Question My PC Runs Most Benchmarks Great But Won't Play Games Anymore???
Question My PC Runs Most Benchmarks Great But Won't Play Games Anymore???
Output appears as black or the monitor displays "no signal" on about half of the games I attempt to run. The issue isn't immediate; most titles load into the title menu before crashing to a black screen upon startup. I initially assumed my GPU was failing, but certain benchmarks performed perfectly for an hour. MSI Kombustor and Artifact Scanner function smoothly at high frame rates without any artifacts. GPU stress tests are normal during the PassMark Free Trial, and the benchmark results show no problems with the GPU in both MSI Kombustor and MSI Afterburner.
After upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11, some games either load and then switch to a black screen with or without audio, or they fail entirely when trying to start the application (such as pressing "play now" on the game title page). Certain titles like Borderlands Wonderland, Fallout 76, and Mass Effect don’t launch properly. However, I completed an intensive, precise battle simulator session (TABS) without any interruptions.
Unigen Superposition Benchmark caused crashes and a black screen of death, but the PassMark benchmark ran smoothly.
I tried several solutions: reinstalling Nvidia drivers/GeForce Experience, running NV CleanInstall, using Direct X Troubleshooting Tool, reinstalling Direct X, updating BIOS, clearing game temp files in File Trees, reinstalling Visual C++ (versions 2015-2022), downgrading my CPU overclock for better stability, setting the GPU to factory defaults in MSI Afterburner, disabling MS Defender, and turning off Norton Antivirus/Malware. I also verified game file installation via Steam.
This is quite unusual.
System specs: i7 8086K, Aorus Z370, GSKill RAM 32GB, RTX 3080
So then it seems you're relying on a workaround to use Windows 11? Since a TPM 2.0 module isn't present, it can't run it properly. Also, you've made an upgrade from one version of Windows to another, which usually leads to complications.
I suggest obtaining a TPM 2.0 module that links to your motherboard's TPM header. Then, save all important data—personal files, folders, settings, browser bookmarks, music, movies, documents, photos, or anything you don't want to lose—to another drive or cloud backup. Once the system is turned off, connect your TPM module and perform a clean installation of Windows 11. This approach should likely solve your issue if you truly need Windows 11.
Alternatively, you could back everything up and opt for a clean install of Windows 10 until you're ready to do the same with Windows 11. Either way, your issue probably stems from the upgrade to Windows 11 and it's unlikely to be fully fixed without a clean installation. Continuing to troubleshoot without a proper setup may only delay the resolution or lead to further complications. A clean install is generally the most reliable solution. It's faster, more efficient, and usually resolves many problems that can't be fixed through registry changes or other fixes.
And aside from upgrades, using these workarounds often creates new issues in certain situations.
I completely abandoned Windows 11 because it really frustrated me
I never attempted a clean install of Win 11. I didn't verify whether a TPM was connected to the header.
I would bet "no".
Yeah, your board has a TPM 2.0 header, but unless you've purchased a TPM module, you're likely correct that there is nothing attached to it. Might as well get used to it as Windows 10 is going to be End Of Life before long as well and then it will stop getting updates. This is how they force people to upgrade. And, word is that Windows 12 is already in the works and will be along before too long.