My 13-year-old son is building his own computer and has received some components from a family friend who works at Microsoft. This includes a motherboard, a power supply (600W), a fan, and 16GB of RAM. He has also purchased additional parts, such as an upgraded power supply, fan, and 2TB of storage. After putting everything together, the system powers on, Windows runs fine, and he successfully downloaded a game. However, he's facing issues because the game freezes whenever he tries to play it. He thinks I don't know much about hardware, which is true, but I've been suggesting that he start with the original parts before switching to upgraded ones. He doesn't have access to this forum, so I'm hoping to gather some advice that I can share with him.
3 Answers
I understand it can be tricky for parents, but it’s crucial to let your son troubleshoot these issues on his own. Avoid buying new parts unless absolutely necessary. If you have the names of the components, consider reaching out to the family friend for advice on resolving the stuttering problem. Sometimes, it helps to hear suggestions from someone else.
It might be worth checking the CPU temperatures. You can use software like Core Temp to monitor. Also, does he have a dedicated graphics card? A lack of one can make playing newer games very challenging, especially if those games are graphics-intensive.
I have no clue how to check that, but I’ll definitely encourage him to look into it. As for the GPU, yes, he does have one, but I’m not sure which model.
First off, did he download all the necessary motherboard and GPU drivers? It's possible that could be causing the game to freeze. Also, when you say it freezes, does the game become unresponsive, or does the whole computer lock up? That detail could help narrow down the problem!
He mentioned downloading drivers and ran a memory test. The freezing happens after he loads into the game. Once he starts playing, everything completely freezes, and nothing on the keyboard responds.
I’m trying to make him figure it out, but he’s adamant that he needs the new parts to get it running smoothly. I think seeing suggestions from others might help convince him.