I built this PC in June, but it only started experiencing severe crashes recently. At first I suspected the monitor, but the problem seems to be related to the NVIDIA RTX 5060 instead. I performed a clean graphics-driver installation, cleared the relevant caches, and lowered the monitor's refresh rate, but the crashes continue. What other troubleshooting steps can help determine whether this is a driver, BIOS, or hardware problem?
3 Answers
Using Display Driver Uninstaller in Safe Mode is a good first step, followed by installing a known-stable NVIDIA driver rather than automatically choosing the newest one. Since you’ve already done a DDU-based clean install, check Event Viewer next. Look under Windows Logs > System and Application for errors recorded at the exact time of a crash; those details may point to a driver, power, or hardware issue.
Check whether your motherboard BIOS and chipset drivers are up to date. An outdated BIOS can sometimes cause instability with newer graphics cards or other hardware. Follow the motherboard manufacturer’s instructions carefully and avoid interrupting the update.
If the processor included integrated graphics, testing the computer without the dedicated card could help isolate the problem. However, the Intel Core i5-14400F does not have integrated graphics, so that test isn’t available here. Focus instead on checking the GPU’s power connections, temperatures, seating, and whether the crashes continue with a different stable driver.
I already completed a clean installation with DDU, but it didn’t resolve the crashes. I’ll check Event Viewer for errors from the times they happen.