System crashing after PC freezes, followed by a black screen—likely related to the GPU.
System crashing after PC freezes, followed by a black screen—likely related to the GPU.
I understand, I’m ready to purchase any GPU component required if needed. Of course there’s concern about RAM, motherboard, or CPU, though I think that’s unlikely. My main worry is the power supply unit—my current one works well. The problems I’ve seen are occasional.
Top value options include used Pascal cards, with prices ranging from $1060 to $1080 depending on the tier and tier level. A 1070 Ti typically falls between $300 and $400, while 1080 Ti is under $500. Currently, 980 Ti’s are under $200, though I wouldn’t suggest using Maxwell as a primary GPU at this stage.
Additional issues have arisen recently. Experienced a freeze during a match on CS:GO, keyboard illumination activated unexpectedly, and audio became stuck in a loop. After restarting, a blue screen appeared accompanied by a kernel security check failure. Another restart brought back another BSOD with the memory management error. This suggests the crashes may be connected to RAM problems, given my extended RAM testing today.
I checked each RAM stick individually and it worked properly. When I used two sticks together, I encountered a BSOD right away. One DIMM showed up with four beep codes on the first try, which might point to the motherboard or RAM itself. Since I haven’t used those DIMMs before, it could be related to the motherboard. After that incident, there were no more beeps except a continuous BSOD during Windows loading. Currently, I’m using one RAM stick in the same slots as I tested, and everything is functioning without errors so far. This seems more likely a motherboard or system issue rather than a RAM problem.
Updates are minimal, but I’ve been seeing blue screens during boot, various errors, and memory issues. The kernel security check failed, which made me think the RAM or GPU was faulty. After swapping RAM sticks into different slots, I noticed blue screens in certain DIMMs. Right now, one stick is working, though freezes still occur. It could be a motherboard problem, so I’m considering a new GPU, better motherboard, and more RAM—possibly even a PSU upgrade. The main issue seems to be starting up with BSODs or crashes. I’m unsure if ordering parts will fix it, as it feels like a risky decision.
I’d begin with the RAM, opting for a b-die kit since Zen 1 tends to handle it better. Any chip rated at 3200MHz (14-14-14-34), 3600MHz (15-15-15-35) or 16-16-16-36 is reliable. The 3600C16 offers the most affordable choice, often under $80. If that doesn’t fit, I’d consider a b450 or X470 board. I’m open to it being one of those options rather than a PSU, though we can’t be certain.
Verify the RAM placement on slot 2 and 4 for your Ryzen motherboard and perform a MEMTEST.