My PC randomly restarts while playing demanding games such as Path of Exile 2. I initially suspected overheating, so I installed a better CPU cooler, reapplied thermal paste, checked the fans, and cleaned the system, but the restarts continued. It has also started occasionally freezing completely with a loud repeating sound until I perform a hard reset.
After the latest crash, the computer entered a boot loop and would not post. Resetting the CMOS eventually got it past that, but Windows then showed its automatic diagnosis screen and warned that the drive might be faulty before offering to restore an earlier system state. It has been stable for a couple of days during normal desktop use, but I have not resolved the gaming crashes.
My system is running Windows 11 Pro with an Intel i7-9700K, RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB, 32GB of Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4, an Adata XPG SX8200 Pro NVMe SSD, and an ultrawide 3440x1440 monitor. The power supply is a Corsair RM750x 750W 80 Plus Gold from 2018.
I am considering reinstalling Windows and all my software, but is there anything more obvious I should investigate first? Could the ultrawide monitor or its resolution be causing this, or should I focus on the power supply, temperatures, graphics card, memory, or storage?
3 Answers
The power supply is worth investigating first. Graphics cards can produce short power spikes, and an aging or faulty PSU may cause an immediate restart or system lockup without leaving a useful error message. A 750W RM750x should normally be sufficient for this hardware, but age or a fault can still matter. If possible, test with another known-good PSU and make sure the GPU power cables are firmly connected.
The monitor size or 3440x1440 resolution is unlikely to directly cause a restart. It increases the load on the GPU, which could expose a marginal graphics card, power supply, driver, or temperature issue, but changing to a smaller display would mainly reduce the workload rather than fix the underlying fault. Before reinstalling Windows, check crash logs, run a memory test, verify the SSD health, and test the GPU with a controlled benchmark. Also return any CPU, GPU, RAM, or BIOS overclocks to default settings.
Because the crashes happen under heavy gaming load but normal desktop use is stable, this points more toward hardware than a Windows setting. Check CPU and GPU temperatures, clock speeds, and power usage while gaming. A failure can happen after a few minutes or after half an hour depending on the workload, so the inconsistent timing does not rule out heat or power problems.
The PSU is a Corsair RM750x from 2018. I also have the PC connected to an old extension lead, so I will try plugging it directly into a wall socket and check the power connections.