Shut down your PC completely and then restart it.
Shut down your PC completely and then restart it.
I'm facing a puzzling problem and need some guidance. Recently I swapped out my GPU, and suddenly I kept seeing blue screens. After using DDU to remove all display drivers, I went through various fixes. Fortunately, it turned out nothing was related to my new GPU. While updating the display drivers post-DDU removal, I also updated my Intel ME drivers. That update seemed to trigger the blue screen, but a straightforward BIOS flash resolved the issue.
Since then, I've experienced random power loss followed by restarts. The motherboard lights sometimes shut off completely. Initially, I suspected my old power strip might be the culprit, but it seems other devices connected to it stay on. I explored further and used Windows Verifier to detect corrupted drivers. I found one faulty driver—iObit Smart Defrag’s "SmartDefrag.sys"—and removed it. After that, despite uninstalling the driver, I still faced blue screen errors during restarts.
I disabled Auto-restart in System Configuration and set up a small memory dump (256 KB). After a few days, another power drop caused a restart, and Bluescreen Viewer identified the issue as related to RGB lighting software. I researched extensively and discovered that many RGB control programs can conflict and lead to crashes. I managed to remove an RGB control file from G.Skill, which seemed to resolve the problem.
However, even after clearing the driver, power loss and restarts persisted, and no MiniDump files were generated to investigate Bluescreen Viewer further. The incidents remain unpredictable—sometimes I can play games for six hours without trouble, other times only for short bursts. Temperatures are normal, and I haven’t noticed any consistent patterns.
I’ve checked temperatures regularly, but found none that match the issue. My PC runs smoothly at 6 hours of gaming or 30 minutes of streaming. The problem seems unrelated to CPU or GPU load or temperature. It’s possible a corrupt file or driver is the root cause, but I can’t identify it.
I’ve never encountered this before with my previous GPUs, BIOS updates, or driver changes. My PSU provides ample power, and I have a solid surge protector. There haven’t been any power surges recently. Even if they occurred, I’m confident they aren’t the issue.
My only certainty is that something random—perhaps a corrupt file or driver—is responsible. Without more clues, pinpointing the exact source remains challenging.
The 3080ti functions more like a 3090 in many ways and uses more energy than the 2 1080tis model. Combined with the erratic performance of the 3000 series and older rm750 units, it’s clear they struggle under this setup. I’m sure this is just the standard 3080ti experiencing higher usage spikes—quickly reaching around 600 watts. The rm750 misinterprets these surges as a fault and shuts down.
I own a 1080ti that still works for testing, but I don’t have any spare components to try. (I’m not in a position to purchase more parts either.) I plan to revert to my original 1080ti, although it’s a tedious process—using DDU, cleaning drivers, reinstalling everything. I’ll give it a shot, but given how unpredictable this problem is, it might take weeks, maybe even a month, just to swap GPUs and test. If the problem continues across both cards, it could mean my PSU is faulty, possibly from a past surge, even with my good surge protector. If not, I’d likely need a higher wattage power supply, since this one isn’t damaged.
Additionally, I’d consider running heavy benchmarks on the 3080ti and then the old 1080ti, but so far I haven’t managed to reproduce the issue. I’ve tested the same benchmarks on my 3080ti before upgrading without any problems either.
The strange timing of this error is what’s bothering me most. It’s hard to draw a conclusion from just one or two tests. Of course, if I’m trying to pinpoint a hardware problem, I’d expect a benchmark to help. Personally, I’ve focused on hardware troubleshooting, but it’s possible the issue lies in software—maybe a driver glitch.
Because of the randomness and inconsistent results, I’m leaning toward hardware failure, especially since the PSU hasn’t failed before even with my surge protector. On the other hand, if it’s not hardware, a driver problem seems more likely.
Final thoughts:
- This error can’t be reproduced reliably.
- Power cuts often happen when I open Chrome or play games, even before upgrading.
- Upgrades didn’t immediately fix the issue.
- I’ve already updated drivers and firmware; now it’s about timing and consistency.
- I’m trying to decide whether the problem is hardware or software.
I recharged the BIOS just once more, in case. Instead of relying on the driver downloads from my motherboards site (Asus), I visited Intel's page for the newest Intel Management Engine driver. The Intel ME version from Intel's site was quite distinct from what Asus offers. The ZIP file contained entirely new files and folders. After installation, it appeared to be an updated release, completely replacing the previous ME driver. I’m not certain this resolved the problem, but I haven’t experienced a power cut-off in a week. I had skipped power for 3-5 days without issue, never for a full week. As mentioned, the Intel ME driver triggered the blue screen, requiring two days of troubleshooting. I acknowledge it would be odd if flashing the BIOS again or installing Intel’s ME driver alone caused this prolonged blue screen. Still, if a power outage contributed, it might be connected. I’ll let you know if another outage occurs. For now, it seems I’ve fixed the matter.