I recently installed a Sapphire Nitro+ RX 9070 XT along with an NZXT C850 Gold Core power supply because my previous be quiet! System Power 9 750W setup didn't have the appropriate native 12V-2x6 cable. Since changing the PSU, the computer has randomly frozen and required a forced shutdown. After restarting, AMD Adrenalin reports that the overclocking settings were reset because of a system crash, even though the graphics card is running at stock settings. I used DDU in Safe Mode, disconnected from the internet, and installed the latest AMD driver. The crashes have become less frequent, but they still happen. I'm using only the new NZXT cables, and the GPU power connector appears fully seated without a gap or sharp bend. Could the new power supply or its cable still be causing the freezes?
3 Answers
Inspect the 12V-2x6 connection and cable closely anyway, especially for heat discoloration, looseness, or damage. Keep the cable straight for the first section from the connector and avoid putting side pressure on it. If everything looks correct, test with the old PSU if it can safely power the card, or exchange the new PSU to rule it out.
Make sure every GPU power cable came with the NZXT power supply. Modular PSU cables are not interchangeable, even when the connectors look identical. Since you confirmed you’re using the new NZXT cables, also try disconnecting and reconnecting the GPU cable carefully, then test the system with another compatible cable or PSU if possible.
The Adrenalin message doesn’t necessarily mean the card was overclocked. AMD often shows that warning after any hard crash, including crashes on completely stock settings. Since the issue began after the PSU replacement, the power connection and PSU are reasonable things to investigate, but the driver reset message alone doesn’t prove the PSU is faulty.
The connector is seated securely with no visible gap, and I made sure the cable wasn’t bent right next to the plug.