Every game I play has started crashing, usually during a match or sometimes during startup. The problem originally seemed limited to one favorite game, but it now happens with all games. The system has an NVIDIA RTX 3080, and I am not using maximum graphics settings. I have already reinstalled the graphics drivers, run Windows repair commands, cleared shader caches, and reinstalled the game. Reinstalling helped for one session, but the crashes returned. It has now gotten so bad that the computer may not stay running long enough for me to troubleshoot. I do not have spare parts available. What should I check next?
2 Answers
Test the RAM and check the health of the SSD first, since faulty memory or storage can cause random crashes across multiple games. If those tests are clean, a clean Windows installation is another diagnostic step. Install only the essential drivers and one game at first, confirm whether it remains stable, and then add background utilities such as RGB or monitoring software one at a time. If the crashes continue on a clean installation, that makes a hardware problem much more likely.
Since the issue spread from one game to every game, it is probably not a problem with that specific title. Check Event Viewer under Windows Logs > System and look for critical errors at the crash time. A Kernel-Power Event 41 usually means the computer lost power or shut down unexpectedly, which points more toward the power supply, RAM, graphics card, or another hardware issue than the game itself. Run MemTest86 for several hours or overnight to test the memory, and use a tool such as HWiNFO to watch GPU temperatures and power draw while gaming. If the PC suddenly powers off when the GPU is under load, the power supply or graphics card may be failing. Also inspect the 3080's power connector for looseness, melting, or discoloration.
I don't have any spare components to swap in, and it is now crashing so quickly that I may not be able to keep it running long enough to research the errors.