My PC completely powers off while playing Valheim. The first time, it took roughly 30 seconds before I could turn it back on. Now it shuts down whenever Valheim reaches the menu, and an OCCT power test also caused a full shutdown after about 10 minutes. There is no blue screen or error message beforehand. Reducing the GPU power limit to 70% lets Valheim start, but higher power usage triggers the shutdown again. I've reseated and replaced the GPU power cables, cleaned out the dust, and the temperatures appear normal. Could this be a failing power supply, or should I investigate another component? My system uses a 1000W Kolink Regulator ATX 3.0 PSU, a Ryzen 5 7600X, and an ASUS RTX 3070 Dual OC.
4 Answers
The PSU is the strongest suspect here, and the power-test shutdown supports that diagnosis. Replace or warranty-claim it before continuing to use the computer under heavy load. A different known-good PSU is the quickest way to confirm the fault; if the shutdown continues with a suitable replacement, then the GPU would be the next component to investigate.
Test the CPU and GPU separately if you want to narrow it down. Also make sure the graphics card is connected with separate PCIe power cables rather than one daisy-chained cable, try another wall outlet, and monitor temperatures. A menu can sometimes run the GPU at an uncapped frame rate, so limiting the frame rate may reduce the power spike, but that would only be a workaround.
A complete instant shutdown followed by a delay before the system will start again often means the PSU’s protection circuitry is triggering because of a power spike or overload. Since the OCCT power test also shuts the machine down, avoid running more games or stress tests until the issue is resolved. Check Event Viewer for any useful clues, but a sudden loss of power may not leave much behind.
The problem turned out to be the PSU. Replacing it resolved the shutdowns.
Limiting the GPU power to 70% allowed the game to start, while higher settings caused the shutdown again. I replaced the GPU cables, checked the temperatures, and cleaned the PC, so I’m going to try replacing the PSU.