About six weeks after moving to college, my desktop began powering off instantly with no BSOD, error message, or shutdown animation. Event Viewer records the incidents with BugcheckCode 0 and otherwise similar Kernel-Power details. The shutdowns seem random: sometimes the system runs for a long time, while other times it powers off shortly after boot. After the first shutdown, subsequent shutdowns often happen more quickly. I replaced an EVGA 850W SuperNOVA G2 with a new Montech Century II, but the problem continues. My system runs Windows 11 Pro with a Radeon RX 6700 XT, Intel Core i5-12600KF, and 32 GB of 3600 MHz RAM. What should I check next to determine whether this is a hardware, power, or software problem?
3 Answers
Check C:WindowsMinidump, although an immediate power loss may leave that folder empty. If dump files exist, preserve them for analysis; if not, that supports the idea that the system is losing power or resetting below the level where Windows can log a crash. Also inspect the System log for Kernel-Power 41 entries and note whether any WHEA events occur immediately before them.
A BugcheckCode of 0 usually means Windows did not capture a normal crash dump; it does not identify the failing component. Check Event Viewer under Windows Logs > System and filter for WHEA-Logger events. Hardware-corrected errors there can point toward the CPU, motherboard, RAM, or PCIe devices. If there are no WHEA events, investigate the entire power path—not just the PSU—including the wall outlet, power strip, surge protector, and all internal power connections. Since the replacement PSU made no difference, try a different outlet and temporarily bypass any extension or power strip.
The timing may indicate a heat or hardware-stability problem rather than Windows itself. Monitor CPU and GPU temperatures, check that the CPU cooler is mounted properly, and reseat the RAM, graphics card, and motherboard power cables. Also test with BIOS defaults: disable overclocks, XMP, undervolting, and any custom fan or power settings. Run a memory test and separate CPU/GPU stress tests so you can see whether one particular load triggers the shutdown.
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