Question PC restarts unexpectedly while playing games, yet it doesn't happen during stress tests?
Question PC restarts unexpectedly while playing games, yet it doesn't happen during stress tests?
Hi.
I assembled my PC a year ago and have been facing this issue continuously. During gaming, a sudden black screen appears, followed by a reboot into Windows. The only indications I’ve noticed are a critical error code 41 - Kernel-Power in the Event Viewer and a serious hardware fault 193 - LiveKernelEvent in the Reliability History.
Here are my details:
- RAM: MSI PRO B650-s wifi
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
- RAM: Corsair 32GB KIT DDR5 5600MT/s CL40 Vengeance RGB Grey EXPO
- Cooler: Endorfy Fera 5
- Storage: Apacer AS2280Q4X 2TB
- PSU: GIGABYTE P750GM
Additional info:
The PC has been taken to two repair shops, and both times it came back without any reboots. I’ve already swapped out the PSU. My peak CPU temperature was recorded at 96°C, though before the reboot it usually stayed around 85°C, suggesting no overheating problem.
I would appreciate any advice or suggestions.
Note: This is my second post about this, since the first one has stopped working. Hope that’s fine.
I owned a SilverStone Strider Essential 80Plus ST60F-ES230 600W before. I actually received the gigabyte model suggested by a repair shop. Although both seem faulty, it appears improbable they’re causing identical problems. Can there be a way to verify that power spikes are responsible?
Well, essentially, since no one with a good mind is going to purchase that, the shop aims to eliminate unnecessary items. This is why they target unsuspecting customers with junk, because they don’t know better.
Remember, for repair joints or retail stores, the focus isn’t on delivering quality products but rather on making a profit. Especially when they can discard items that no one else wants.
Crap quality PSU. Tier E.
Exploding junk. Tier F.
PSU tier list:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...JW...1973454078
For new PSUs, check any unit in Tier A; Tier A- is acceptable too, while Tier A+ is preferred.
Since both are subpar, they likely yield similar results. Only after eliminating the PSU problem—when a known high-quality unit is available—and still issues arise should you consider other hardware, such as a GPU.
But be aware that a low-quality or faulty PSU can harm all connected devices. It may not just stop working immediately but can gradually degrade performance by operating outside specifications or producing excessive ripple. It’s common for such PSUs to cause significant damage, like severely affecting a GPU, even after switching to a better unit. New PSUs won’t automatically fix this damage.
First priority: obtain a new high-quality PSU.
Second, monitor CPU/GPU temperatures.
85C gaming temperatures for that chip? Excessively high. For optimal cooling, gaming temps should be around 70C, see:
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-r...0x/25.html
So, apart from the PSU concern, there’s also a thermal issue to address.
What kind of cooling system is present?
Your CPU's maximum temperature is 95°C. The specifications are available here: https://www.amd.com/en/products/processo...7600x.html. However, operating at its peak temperature doesn't guarantee optimal performance. Excessive heat triggers thermal throttling, reducing speed and efficiency to protect the hardware. If this isn't resolved, the system may restart or shut down automatically. Regarding case fans, please share details about their quantity, placement, orientation, RPM range, CFM, and airflow in mmH2O if you have any.
Is the direction correct? All three should face the same way. If yes, you’re either dealing with very high positive or very low negative pressure. Neither is suitable for effective cooling.
How should the fans be positioned?
For instance, in my main build (Skylake, full specs with pictures in my post), I use:
Front – 2x 140mm Corsair ML140 Pro red LED fans as intake
Bottom – 1x 120mm Corsair ML120 Pro red LED fan as intake
Top – 3x 140mm NZXT AER140 RGB fans as exhaust
Rear – 1x 140mm Corsair ML140 Pro red LED fan as exhaust
Additionally, I have a mid-tower air cooler with 2x 120mm Corsair ML120 Pro red LED fans, which can also be considered exhaust.
Regarding specifications:
ML140 Pro: Airflow 20-97 CFM, static pressure 0.2-3.0 mmH2O, RPM 400-2000
ML120 Pro: Airflow 12-75 CFM, static pressure 0.2-4.2 mmH2O, RPM 400-2400
NZXT AER140 RGB: Airflow 91.19 CFM, static pressure 1.52 mmH2O, RPM 500-1500
These fans offer strong airflow and high static pressure (except the NZXT ones, which have lower pressure). With seven case fans in various orientations, there’s a slight negative pressure in the system for better cooling.
Try running all fans at maximum speed (100%) and check if CPU/GPU temperatures drop. It might be noisy, but it helps assess if airflow improves.
If possible, consider adding more fans or upgrading to higher-performance models, especially if your case only supports three fans, which limits overall performance.
I removed the side panel, installed one small fan inside and one large fan outside, directing airflow in a specific way. Prior to the crash, I recorded temperatures of 83°C for CPU, 70°C for GPU, 43°C for RAM, and 60°C for SSD. I thought it was related to temperature, but now it seems unrelated. Recently, it randomly crashed five to ten minutes into the game, five times in a row. Sometimes it takes an hour, and other times it doesn't crash at all.
The high ripple from the PSU leads to system instability. Therefore, unless you eliminate the PSU problem, it would still be considered a primary suspect.
Also, how recently did you clean the dust from the PC internals?