My seven-year-old PC has recently started completely freezing within the first 15–30 minutes of launching a game. I have to hold the physical power button to shut it down, but after restarting, the computer works normally for the rest of the day, no matter how long I play. I already updated the GPU drivers, but that did not help. What could cause a freeze that happens only once after a cold boot?
5 Answers
For the graphics side, completely remove the current driver with Display Driver Uninstaller from Safe Mode and install the latest stable, non-beta driver. If the issue continues, test the RAM, inspect the power supply, and check whether the game drive is nearly full or starting to fail.
A freeze that happens after a cold start and disappears after a forced restart can point to aging hardware, unstable RAM, a failing power supply, overheating, or a storage problem. Run a memory test and check the health of the drive where the game is installed.
Start by checking CPU and GPU temperatures with a hardware monitor while gaming. Also check available RAM and disk space, then look through Event Viewer for errors around the time of the freeze. Dust buildup can contribute too, so cleaning the case and cooling system is worthwhile.
Try removing the RAM sticks, cleaning the contacts carefully, and reseating them. A proper memory test such as MemTest can help identify a failing or unstable module. It is also worth checking temperatures with HWiNFO and testing the CPU with a stress test.
If temperatures look normal, investigate power management, storage, and background software. Use Task Manager's Performance tab to watch CPU, memory, and disk usage, especially if a program has a memory leak. Desktop Window Manager can occasionally retain excessive memory after certain applications run, so checking its usage may provide a clue.
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