Question: What happens when a computer freezes unexpectedly?
Question: What happens when a computer freezes unexpectedly?
Hello everyone, this is my debut on this community.
PC Specifications
Processor: Ryzen 5 5600X
Memory: 16GB (2x8) DDR4 3200MHz Kingston beast
Graphics Card: Asus nvidia rtx 3060ti 8GB
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550 Gaming X V2
Power Supply: Sharkoon shp bronze 500W
Storage: Samsung 980 M2 NVMe 500GB
Hard Drive: Seagate 1TB 7200RPM
Cooling System: Deepcool GammaX L240 A-RGB
Case: Itek Vertibra X210
I hope I haven’t missed anything.
The Story:
I assembled this system in November 2022. From the second week onward, I experienced frequent freezes—especially when idle, during gameplay, or while browsing. What’s unusual is that the freezes don’t stop completely; you can still move the cursor, use Alt+Tab, Ctrl+Alt+Cancel, click anything, but they won’t function as expected. Pressing the restart button on the case doesn’t help, and after a few minutes it stops responding entirely, including the clock which freezes and fails to update time. The only solution is to press the restart button inside the case.
For the first few months (Nov 2022 – Mar 2023), the issues occurred every two weeks. Then they increased to once a week. In May 2023 I reinstalled the operating system, switching from Windows 10 to Windows 11. After a week it started again, but after a week it worked perfectly for a year. I thought the problem was resolved until August 2024, when freezes returned every two weeks until November. From November 2024 to February 2025 there were no more freezes—until this month another one occurred, lasting two days in the same week.
Over the years I’ve read extensively trying to diagnose and fix the problem, but nothing worked. Now I’m over two years down with the same issue, which is really frustrating. I’m considering buying a new computer to finally escape these freezes. I want to be clear: I tried everything possible, but I couldn’t replace any parts because I don’t have spare components and can’t afford random parts.
I’m hoping this post will help someone identify the root cause. It’s strange that I can play for days without issues, even a year ago, yet it happens again without reason—temperatures are normal, usage is fine. When the freeze occurs, the fans slow down dramatically, and the UI seems disconnected from the rest of the system, making navigation difficult.
I apologize for my English; I hope you understand. If you need more details, feel free to share. I’ve already updated the BIOS to the latest version, but the problem persists. The SSD drivers haven’t been updated either—this might be the last chance.
Hello everyone, this is Daniele, my debut in this community. We've been here since January 14, 2023. The PSU I'm using is Sharkoon shp bronze 500W. The PSU tier list version 17.0g from Cultists Network can assist in picking the optimal power supply among many options available. Whether you're on a budget or looking for top-tier solutions. cultists.network
Look down to Tier E – it seems your PSU isn't suitable for your build, possibly causing all your problems.
GPU: Asus nvidia rtx 3060ti 8gb
Is this the GPU you're using?
ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 3060 Ti OC Edition 8GB GDDR6 | Graphics Card | ASUS Global - Tech Specs
This model includes an Axial-tech fan, 0dB tech, Dual BIOS, Auto-Extreme features, a metal backplate, and a 144-hour validation program.
www.asus.com
If you own one, power your entire rig with a stable unit between 650W and 750W. I’d borrow or borrow from a friend to test if the issue improves.
Since temperatures are normal, could you share your idle and load temps? Use HWinfo for details.
I updated the BIOS to the latest version for your motherboard. For clarity, please mention the BIOS revision you used before updating.
Just a note – I haven’t updated the SSD drivers yet. Did you just install them? If not, it’s the last chance.
Tell me how you updated the SSD drivers; I don’t see any entries for the Samsung 980 unless you mean firmware.
The GPU is indeed that. I start with HwMonitor, which is the first program I launch when turning on the system. The CPU temperature in idle is about 35 °C, and during gaming it reaches around 77-78 °C. The temperatures while gaming stay near 40°C (same for SSD), and the GPU stays under 40°C in idle with a peak of 62°C, showing good thermal management from this card.
I also checked my motherboard revision, which is 1.1, and I was on version F14, now upgraded to F19d. That’s the firmware update I was looking at.
P.S. My entire system under full load should be around 300W, so why not 500W?
😕