I bought this PC in early 2025 after my previous system failed. I reused the old 32GB DDR5 memory kit because I thought it was still good. The new system had frequent blue screens during its first few months—sometimes five or six in a row—but that problem eventually stopped. Now I'm dealing with constant Opera and Discord crashes, random game crashes, black screens followed by restarts, and Windows Update failing to install "Windows 11, version 25H2 (repair version)."
I'm not very experienced with PC troubleshooting and would appreciate guidance on figuring out whether this is a BIOS, memory, CPU, Windows, or another hardware problem.
Specs:
- Motherboard: ASUS Z790 Gaming WiFi 7, PCIe 5.0, DDR5
- CPU: Intel Core i9-14900K
- Cooler: Corsair Nautilus 240 RS ARGB
- Case fans: Corsair iCUE Link RX120 RGB with hub
- RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32GB, 2x16GB DDR5-6000
- GPU: GeForce RTX 3070
- PSU: Darkstorm 850W
3 Answers
Check for crash dumps in C:WindowsMinidump. Copy any files somewhere else, compress them into a ZIP, and analyze or share the results using a reputable file-hosting service. If no dumps are being created, configure Windows to create small memory dumps so the next blue screen leaves a record. The dump information can identify whether a driver or a specific hardware fault is involved.
Start by updating the motherboard BIOS if it is not current. Intel 13th- and 14th-generation desktop CPUs had known stability and degradation issues, and newer ASUS BIOS versions include Intel’s recommended microcode and power settings. Because BIOS flashing can go wrong, use the exact file and instructions for your motherboard model, keep the system on stable power, and do not interrupt the process. Also test the RAM with MemTest86, preferably with the memory running at default settings rather than an overclocked profile. If the crashes continue, the CPU or another component may need to be tested or replaced.
You can also repair the Windows component image. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth`. Let it finish even if the progress appears stuck for a while, then restart the computer and try Windows Update again. This may fix corrupted Windows files, although it will not solve a failing CPU, RAM kit, power supply, or graphics card.
I haven’t updated the BIOS because I’m not familiar with the process. I’ve also factory-reset Windows about three times, but the same problems happened before and after each reset.