I recently decided to reinstall Windows after five years without doing a fresh install. Normally, I would handle it myself, but I was too busy and took it to a shop. Shortly after getting things set up, I started playing games, and about 30 minutes in, the PC just shuts down completely. This happened with a couple of different games. In the Event Viewer, I see a critical event labeled **Kernel-Power, Event ID 41**, saying that the system rebooted without a clean shutdown.
When I contacted the shop, they told me the issue is with my PSU since I'm using a daisy chain for my RX 6800XT, which has worked fine for years. I find it hard to believe that's the cause. Now, they've suggested either upgrading to a more powerful PSU or just dealing with it myself, but I just want my setup to work like it used to! Any advice would really help. Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
If it’s indeed the PSU, and it's still under warranty, I’d recommend RMA-ing it. Dealing with Event ID 41 can be frustrating since it doesn’t give much info on the crash. Your setup might be fine until the PSU is stressed, which could eventually lead to failures. It's better to rule it out now than to wait for it to fail completely.
Have you considered borrowing a friend's PSU to see if that fixes the problem? If your PC crashes again with the borrowed PSU, then it might confirm the daisy chain setup issue. If it doesn’t crash, your current PSU could be the culprit. Also, make sure to check the cables for any damage and plug them in securely since sudden shutdowns usually point to power delivery problems.
From my experience, if your PSU is starting to shut down under load, that’s usually a sign it's failing. I’ve seen it progress from shutting off when gaming to randomly shutting down during light browsing. I'd replace the PSU as a precaution. Installation is usually just a few screws and cables. The daisy chain shouldn’t be an issue as long as it's not getting hot. Just get a PSU with similar specs.”,
I had a similar experience, and it turned out to be a memory profile messing things up. Make sure to check your RAM setup as well.
I feel you on that. I had my PSU die after a format before, which always makes me suspicious. I'm checking cable connections first, but if you’re saying you had a RAM issue before, that could be it too!