My ASUS G752VS worked normally for years, but it began hard-freezing during games around 2020. The problem became more frequent after I fixed an overheating issue by properly cleaning the laptop. Now nearly any demanding game, including Minecraft, can freeze the entire system, sometimes even causing web pages to lock up. The only way to recover is holding the power button.
The freezes happen in both Windows and Linux Mint, so it does not appear to be OS-specific. Idle temperatures are around 40–50°C and gaming temperatures are roughly 60–70°C. RAM usage stays below 50%, drivers and BIOS are up to date, and CPU/GPU usage is usually only around 70–80% before the freeze.
The most unusual detail is that the laptop remains stable when running on battery. It freezes when plugged in, including when the charger is connected while the system is already under load. Changing the power profile from maximum performance to efficiency only delayed the freeze slightly.
The laptop has an i7-6700HQ, GTX 1070 Mobile, and 64 GB of RAM. Could the charger, power-delivery circuitry, or motherboard be failing?
4 Answers
Power modes can behave differently on battery and AC, but the fact that efficiency mode only adds a few seconds does not really explain the problem. It is worth checking the profile settings, but I would prioritize verifying the charger and AC power path. A laptop can remain below 100% reported usage while still drawing enough power to expose a failing adapter or power circuit.
Run separate stability tests for the GPU, VRAM, CPU, and memory rather than starting with a combined test. A tool such as OCCT can help identify whether one component produces errors or crashes. Test each part individually for a reasonable period, then try a combined CPU/GPU load. If the individual tests pass but the combined test fails only while plugged in, that points more toward the charger, motherboard power circuitry, or another power-delivery issue than RAM capacity or temperatures.
I had a similar issue with a G752VS that only froze while connected to power, and the cause turned out to be a faulty charger. Your battery-versus-AC pattern is a strong clue, so testing or replacing the power brick should happen before assuming the CPU or GPU needs a motherboard repair.
The charger is one of the first things I would suspect. Since the system is stable on battery but locks up when connected to AC, the power brick or the laptop’s charging and power-delivery circuitry may be failing under higher demand. If possible, test with a known-good compatible charger that has the exact required voltage, connector, and wattage. Do not use an underpowered replacement.
I’ll try testing each component separately. If none of the tests produce errors, I’ll focus more on the charger and the laptop’s power circuitry.