Hey folks, I'm dealing with a frustrating issue where my system randomly reboots during gaming. There's no BSOD, just an instant power shutdown and restart. The Windows Event Viewer always shows Event ID 41 with a source of Kernel-Power (63). After the first reboot, the time until the next one decreases significantly. At first, it takes about 40 minutes, but then it drops to just 10-15 minutes if I keep playing. This makes me think there might be an overheating problem.
Here are my system specs:
- **CPU:** Intel Core i7-14700K (Raptor Lake Refresh)
- **Motherboard:** Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE AX
- **GPU:** NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
- **PSU:** MSI MAG A1000GL PCIE5 (1000W ATX)
- **RAM:** 16GB Kit at stock 4800MHz to avoid XMP issues.
I'm aware of some problems with the i7-14700 and have updated my BIOS to the latest version, including an important microcode fix. I chatted with a tech support team, and they suggested my CPU might have Vcore instability, with spikes observed even with settings optimized for stability. Interestingly, my PSU readings look solid, so I'm ruling it out for now. I'd appreciate any insights or suggestions!
Check out my log file [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/133B7fxC9DLYPUGjw9hx23dV_l2QtEK1x/view?usp=sharing) for more details.
2 Answers
It sounds like the reboot issues are occurring under load, so I'd lean towards a power supply fault rather than the CPU itself. You might want to check if your PSU is functioning properly when the system is stressed. That could help narrow it down.
I faced a similar problem with my 12400F and 6700XT setup. My issues were resolved after replacing the PSU. You can’t really troubleshoot a PSU accurately without tearing it down, unfortunately. How does your system run when it's idle or if you're just browsing?
It runs totally fine during idle and with light gaming, no issues there.
Yeah, the tricky part with Kernel-Power 41 is its unpredictability. Often you figure it out by swapping out components one at a time and testing.
Thanks! What steps can I take to definitely confirm it's the PSU before buying a new one?