I've had my PC up and running smoothly for quite a while, but lately, I'm hitting some black screen troubles when trying to launch certain games. The system doesn't completely shut down—my RAM LEDs stay lit, and the speakers are on (with no sound)—but the display goes dark, forcing me to power off the PSU manually to restart. This happens pretty consistently: I jump into a game, have about 10 seconds of playtime, and then boom, black screen.
To troubleshoot, I tried a power stability test with OCCT, and my PC crashed in less than 30 seconds. I got a crash report, but it's a bit over my head. The weird part is that the problem isn't always the same:
- **Black Desert Online** consistently crashes after loading in
- **Where Winds Meet** runs without a hitch
- I reran the OCCT test later, and it lasted a few minutes without issues
I've also conducted system checks. Running `sfc /scannow` pointed out some corrupted Windows files, and DISM gave a "Data error (cyclic redundancy check)" error with about 23 problems found.
I'm torn between thinking this is a PSU problem (since it failed the power test), a storage or Windows corruption issue (given the CRC errors), or potentially something game-related. The temps seem normal, fans aren't unusually noisy, and I haven't noticed any graphical glitches before the crashes.
I'd really prefer not to take my PC in for repairs because I rely on it for work, but I'm open to swapping parts like the PSU or RAM if necessary. I just want to nail down the exact cause first. Any insights would be immensely appreciated!
1 Answer
It looks like your 12V voltage is dipping too low based on the readings you provided. The acceptable tolerance for 12V is 5%, meaning it should be at least 11.4V. If your readings show it's under that, it's time to consider testing with a different, high-quality PSU. Check out the PSU tier list to find reliable options. Remember, only use the modular cables that come with the replacement PSU since they're not interchangeable between different brands or series.
Got it! So you think the PSU might be the culprit? I don't have any spare ones lying around to test, and I want to avoid buying a new PSU unless I'm sure it's the issue. But I appreciate the tip about the PSU tier list—I'll definitely take a look at that.