I recently replaced my old computer because it had been crashing, but the new system is doing something very similar. The crashes usually happen during games: the audio becomes extremely static, the frame rate drops sharply, the computer freezes, and then it reboots. The issue happened repeatedly shortly after I bought the PC, disappeared for several days, and then suddenly returned.
I have checked that the internal components are properly seated, reinstalled drivers, tested the memory, and performed a clean Windows installation. None of those steps permanently solved the problem. Since both computers crashed while connected in the same location, I am wondering whether the problem could be the wall outlet, a power strip, a shared peripheral, or possibly a driver issue.
The system has an AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D processor, 16 GB of RAM, and an AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT with 16 GB of VRAM. I mainly use it for gaming, Discord, Spotify, and schoolwork. What should I test next?
4 Answers
Try disconnecting nonessential peripherals as well. USB devices, wireless adapters, headsets, and especially software or hardware from gaming-peripheral brands can occasionally cause freezes or driver conflicts. Test with only the keyboard, mouse, display, and network connection, then reconnect everything one item at a time.
Because the old and new computers both crashed in the same place, test the power setup first. Plug the new PC directly into an outlet on a different circuit, not merely another socket on the same wall. If you normally use the same surge protector or power strip, try replacing or bypassing it. A UPS or good surge protector can also help identify unstable power. The fact that it worked for several days does not completely rule out an intermittent outlet or failing power strip.
The static audio immediately before the freeze sounds like a complete system hang rather than an ordinary game crash. After testing another outlet, check Event Viewer under Windows Logs > System around the time of the reboot. WHEA-Logger entries may point toward a CPU, memory, or PCIe problem, while Kernel-Power usually confirms that the system lost power but does not identify the root cause.
Did you move the old hard drive, SSD, or NVMe drive into the new build? If so, temporarily disconnect it and test with only the new system drive. An old drive, its cables, or software carried over from the previous installation could be a shared cause.
That makes sense. I was confused because it ran normally for almost a week, but I will test it from a different circuit and avoid the current power strip.