Hey everyone! A friend recently built a new gaming PC with some pretty solid components. Here's what they have:
* **CPU**: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
* **GPU**: NVIDIA RTX 4070 SUPER
* **Motherboard**: MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI
* **RAM**: Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) 5200 MHz
* **SSD**: Kingston FURY Renegade PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2
* **AIO Cooler**: Thermalright FW PRO 360
* **PSU**: Corsair 850W modular
* **Well-ventilated Case**: Everything's mounted correctly.
The PC boots fine, stays cool, and performs well in benchmarks. However, there's a big issue: whenever a game is launched, the whole system crashes after a bit. We're talking complete freeze—screen goes black, and the game's audio keeps playing.
We think a couple of mistakes during the build might be causing this:
1. After the BIOS update, I mistakenly set the RAM speed to 6000 MHz instead of the correct 5200 MHz. We fixed this, but the crashing continues.
2. During driver installation, we accidentally installed AMD Radeon drivers instead of the NVIDIA ones, which might have led to some critical conflicts.
I've used DDU to completely remove all GPU drivers and reinstalled just the NVIDIA ones, but the crashes are still happening. We're also seeing an error in the Event Viewer: **LiveKernelEvent code 1b8**.
We're planning to do a full clean reinstall of Windows tonight, installing only the necessary drivers. Do you think these mistakes could really lead to such severe crashes? Is there anything else we should check before or after the Windows reset? Thanks for the help!
2 Answers
Yes, those mistakes could definitely lead to crashes! Incorrect RAM speeds can cause instability, and installing the wrong drivers can create conflicts that result in system freezes. Make sure to run MemTest86 after you set the RAM to the correct speed, just to rule out any memory issues. A clean Windows installation should help clear out any residual driver problems as well. Fingers crossed!
It sounds like you've done a lot of troubleshooting already! That kernel event error code might indicate there's an issue with a driver, especially after the mix-up with the Radeon drivers. I recommend checking your motherboard's chipset drivers too, as sometimes they can get overlooked. Also, ensure the NVIDIA drivers are the latest—issues can arise if those aren't up to date. Good luck with the Windows reinstall; hopefully, it helps resolve the crashes!
Absolutely! And don’t forget to check the power settings in Windows too. Sometimes, they can mess with performance if set to power-saving modes.
Thanks for the tips! I’ll definitely run the memory test after changing the settings. Appreciate the advice!