[SOLVED] First build - PC restarting while gaming

Dec 1, 2021
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Hey all,

Like the title says this is my first build and I'm starting to get regular restarts after about a month of use; that being gaming and general use.
I haven't got a BSOD or anything yet, and it runs fine during general use and idle.

While writing this, chrome (with a few tabs open) is the only application open and I'm getting a temp of ~43° and shortly before these restarts, I'm getting temps around ~75°C in the middle of games. I've also been finding the Windows 10 error Event ID 41 ‘Kernel-Power’ after these restarts. I admittedly cheaped out on the one thing I was repeatedly told not to cheap out on (the PSU, I know I know) and just went with the wattage that was recommended by the GPU manufacturer (550W). I'm going to check the cables connecting to the PSU, but I also suspect I mighta smeared the thermal paste when I attached my CPU cooler (admittedly it was a bit of a struggle getting it on haha). If that's the case, is there a specific process to go about de-attaching the cooler and re-applying thermal paste?

Appreciate any and all help folks!

My specs are:
CPU:
Ryzen 5 5600X
CPU cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black
Mobo: MSI B550M Pro-VDH micro atx
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16gb (2x8gb)
Storage: WD_Black SN750 SE 1tb
GPU: MSI Geforce RTX 3060 12gb
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA GM 550W 80+ Gold
 
Solution
If you decide to redo your thermal paste, this is the method I use.

After removing the cooler, remove the old thermal paste from both surfaces using a coffee filter and high % isopropyl alcohol. Like 90% or higher. The coffee filters don't leave any dust, residue, etc. After removing the visible amounts of old paste, use a new filter and polish both surfaces. You will still get some grayish residue on the filter.

Apply a good quality paste. I have used thermal grizzly before and used Noctua NT-H2 on my most recent build. The Noctua came with instructions on the "method" of application for your type of CPU.

After setting your cooler back on the CPU tighten the screws evenly. Don't tighten one side all the way before tightening the...

TommyTwoTone66

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Apr 24, 2021
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Seems like the PSU would be overloaded with that setup.

check your CPU temps. Install something like hwinfo to let you monitor them. When the pc restarts is it very high? It would be very unusual for cpu temp to cause a reboot, but you never know.

Run a cpu stress test like the one bundled with furmark to stress the cpu only and not stress the gpu. See how the temps go. Do,this before touching the cooler or thermal paste.

If it’s not hitting 100C and rebooting then in all likelihood your ghetto PSU is letting you down. Although it is rated for 550W total it can’t deliver all of that to a single part, which is why it is so cheap. It is probably having difficulty supplying your CPU and GPU when they’re both under load.

have you overclocked? overclocking increases the demand on the psu. Even a small overclock might be enough to tip that psu over the edge.
 
Last edited:

emitfudd

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Apr 9, 2017
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If you decide to redo your thermal paste, this is the method I use.

After removing the cooler, remove the old thermal paste from both surfaces using a coffee filter and high % isopropyl alcohol. Like 90% or higher. The coffee filters don't leave any dust, residue, etc. After removing the visible amounts of old paste, use a new filter and polish both surfaces. You will still get some grayish residue on the filter.

Apply a good quality paste. I have used thermal grizzly before and used Noctua NT-H2 on my most recent build. The Noctua came with instructions on the "method" of application for your type of CPU.

After setting your cooler back on the CPU tighten the screws evenly. Don't tighten one side all the way before tightening the other. A few turns on each side at a time.

And don't try to install the cooler with the PC case upright. Lay it on it's side so you can drop the cooler down evenly.

You might consider a different cooler too. Look at Noctua or Be Quiet. The 212 might not have enough cooling capacity for your CPU. I'm running a 360mm AIO and still get temps around 70 to75C while gaming on a 5900x.
 
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