My roughly two-year-old PC has been shutting down or losing video unexpectedly for the past month, and I'm running out of things to test. Both monitors suddenly go black while the case fans ramp up to maximum speed. During one recent incident while watching YouTube, I could still hear the video playing even though both displays were black. It usually happens after around 30 minutes of gaming, but it can also occur randomly after several hours of normal browsing.
I've already replaced the graphics card, reapplied the CPU thermal paste, cleaned the case and checked airflow, and replaced a 750W power supply with a new 850W Cooler Master unit. The system has an MSI MS-7E26 motherboard, Ryzen 5 7600X, 16GB of RAM, and an Nvidia RTX 5070. Windows Event Viewer only shows an unexpected shutdown, Event 6008, without an obvious cause. What should I check next?
4 Answers
Monitor CPU and GPU temperatures while gaming and check whether the problem occurs under a controlled load. If temperatures are normal, test with the GPU removed or with minimal hardware where possible. Back up the operating-system drive and check its health too, because a failing drive can create strange lockups, although the full-speed fans and simultaneous loss of both displays point more toward power, memory, motherboard, or graphics-driver instability than a simple Windows shutdown.
Since the replacement PSU didn’t fix it, don’t overlook power outside the computer. Try a different wall outlet and, if possible, another known-good power cable. A faulty outlet, cable, or power strip can cause brief interruptions that leave the system frozen with the fans running.
Start with Event Viewer. Search for it from the Windows taskbar, open Windows Logs, and check System around the exact time of the failure. Event 6008 only confirms that Windows did not shut down normally, so look for errors immediately before it, especially hardware, display-driver, WHEA, or Kernel-Power entries. Also note whether the failure happens in the BIOS or only after Windows loads.
Reseat every internal connection, including the GPU power plugs, motherboard power connectors, RAM, storage drive, and monitor cables. A partially connected cable can cause intermittent black screens. I’d also run a proper memory test, such as MemTest86, and test with one RAM stick at a time if necessary.
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