My PC randomly loses all power while gaming. It does not crash to the desktop or show a blue screen—the system instantly turns off and must be started again with the power button. This has happened in RDR2 and League of Legends, although it has not occurred during ordinary light use.
The system has a Ryzen 3 3100, RX 6600, 16GB DDR4, Gigabyte A520M DS3H motherboard, Corsair CX650 PSU, and a 500W 220V AVR. The motherboard and CPU are about six years old, while the PSU and AVR are roughly a year old.
Event Viewer only shows Kernel-Power 41 with BugcheckCode 0, no WHEA errors, and no obvious display-driver events immediately beforehand. Temperatures appear normal: the GPU reaches roughly 67–69°C and the CPU stays around 55–70°C under load.
At stock settings, RDR2 shut the PC down after about five minutes. After reseating the motherboard, CPU, GPU power, and RAM connections, it lasted around 31 minutes. Lowering the GPU power limit by 6% allowed RDR2 to run for an hour, but the system later shut down while playing League of Legends at only 30–50W GPU power. I hear a click from the AVR when the shutdown occurs.
The problem began shortly after updating the AMD graphics driver, cleaning the PC, and repasting the CPU. I have also noticed corrosion around some motherboard rear I/O connectors and what may be corrosion on the PSU fan grille. I have not yet tried another PSU, reseated the graphics card itself, or bypassed the AVR.
What should I test next? Could the PSU, AVR, motherboard corrosion, or a loose connection cause this kind of instant shutdown? Does the reduced GPU power limit suggest a failing PSU or GPU, even though the temperatures are normal?
4 Answers
A graphics driver update would more commonly cause a driver reset, game crash, or blue screen—not an immediate total power loss. Because both a demanding game and a lighter game can trigger it, the issue may be related to short power spikes or a failing component rather than the game's average load.
Run separate stress tests for the GPU and CPU, but stop if the system powers off repeatedly. You can also return all BIOS and GPU settings to stock, check motherboard BIOS and chipset drivers, and test memory with a bootable diagnostic. These steps may help rule things out, but they cannot substitute for testing the PSU and AVR.
The reported temperatures do not support overheating as the first explanation. Repasting may still be worth checking if the cooler was mounted unevenly, but a CPU reaching the mid-50s or 60s Celsius is not normally going to cause this behavior. Verify that the CPU fan is spinning and that the cooler is firmly mounted, but prioritize power testing instead of opening the GPU immediately.
Also inspect the 24-pin connector, CPU EPS connector, and GPU power plug for looseness, discoloration, melted plastic, or corrosion. Make sure the GPU power cable is fully inserted and is not being sharply bent at the connector.
An instant loss of power with Kernel-Power 41 and no bugcheck usually points to power delivery rather than a normal software crash. The PSU, AVR, AC outlet, motherboard power circuitry, or a bad connection are the main suspects. The AVR clicking is particularly important—temporarily test the computer from a known-good wall outlet or a properly rated surge protector, assuming the local power is safe. Do not keep using equipment that shows visible corrosion or makes abnormal switching noises.
The strongest test is a known-good PSU connected with its own cables. The fact that reducing the GPU power limit helped can indicate that the PSU or another part of the power-delivery chain is becoming unstable under transient load, even if the average wattage looks well within the PSU's rating. Corrosion on the motherboard is also a serious concern and may justify replacing the board rather than trying to clean it aggressively.
Visible corrosion on a six-year-old motherboard is not something I would ignore. Moisture or corrosion can create intermittent high-resistance connections or damage traces and power circuitry. If the corrosion is spreading, near power connectors, or accompanied by residue inside the PSU, replace the affected hardware rather than continuing to stress it. Do not open the PSU because it can retain dangerous voltage; have it professionally assessed or replace it.
Kernel-Power 41 only records that Windows did not shut down cleanly—it does not identify the failed part. A known-good PSU, direct wall-outlet test, and inspection by a repair technician are the most useful next steps.
I have only seen the shutdown while gaming, including League at relatively low GPU power. I plan to bypass the AVR, reseat the graphics card, and test with another PSU as soon as I can find one.