My PC occasionally restarts by itself while I'm playing games. I've checked the CPU and GPU temperatures and they seem normal, and I've already updated my drivers. What else could be causing these sudden restarts, and what should I check to diagnose the problem?
3 Answers
Check Event Viewer after the next restart. Open Windows Logs, then System, and look around the time of the crash for critical or error entries. Kernel-Power 41 usually confirms that Windows detected an unexpected shutdown, while WHEA errors can point toward hardware instability. It doesn’t identify the exact failed component by itself, but it can help narrow things down.
Look for Kernel-Power events and any WHEA-Logger errors immediately before or after the restart. Also check whether the game or Windows logged application errors around the same time.
A failing or undersized power supply is one of the first things I’d investigate, especially if the restart happens under heavy gaming load. Unstable RAM can also cause this, so try running a memory test and checking whether the system is stable with any memory overclocking or XMP/EXPO settings disabled.
It could be an unstable power delivery or memory configuration. If your CPU or RAM settings are manually overclocked, return everything to default and see whether the restarts stop. Also check that the power cables are firmly connected and that the PSU is appropriate for your hardware.
I haven’t checked Event Viewer yet. Which entries should I focus on?