Could a Failing Power Supply Be Causing Gaming Crashes and Random Startup?
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MellowCedar42
My PC was damaged by rain entering through the top vents, and I've since replaced roughly 80–90% of the components. Despite that, it still crashes during games—usually going to a black screen, rebooting, and then showing a BSOD. It also sometimes powers itself on at unusual times, including during the night. I suspect the power supply may be failing and have ordered a replacement, but what symptoms would help confirm that diagnosis?
Answers
A faulty PSU can cause blue screens, but that’s less common than a complete shutdown or sudden restart. For a BSOD to be caused by the PSU, the voltage usually has to dip enough to make a component malfunction without dropping far enough to immediately switch the whole system off. Since the machine suffered liquid damage, other damaged or corroded components could also be responsible.
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A common sign of a struggling PSU is the computer shutting down or restarting when the system is under heavy load, such as during a demanding game. A black screen followed by a reboot after several minutes of playing could fit that pattern, especially if it happens consistently in graphically intensive situations.
MellowCedar42: That matches what I’m seeing. It usually happens after about ten minutes of running a game at 4K, followed by a black screen, reboot, and then a blue-screen error.
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PixelHarbor63: Before assuming the replacement PSU solves everything, check the Windows crash dump files in C:WindowsMinidump. Those logs may identify whether a driver or particular component is causing the blue screens.