The PC powers off and turns back on during the start of specific applications.
The PC powers off and turns back on during the start of specific applications.
Hello, as mentioned in the title, my PC restarts immediately after launching certain games. There are no error alerts—just a complete shutdown after just two seconds of playing. The problematic titles include the new Call of Duty releases (MW1 and MW2), Apex Legends, and Chivalry 2. It’s a brand-new system with the following specs: Windows 10 Pro, Ryzen 5 5800X, ASUS Rtx 3080 graphics card, 850W power supply, B550M motherboard. Based on my research online, all users experiencing this issue share one key point: they’re running a CPU of either 5600X or 5800X. My setup uses an ASUS TUF Gaming LC 240, which is proving difficult to install properly. I had to connect it to a fan header and set the BIOS to 100%. The cooling solution I chose is the ASUS TUF Gaming LC 240, but mounting it has been tricky. After applying thermal paste multiple times, temperatures remained stable. The maximum temperature reached was around 75-78°C, with idle temps near 40°C. During gaming, temperatures occasionally rose slightly above comfort levels, reaching close to tens of degrees at times—something that’s quite concerning. However, when playing other games like GTA V, Warhammer Vermintide 2, or Darktide, everything runs smoothly without any restarts. The PC hasn’t been struggling since about a month ago. Additionally, I ran benchmarks and stress tests (like FurMark and Cinebench) and none of them reported problems. Thanks in advance for your help.
Did you transfer your operating system from an earlier version or is this a brand new Windows setup? Have you installed all necessary chipset drivers? The cooling fan connector you’re using could be underpowered (low wattage). Since your air conditioner acts more like a heat sink and the processor won’t overheat, consider disconnecting the pump for a short time to test if games launch within two seconds. This helps eliminate power consumption problems. If this works (games starting in five seconds or less), turn everything back on or reconnect the pump to the fan connector. In the past, many systems came with a MOLEX adapter from your PC, featuring several fan connectors. This was an optional accessory. I’m not sure if those are typical with standard SATA-to-MOLEX adapters. If you don’t have them, simply use SATA-to-MOLEX or MOLEX-to-3-pin fan headers. Plug the pump directly into the power supply and ensure it runs at full capacity (100%). This seems to be a good practice.
All is still good, I don’t remember setting any graphics drivers. I used the standard GeForce ones and the Ryzen Master that came with Windows. I’ll attempt to detach the pump header to check if games start. Thanks for your assistance, I’ll follow up with updates. Edited February 12, 2023 by WolfWoofs
I don't believe the AIO is the problem, because if it were it would affect all games and temperatures would increase. Throttling from CPU or GPU shouldn't cause shutdowns; fan headers seem ineffective. You can boot without a cooler, though only temporarily—my experience shows otherwise. No crashes from GPU, but it won't restart the PC. It might be a CPU issue related to clock or voltage. Games require different settings based on the engine. Have you adjusted BIOS or Ryzen Master settings? Do you use PBO? What are your power limits (EDC/TDC/PPT)? Would it help to check Event Viewer for WHEA errors? For example, I had one in October 2022 due to an overly aggressive undervolt on APIC ID 6 (core 4).
I'll examine it as soon as possible. I wanted to ask, I can play Hogwarts Legacy on PC just fine, though it's a tough game to run. I've noticed that games with anti-cheat issues tend to have problems—though not all of them. For example, Brawlhalla works well with simple anti-cheat, and Apex is a no-go because of its ricochet system. Chivalry 2 also uses easy anti-cheat. I'm not an expert, but I've heard third-party anti-cheats can cause trouble, and some forums discuss it. What do you think?
Uncertain about cheat detection issues, just playing SP. Core crashes aren't really tied to demanding settings—they're more about lighter games letting clocks run faster. Power starvation can cause the CPU to fail if it runs too low. I recently noticed my GPU undervolting worked well for months across several titles, but in Wasteland3 it crashed after just two minutes. Even at 120fps with full sync, the GPU clock spiked to 2GHz (uncommon), and voltage wasn't enough. Same could happen with CPU cores.
I don’t want to come across as harsh... Yet I genuinely believe the PSU isn’t the main issue. If it were, I’d have noticed problems during my stress tests or while playing other games too.
If you notice changes just by unplugging your AIO, performance at the limit is affected. Many stress tests don’t really increase PSU strain... so I’d consider upgrading to a more robust PSU. Still, I stick with a 1600W unit to avoid these issues.