I'm experiencing random crashes while playing demanding games like Civilization 7 or Expedition 33. When the crash happens, my computer freezes completely, and the only way to reset it is by holding down the power button. I don't see any error messages or blue screens, which makes troubleshooting tough. During these crashes, my CPU temperature hits around 75°C. I'm running Windows 11 and have a system with the following specs: a Z390 Phantom Gaming 4S/ac motherboard, an Intel i7-9700KF CPU at 3.60GHz with 8 cores, and 16GB of RAM. My GPU is a 2070 Super, and I've ensured that all drivers are up to date. I've even tried playing with just one RAM stick, which seemed to extend the time between crashes slightly, but they still happen randomly. This issue started suddenly and I can't pinpoint a cause.
4 Answers
You might be experiencing power delivery problems or unstable RAM timings. As a quick fix, try turning off XMP in the BIOS to see if crashes lessen.
It sounds like your problem could be tied to a few potential culprits like an unstable GPU or a failing power supply. I recommend running some stress tests to see if you can isolate whether the CPU or GPU is misbehaving. If they operate fine on their own but crash together, it often points to power supply issues.
It could definitely be a PSU issue. If you have access to another power supply, give it a shot and see if your system remains stable.
Have you tried running a RAM test? I had a similar issue where everything seemed fine until I played more demanding games. It turned out that my RAM was failing just enough under heavy load to cause crashes.
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