Resolved: Computer freezes and restarts unexpectedly during FurMark operation.
Resolved: Computer freezes and restarts unexpectedly during FurMark operation.
Hello everyone,
I’ve experienced this difficulty for some time now and haven’t been able to identify its cause. My PC has been restarting unexpectedly over the last few weeks/months. Occasionally, I can play games for extended periods—sometimes hours—while other times my playtime is limited to approximately five minutes. The computer simply restarts without any prior notification, resembling a sudden power loss followed by reconnection. Despite maintaining optimal temperatures for both my CPU and GPU – I recently cleaned my case and all drivers are current – I'm observing some instability in the +12V rail, though it remains within the 5% tolerance range. My system specifications are as follows:
CPU: Intel Core i5 4690k
Motherboard: MSI Z97-G43 (MS-7816) 3.0
RAM: Hyperx 2x4GB
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970
PSU: Thermaltake Smart SE730W
I’m completely baffled; perhaps someone here has encountered this problem before or knows a potential solution. I have documented the issue and will share the link. Thank you for your assistance.
OK, so mainly in games, or at least that game. I'm not going to factor in Furmark because that is a very stress prone tool and you don't typically rapidly toggle the donut on and off several times while using it.
I did some checking, and if you're running the latest WoW expansion Battle for Azeroth, it may depend on game settings. Your GPU is just above recommended requirements, but your CPU is below the recommended i7-4770, which performs roughly 25% below the recommended i7-4770. Those type of games are also more CPU dependent than other games that use primarily the GPU.
What I advise is running MSI Afterburner while playing it, and set the GPU and CPU usage to show onscreen in game. If you see a big imbalance between CPU and GPU...
The explanation you provided is somewhat unclear. The title focuses solely on issues with Furmark, yet you describe a situation of “randomly rebooting,” which seems to require repeatedly enabling and disabling the Furmark donut effect.
I’m left wondering if this behavior occurs simply when running a 5-minute Furmark test without manual intervention, or if it genuinely happens spontaneously without benchmarks or games active. It's important not to push Furmark to excessively high temperatures.
Regarding your hardware configuration, a notable concern is the power supply unit’s poor voltage regulation and overall quality – as evidenced by this review: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/therm...0p/10.html.
However, if you are experiencing random reboots, consider running an SFC scan to check for corrupted system files. Please follow these instructions meticulously and ensure the system image file is restored properly before executing the /scannow test: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help...le-checker
I apologize for the unclear description; I am able to run FireMark continuously without my computer restarting. However, activating and deactivating the donut application can cause a reboot. This restart also occurs within games, primarily during zone loading and when numerous particle effects are present. For instance, when entering a new area in World of Warcraft or battling a raid boss, it almost always happens during these demanding situations.
Primarily within this specific game, I’m excluding Furmark due to its inherently unstable nature and the frequent on/off cycling of its display.
I've investigated further; if you’re utilizing the most recent World of Warcraft expansion, *Battle for Azeroth*, certain gameplay settings could be a factor. Your graphics card is slightly above the suggested specifications, however, your processor lags behind the advised i7-4770, exhibiting performance approximately 25% below that benchmark. Games of this type tend to rely more heavily on the CPU than those primarily utilizing the GPU.
I recommend monitoring both GPU and CPU utilization simultaneously using MSI Afterburner while playing. Should you observe a significant disparity in their usage during problematic moments, it’s likely your CPU is creating a constraint within that particular game. However, if this occurs across multiple titles—particularly non-CPU intensive games that should perform optimally on your processor—consider executing a System File Checker scan.
I’ve conducted an SFC scan, and everything appears to be working correctly. I've also observed my CPU and GPU during World of Warcraft gameplay for approximately one hour, yielding the following data:
https://imgur.com/a/mPySgKs
I’m uncertain about what metrics to prioritize as all my temperatures seem acceptable and resource utilization appears normal. One core does register slightly higher than the others. Despite this, my games generally operate smoothly, though I occasionally experience random reboots; I previously finished Sekiro months ago without any such occurrences.
I anticipated the performance metrics would indicate the opposite scenario – the CPU operating at high utilization while the GPU experienced a slowdown due to its dependence on the CPU’s processing speed. The fact that only one CPU core was heavily utilized could be due to how the game is programmed, specifically with significant reliance on single-core access for artificial intelligence, which is common in games featuring numerous onscreen AI characters. Are you currently playing Battle for Azeroth? Additionally, did you ensure a successful System File Checker (SFC) scan by first restoring the image file and verifying its restoration within the command prompt? An SFC scan is ineffective without this initial step. I would also recommend examining your power supply unit’s voltage levels to determine if it's malfunctioning. Monitor for stable voltages; significant fluctuations or dips, particularly under heavy load, should be avoided. As I previously mentioned, this PSU is of poor quality, so I advise conducting a stress test to assess its performance. Suitable options include AIDA64, OCCT, and Heaven & Valley benchmarks – listed in order from most complex to easiest to use. While software tests aren’t as precise as professional equipment testing, they can provide a preliminary indication of PSU issues. Addressing this promptly is crucial, as a faulty PSU can damage other components. For instance, consider this example—though it represents an extreme situation, voltage drops below 11 volts could pose a serious risk. [https://forums.]