Random freezing events (screen locked, fans running) on a ROG Strix G16 laptop
Random freezing events (screen locked, fans running) on a ROG Strix G16 laptop
Hardware Laptop: ASUS ROG Strix G614 series – Processor i5-13450HX – Graphics: RTX 3050 6 GB – Screen mainly external. Operating System: Windows 11 Power – Battery protection set to 80% (applies even at 100%) – I swapped in a 280W 20V adapter after trying a 240W one, but it didn’t fix the issue, so I went back to the 280W. You’ll see the settings at the end of this post.
Issues: The machine occasionally freezes suddenly (image stuck, no input, fans still running). Needs a hard restart. Occurs in various games, but more often in Ravenfield (I can play Battlefield 1 without problems, but Ravenfield crashes sometimes). Sometimes under lighter tasks like Discord calls. I’ve been using HWiNFO to monitor performance and it didn’t crash during logging—only crashes when logging isn’t active, which is a classic “Heisenbug.” Event Viewer shows Kernel-Power 41 afterward. No BSOD.
Thermal performance: During OCCT/gaming, CPU stays around 86°C (sometimes up to 95°C—normal for a gaming laptop). GPU hotspot remains below 86°C; no throttling warnings.
Warranty note: It’s expired. I’m using a gaming laptop because I travel between two countries and three places yearly, and I can’t afford multiple setups. I’m saving to assemble a gaming PC for my current location, but it might take another year or so before I can afford one.
CPU temperatures in laptops can vary widely and may not always be noticeable. Nvidia temperatures seem to be a concern, but I'm not very experienced with laptops. It depends on where the heat is concentrated. If core temperatures stay under 82°C, it's usually okay. Nvidia tends to reduce performance aggressively to keep cores below 83°C, so anything above that is a warning sign. I should mention I'm not very familiar with laptops. Generally, a hot spot reaching 86°C is normal, especially if it affects the cores. Hot spots above 100°C are usually okay unless they appear on other parts of the system.