For the past few days, my laptop has been powering off unexpectedly as soon as I start a video game. I ran a hardware diagnostic, but I'm not sure how to interpret the results. The system shuts down rather than displaying an error or blue screen. What should I check first?
3 Answers
Check whether the cooling fans are spinning when you launch a game. A sudden power-off under load can point to overheating or a cooling problem. Also make sure the vents aren’t blocked and that the laptop is sitting on a hard surface.
Open Windows Reliability Monitor and Event Viewer and look at the entries created right before the shutdown. In Event Viewer, check for Kernel-Power errors. Those usually confirm that the system lost power unexpectedly, though they may not identify the underlying cause.
Have you recently replaced or changed the RAM? Faulty or poorly seated memory can sometimes cause sudden shutdowns, although it sounds like you haven’t modified any components.
No, I haven’t changed or replaced any of the components.
I think the fans are spinning, but I’m not completely sure.