Windows 11 experiences freezing without clear cause.
Windows 11 experiences freezing without clear cause.
Hello,
I own a custom Windows PC constructed in late 2019, which has undergone several upgrades over time. The problem of the system freezing significantly after these changes is quite concerning. I’m trying to figure out if these modifications are connected.
Issue: Since late February into early March, I’ve noticed multiple times when Windows stops responding completely. It begins as if the application hangs, making it impossible to open or close any windows beyond that point. Even the Task Manager opens but doesn’t provide any solution. The mouse still moves occasionally, though sometimes it freezes entirely. The computer never triggers a BSOD, just becomes unusable, requiring a hard reset to get back to normal operation. This often takes several minutes before a BSOD finally appears.
What’s unusual is that this occurs under everyday tasks—just opening a few windows or browsing Chrome. It can also happen repeatedly after restarts. Sometimes the issue arises when the monitor goes to sleep, leaving the PC idle, so I can’t determine what’s causing it. However, during video editing with software like Powerdirector and Davinci Resolve, the system behaves differently—never freezing in this way.
PC Specifications
CPU: AMD 5900X (upgraded from AMD 2700X in October 2024)
CPU cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 Dual tower (upgraded from AMD Wraith Prism cooler in October 2024)
Motherboard: Asus Tuf Gaming X570-Plus (WiFi); BIOS updated to 4805 months prior to CPU upgrade – 5900X
RAM: 32 GB (4 x 8) DDR4 at 3200mhz – Patriot Viper (originally 2x8, additional set added before October 2024)
Storage: Multiple SSDs and HDDs as listed below
- M.2 NVME WD-Black SN750 500 GB SSD; OS and Programs
- Two SATA Samsung 860 EVO 1 TB SSDs; Storage
- M.2 NVME Fanxiang S660 4 TB SSD; Storage (added in 2022 to second NVME slot)
GPU: MSI MECH Radeon RX 5700XT
Power Supply: EVGA Supernova 750 G+ (750 watt)
Chassis: Thermaltake Versa J23 (believed)
Case Fans: 6 Antec Storm 120mm (3 intake, 3 exhaust) (upgraded from stock in October 2024)
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro (upgraded from Windows 10 Pro)
Monitor: Asus Proart PA279CV 4K (main), 28" Samsung 4K (secondary), both via display ports
Troubleshooting Steps Completed:
- SFC /Scannow detected an issue, which was resolved.
- Disk cleanup and reinstallation cleared the system.
- Assistance from someone who built and upgraded the PC involved a clean boot setup with only Windows, followed by stress testing on the new drive—no crashes observed.
- RAM timing/power settings were adjusted after installation; subsequent tests showed improved stability.
- After reinstalling all drives, the PC functioned normally for several hours without freezing.
Since then, I haven’t used the machine much. The last time it froze was on a Sunday while transferring files from an SD card to my PC or external drive for backup—just a few Explorer windows open. Once I opened Chrome with multiple tabs, the system became unresponsive. After rebooting, I managed to complete file transfers and performed basic photo editing without issues. Trying to trigger a crash by opening many Chrome tabs (over 40) didn’t succeed this time.
I’m still unsure if the problem has been fully resolved. Would you have any advice on the next steps if it persists?
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
PSU: EVGA Supernova 750 G+ (750 watt)
How recent is your PSU? About six years?
The PC has been freezing a lot after the upgrades, so I’m not sure if it’s connected.
If taking the upgrades out helps, then they’re likely the cause. Possibly the motherboard (BIOS) or your RAM is the problem.
Motherboard: Asus Tuf Gaming X570-Plus (Wifi); BIOS upgraded to 4805 in October 2024
That BIOS isn’t listed here;
https://www.asus.com/bd/motherboard...he...-X570-PLUS
This suggests the BIOS was removed because of instability, with the closest versions being 4802 or 5003. I’d consider updating to BIOS version 5031, ensuring you have the latest chipset drivers for your platform (from AMD’s support site), then flash the BIOS and clear the CMOS.
Regarding the RAM, it’s possible the chips on the two kits bought five years apart could be causing instability.
CPU: AMD 5900X (upgraded from AMD 2700X in October 2024)
Have you seen a reset FTPM message after POST?
I opened a Chrome window to look up something and the PC became unresponsive.
Try turning off hardware acceleration in Chrome, if it’s enabled.
It might be possible to boost power. A system like this could benefit from an additional PSU of at least 800-850 Watts to provide more headroom. Your setup consumes nearly 700 Watts with the 50 Watt leg room, whereas it should ideally reach 100 Watts or higher. Moreover, after the 4805 BIOS update, your model has gone through several versions—currently running 5021 as of November 4, 2024—so you might want to review those changes. Food for thoughts............................
Thank you Lutfij and NanoSuit3 for your insights. Here are the additional details you provided.
PSU: EVGA Supernova 750 G+ (750 watt)
Indeed, this is the original power supply from the project. Regarding the power draw, PCPartpicker indicates my consumption is only 500W, which should be sufficient.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/df9JXR
Motherboard: Asus Tuf Gaming X570-Plus (WiFi); BIOS upgraded to 4805 October 2024
Apologies if this was confusing. The BIOS was updated prior to the CPU upgrade to include 4805. It took some time for my friend to assist with installing the new CPU, cooler, and fans.
As for the version, I verified it in Windows before posting and confirmed it within the BIOS after your mention of the missing version.
C:\Users\XXXX>wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion
SMBIOSBIOSVersion
4805
It seems there are three different Asus Tuf X570 boards available. I own the PLUS WIFI variant, which lists 4805 as a BIOS version. There have been several updates since then.
TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) - Support
www.asus.com
The system ran stably with this setup and the 2700X for nearly a year, and for about six months with the 5900X before problems emerged. Could a Windows update be contributing to issues with an older BIOS?
Regarding the RAM, it's likely the ICs in the two kits you bought five years apart are causing instability.
The RAM was purchased two years apart, but the second kit wasn't installed for some time after the CPU was installed. I'm not sure of the exact timeline, but I think it was early 2024 when I added them. There were timing discrepancies; they operated at full speed initially, but I experienced BSODs afterward. I adjusted them to lower speeds, which resolved the problem. After the CPU update in October 2024, my friend reactivated them to full speed, and no issues arose then. When problems began in March 2025, I lowered the speeds again, but issues persisted. During recent troubleshooting, we examined the CL timing more closely and made further adjustments. Still, I continue to face challenges.
Did you experience a reset FTPM message after POST?
I'm not sure and doubt my friend would remember it. Should we have noticed this? And if we didn't, why did the problem develop months later?
Consider disabling hardware acceleration in Chrome, as it was enabled. It caused extreme slowdowns—still crashing twice. So I turned it back on, which fixed the issue. When the CPU was updated in October 2024, my friend re-enabled full speed, and no problems occurred then. However, when issues started in March 2025, I lowered the speeds again, but the problems continued. In the latest troubleshooting, we reviewed the CL timing more carefully, and additional changes were implemented. Still, I remain affected by these issues.
Did you encounter any reset FTPM messages after POST?
I don't recall it, and I'm uncertain if my friend would remember it. Would this have been expected? And why did the issue emerge later despite stable performance under light load? For example, I ran DaVinci in the background without any noticeable impact, yet the PC crashed multiple times.
Follow up - Updated BIOS to 5102 last week after that was suggested above, but due to some other commitments was unable to spend much time with my PC after the update to see if issue was resolved. Unfortunately I am still seeing the same pattern/issues.
Upon fresh start up, PC was working fine for probably 10 minutes. I had a few tabs of Chrome open within two windows. Then it froze and became unresponsive. Hard restart, loaded chrome to post here and it froze mid response. Third reboot froze trying to start Chrome.
On the forth reboot, went to stress test the PC using HeavyLoad. Ran for 10 + minutes with no issues with the current overclocks that were reenabled after BIOS update and had been stress tested before. Per Task manager while this was running the CPU is at 4.2 ghz and 100%, 32 gb RAM at 3200 mhz (per the OC). Added stress test for GPU and noticed that the test may have a flaw. PEr task manager had VRAM at 1 GB on an 8 GB graphics card. Test video was a bit choppy both as a solo GPU stress and with the CPU and RAM versions of the test. Both tests showed 14-15 fps. This lead me to be concerned its my GPU.
Loaded Davinci to test GPU usage since HeavyLoad and Task manager seem to only show partial use of the cards VRAM. With Davinci open the task manager showed 2.5 gb at idle and 3.2 at scrubbing timeline on color corrected 1080p footage.
While typing this response I also exported the video file and watched task manager. CPU usage was 6% of less, RAM at about 9.5 gb, and GPU averaged 3.8 for the 45 minute video exported at 1080p and took less than 10 minutes , which is about the average I have with videos of that size and scope.
Closed project, but have Davinci open and running idle in background.
Any suggestions for a next step would be appreciated.