I'm really struggling with a recurring problem where my PC keeps shutting down randomly. This could happen while it's in sleep mode, during heavy use, or when I'm hardly doing anything at all. Sometimes, I get the "Windows is shutting down" screen, and other times, it just crashes completely without warning and restarts. On occasion, it even shuts down right after booting up, sometimes even before reaching the desktop and while in the BIOS.
I originally had an R5 3600 and a 2060, but I switched to a friend's old 3070 around three months ago. I was using a 750W power supply, which worked well with no heating issues. Recently, though, I've noticed that my computer will restart on its own after being idle for a while. I even replaced the PSU with a Roswell 850W gold, but the problem may have gotten worse. Now, it can shut down within 10-15 minutes of use, though sometimes it runs fine for hours. The event logs aren't much help, just indicating it shut down without any clear reason.
I've tried adjusting my RAM setup, replaced the motherboard battery, and ensured all cables are secure, but nothing seems to help. Lowering the GPU's power usage to 70% didn't prevent crashes while browsing either. I'm planning to leave it overnight to see if it crashes again, and I might test the 2060 again, as I noticed it didn't crash when I tried it briefly. I'm not sure if the problem is due to the 3070 or something else, and I really need guidance on figuring out if my motherboard could be the culprit.
2 Answers
You should check the reliability report and event viewer. They can provide insights into what's happening around the times it shuts down, specifically looking for any critical errors that could explain the shutdowns.
I’d recommend testing your old GPU again for longer. If the issue persists with the old setup, at least that'll help us rule out your current GPU as the problem.
Yes, that's the plan for tomorrow. I expect it might crash overnight, in which case I'll swap back to the 2060 to see if that helps. Just wondering, is it typical for GPU issues to lead to shut downs?
I’ve spent a lot of time looking through them, but honestly, the info is pretty sparse. I haven't found any major red flags before the shutdowns.