Hey everyone! I'm dealing with a really frustrating issue with my gaming PC, and I'm hoping for some advice. I built this high-end setup about a year ago, featuring a Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU, an Asus ROG STRIX B650E motherboard, a 1200W ANTEC power supply, and a Gigabyte AORUS RTX 5090 Master GPU.
About two months after I received it, my screen would randomly go black, and the GPU fans would ramp up to 100%, but Windows would still be running in the background—I could hear people on Discord and even the game itself. The only way to fix it was to shut down and restart. This could happen at any time: while gaming, just browsing, or even when the PC was idle. Sometimes it wouldn't crash for a week, while other times, it would crash multiple times a day!
I checked Windows logs, but they didn't show anything useful, just the "shutdown" error after I had to turn it off manually. After trying a fresh Windows install, the issue somehow got worse. I took it in for warranty repair, and they replaced the 12vhpwr cable, which seemed to fix things for a while. But now, the problem has returned more sporadically than before. Just a month ago, it crashed while idle, and it recently crashed daily for three days straight—though it hasn't crashed since then.
I've been stress testing the GPU, playing games, and trying to replicate the issue. What drives me crazy is that it seems so random. Should I take it back for warranty repairs again, or is this a sign I need a GPU replacement? I've read a bit about "intermittent GPU faults," and this has never happened to me before. If anyone has insight or suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it!
2 Answers
It sounds like you've got a complex issue on your hands! When crashes happen even while the PC is idle, it's often less of a power supply issue and more about the GPU, drivers, or even the motherboard. I'd suggest unplugging the 12v-2x6 cable and checking both ends closely for any signs of damage like melted plastic or burned pins. Also, ensure all your drivers and the motherboard BIOS are up-to-date. Checking the Windows Event Viewer for specific errors that occur around the time of the crash could help you pinpoint what's going on. Good luck!
I'm dealing with the same issue on my TUF 5090. It randomly blacks out during gaming and even when I'm not using it. It's super annoying! I've had my GPU replaced too, but the problem still persists. I also see nvlddmkm error messages in the event viewer, and it's making my life miserable having to hard shut down so often. You're definitely not alone in this!
I checked it and everything seems normal, but I still get the 'critical shutdown' message afterward. Seems like something's off since this happened twice now after replacing the cable.