Hey everyone, I'm really struggling with my PC and could use some help! I'm not super tech-savvy, so I'm learning as I go. My PC keeps giving me blue screens of death (BSOD) while gaming and streaming. This started a few days ago when I was streaming a game called REPO, and it's been happening more frequently since then. Just last night, I was streaming a small game, Date Everything, and BSOD occurred—totally unexpected! The errors I'm seeing include one with the MEMORY_MANAGEMENT code (0x0000001a) and another labeled PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR (0x000000ca), which references ntoskrnl.exe.
My CPU usage has skyrocketed to 100% or very close to it; it was much lower until this BSOD issue started cropping up. Here's what I've tried:
- Scanned for malware and removed some suspicious files.
- Cleared out large personal files from my C:/ drive.
- Ran Windows Memory Diagnostic (it showed no problems).
- Updated all drivers.
- Tried using sfc /scannow and DISM, though DISM BSOD'd at about 62%.
- Switched back to my old RAM sticks since my new 64GB setup wasn't working right.
- Uninstalled and reinstalled games that I think might be affected (like Dead by Daylight, Date Everything, and REPO).
- Checked the health of components; everything looks fine according to tests.
- Updated the BIOS.
I bought this prebuilt PC in August 2024. I'm starting to worry that my CPU might be failing, but I would love to hear your insights before I spend any money. Let me know if you need any specifics or if there's something else I should be trying. Thanks a lot!
3 Answers
It sounds like you've done quite a bit already! The blue screens could be due to your CPU overheating or possibly even degradation, which has been noted with Intel's recent CPUs. Since you mentioned the CPU is not overheating, it might be worth checking your cooling setup once more and ensuring thermal paste is applied correctly. Also, keep an eye on your CPU's performance and temps while under load.
Definitely check those dump files! They can provide valuable insights into what's causing the BSODs. If you're able to upload them after zipping, it would give anyone helping you a better shot at diagnosing the issue. Don't forget any recent changes you’ve made that might have triggered the problems.
Gotcha! I'll upload the dump files as soon as I can and share them with you.
Switching back to your old RAM might help since your new setup seemed to cause these issues. Sometimes, incompatible RAM can mess with system stability. If things don't improve, consider testing with just one stick at a time to see if there's a faulty one.
You might want to run a stress test to see how the CPU behaves under pressure. Programs like Prime95 can help, just make sure to monitor the temps closely!