Your computer shuts down unexpectedly.
Your computer shuts down unexpectedly.
I own a mid-range gaming PC that began acting erratically after prolonged use. It keeps crashing randomly, though the fans continue to spin. The screen turns black during these crashes, and gameplay becomes unstable—especially when playing for extended periods. After an hour or so, it might briefly function for a couple of hours before failing again. Occasionally, it won’t power on at all, with lights still on but no response from the keyboard or other devices. This issue can persist for days, sometimes weeks, and then sporadically restart. I’ve also tried connecting it to a wall, suspecting a power adapter problem, but the GPU cables worked initially. The hardware specs are: Intel Core i7 3770K, 16GB DDR3 RAM, AMD R9 280X3GB, 256GB SSD, Windows 10 installed.
The current temperature is being checked against the specified range.
Open Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System. Are there any notifications related to the crash? You can skip any messages stating "The system did not shutdown cleanly," as that’s expected. A snapshot of your computer might provide clearer insight into your setup.
The PC operates without the GPU normally. It didn’t start with the GPU attached, so I reviewed the logs without it. A serious alert appears: "The system has rebooted without properly shutting down... it could be caused if the system would have stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly." I removed the power source, though the fans are still running and lights remain on, but devices don’t function because their lights stay off. Here’s the system image.
I bet my absurd government paycheck that the PSU might be the issue. If you've already checked driver updates for all parts and your temperatures are normal, I'd examine the PSU. It seems to be around 2013 based on a quick online search, unless yours is more recent, which could mean it's malfunctioning.
Have you explored DDU in safe mode? Do you have another GPU available for testing, perhaps from a friend? Otherwise, I’d align with @v0id’s observation that most random crashes are PSU-related, though GPU issues can occur too. The main challenge is the lack of a dedicated GPU to support the PSU, which complicates reaching a clear conclusion.