I recently replaced my old CPU cooler with a new one and decided to give my PC a thorough cleaning since it was quite dirty inside. After reassembling everything and turning on the PC, it failed to boot. The GPU LED turned on (I had removed the GPU to clean it), and after reconnecting it, the PC finally booted up. However, it crashed after about 15 minutes. During that time, I was playing Forza Horizon 5 without issues, but while rendering a video in DaVinci Resolve, the crash happened. I've been troubleshooting by replugging the GPU, resetting the BIOS with a jumper (though I'm unsure if it worked), and cleaning the GPU pins. After removing one RAM stick, the PC powered on while it was lying on its side—possibly due to GPU sagging. I think the issue might be RAM related because adding the second RAM stick made the PC unbootable again. What could be going on here? I haven't switched the RAM sticks yet because I'm too exhausted today.
2 Answers
When it crashed, did it show a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) or just shut down? Checking the Event Viewer in Windows logs can help pinpoint the cause of the crash, which might reveal something about the issue you're facing.
It sounds like your GPU might not be seated properly. Sometimes after cleaning and reinstalling components, things just don't connect as they should. Reseating the CPU is an option, although I get why you'd be hesitant—it can be tricky!
Definitely don't rush anything if you're uncomfortable. Maybe just focus on ensuring the GPU is snug in its slot for now.