My PC crashes when running certain new games, despite having minimum or recommended specifications for them?
Question My PC crashes when running certain new games, despite having minimum or recommended specifications for them?
PC Specifications
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-8700K CPU @ 3.70GHz
Installed RAM: 32GB DDR4-4272
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan X
(Note I’m aware my computer is outdated and would need an upgrade, as I don’t have the budget right now)
Games I’ve experienced similar problems with:
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
Cubic Odyssey
Elden Ring Nightreign
I run them at a reduced setting, usually around 30–60 FPS, occasionally dropping slightly below 30 but never under 25. Performance is generally acceptable—no frame drops or stability issues beforehand. When I play, the game may randomly crash with brief video glitches followed by a sudden close without any error messages. If anyone here can help identify the cause or suggest a solution, that would be really appreciated.
update bios and gpu drivers
monitor cpu and gpu temperatures
was there any overclocking or voltage adjustments?
consider running furmark to see if it resolves the problem
the gpu may be experiencing issues
System specifications are available, including the PSU's make, model, or part number. The age of the PSU is provided as well. Additionally, it is noted whether the PSU was purchased new, used, or refurbished.
I've already updated the GPU drivers to the latest version, but it didn't make a difference, so I reverted back to driver 566.36 to play Doom Eternal. The newer graphics drivers seem to cause a black screen at the main menu. I'm planning to update the BIOS next. I haven't overclocked or undervolted anything myself—maybe the manufacturer didn't do that either. I thought the issue might be with the GPU, but it only affects those three games. I'll also keep an eye on the temperatures.
When you lose in specific games, check for recent updates first. Game discussions might share details about configurations that lead to crashes and available solutions.
I'm still trying to understand what was changed recently. You mention it's about ten years old, which makes you wonder if there have been recent updates. This is what's making you question the situation. Are these just older games failing or are they just specific examples? Without more details, the crashes without errors seem quite old-fashioned. If your PSU is fine and the GPU isn't getting enough power, it might be that your GPU is struggling. It could be hitting a limit on something like the voltage regulator on the PCB, and you might need to replace it.
The best approach would be to install monitoring tools like HWInfo to track performance in real time. Start logging before launching the game and stop after a crash, then upload the data. This could help identify issues like voltage fluctuations or overheating. Also, consider running a stress test such as 3DMark continuously while watching HWInfo for any irregularities.
There are inconsistencies here.
🤔
If your system is 10 years old, then the PSU should be too. But the EVGA G+ wasn't available in 2014 or 2015—it came out in 2018. That means you couldn’t have purchased a G+ model back then.
You might be using a different power supply unit, such as a G or G2 (launched in 2013) or a G1 (released in 2014), instead of the G+.
Or perhaps your PC is actually newer than you claim, built around 2018.
Additionally, your CPU was released in Q4 2017. That makes your build likely only 7.5 years old—not 10.
Even with an i5-6600K, which is from 2016, and the 6th generation Intel Skylake chip, it’s improbable your system is truly that old. The GTX Titan X was released in 2015 as well.
It seems you’ve probably swapped out the CPU, motherboard, and PSU at some point. Otherwise, this doesn’t add up.
For troubleshooting, try using a known working GPU—this would help determine if the Titan X is the problem.
G+ does offer a 10-year warranty, but it would be about 7.5 years old now. It could be a PSU issue, given the G+ unit’s average quality. However, I’m leaning more toward the GPU being the culprit since it’s older and wasn’t intended for gaming use. Only a few games behave oddly, which makes the PSU less likely to be the cause.
Yeah, I don't remember the exact date, but it was probably the G+ again—maybe a different build I made for friends. I got the parts from Newegg, but the details are incomplete. I didn't actually open the case to check the model, just looked inside and it was a supernova 1000 p2.
That's a completely different unit. P2 was initially released in 2014 and has 80+ Platinum efficiency, compared to the G+ released in 2018 and 80+ Gold. On top of that, P2 is good quality PSU with 10 year warranty as well. So, PSU being the issue is now even smaller.
So, try with 2nd GPU.
Now, your CPU does have iGPU in it as well and if you were to remove Titan X from the build and hook monitor to MoBo, you can test your build further. But with iGPU, you can't play any games since iGPU isn't powerful enough.
Running the build in Safe Mode would give you additional troubleshooting options. But in Safe Mode, 3rd party programs/drivers aren't launched (only Win default) and you can't game in it either.
Which comes down to either those few games issue or GPU issue.
Revisiting the issue, attempt to extract a RAM chip and determine whether the same fault persists on either side.