I've been having a nightmare with my PC. A few hours ago, it got stuck in a boot loop, alternating between 'automatic repair' during the ASUS logo screen and attempts to boot normally. Eventually, it just freezes and stops trying to boot altogether. This isn't the first issue either; I've had random freezes and restarts even when I'm just watching YouTube or sitting idle on my home screen.
I've tried a bunch of troubleshooting steps: force booting from a Windows installation drive, resetting the BIOS to default settings (and trying both with and without CSM or Safe Boot), reseating the RAM and testing with just one stick in different slots, removing my drives to boot from a USB with Windows installation media, switching wall outlets for my PSU, and resetting the CMOS. I even flashed the BIOS to the latest version, but it still freezes and reboots.
I'm really curious about what others think might be the problem. I don't have any spare parts to swap in and test unfortunately. Here's my setup:
- ASUS ROG STRIX B550-GAMING
- Ryzen 7 5800x
- 2x16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 3200 MHz
- RTX 3080
- Samsung 860 EVO 1 TB and Samsung 960 NvME
- Corsair RM 750W
3 Answers
Have you thought about booting from a live Linux USB? It might help you determine if the problem is with your internal drives. If you can get a friend to help you make one, it’s worth a shot!
Sounds like it could be one of three main issues: a faulty PSU not delivering enough power, a component acting up, or the motherboard possibly failing. Check the wattage your components are using from the PSU. If the PSU is older or faulty, that might be your problem. Also, try booting with a live USB, removing one component at a time to see if there’s a change.
How do I check the wattage for my components? Can I find that in the BIOS? I have a feeling it might be a power supply issue.
First things first, check the temperatures of your CPU. If it’s overheating, that could be causing the boot loop. Make sure your thermal paste is in good condition and that your cooling isn't obstructed. I've seen people ignore heat issues, and it's a pretty common culprit!
Yeah, I checked in the BIOS, and the CPU was sitting around 45 Celsius, so I think it's okay on the temperature front.
I can use my laptop to create the installation media, but my USB drive is only 8 GB. Is that going to be enough? I already tried with the Windows 10 media without drives connected, but it still boot looped.