[SOLVED] Games crash to desktop with no errors. Out of ideas

[Varg7]

I recently built a brand new PC (in the last month) and no matter what game I play, at some point it ends up crashing to the desktop with no errors. Never had this issue with previous computers either. Thing is sometimes it happens within 10 minutes of playing, sometimes it doesn't happen for hours. I keep a close eye on the temps and they all seem fine, so I don't -think- it's that.

Things I have tried so far
-Full GFX driver reinstalls (using DDU)
-Updated windows as much as possible
-Memtest86
-Disabled XMP
-Moved to Windows 11, then back to Windows 10 a handful of times
-Double checked all hardware connections
-Tried previous GFX drivers
-Updated BIOS (from F8 to F20 to F21)

Seems at this point it's likely a hardware issue perhaps? Even though everything was bought brand new. The main culprit I suspect could be the GPU. A few issues with it aside from the crashes such as shadows/lighting/random flickers during gaming, terrible coil whine during gaming and also noticeable coil whine on the desktop when just moving the mouse. I also had a couple of bluescreens (Kernel error 141) and hard crashes where the entire screen goes all pixelated and just freezes, forcing a hard reset. But those were very rare. I just get the feeling the graphical side of the PC just isn't totally stable.

I'm no PC guru so if anyone can think of anything else that might be the cause it would be very much appreciated. Spent a fair amount of money on this PC and not really got much enjoyment out of it since I bought it because I use it just waiting for something to go wrong. And it inevitably does.

Note: When I run things like Unigine Benchmarks, it occasionally stutters and there is the odd shadow flicker here and there, but it has never crashed. The issues I face are only when gaming.

Specs
-ASUS TUF 3080ti OC (GPU)
-i7 12700k (CPU)
-Gigabyte Z690 Gaming X (Mobo)
-Corsair Vengeance DDR5 5600 MHz (RAM)
-Firecuda 530 1tb (SSD)
-Corsair RM1000e (PSU)

Thanks!

 

[DSzymborski]

Between having year-old Windows error codes on a brand-new build and AMD drivers in a PC with no AMD components, I'm guessing you just slapped in the old OS? Was there ever a proper, full, fresh install done on this system? Odd problems can pop up for a long time if the software portion of a build is done in a janky way like this.

 

[Colif]

those amd drivers appear on all sorts of machines, I am trying to work out how.

I seen them on machines that never had AMD anything on them. Its been happening for at least 2 years

 

[Varg7]

Okay thanks for the breakdown. So with all that in mind (both this AMD driver and this old windows error) would a fresh windows reinstall be a good idea, or shall I just get rid of the driver?

I put Windows 10 on brand new when I first got the PC just over a month ago. But in that space of time I upgraded to Windows 11, then downgraded again. I did that twice, but both times ended up back on Windows 10 for now because of these issues and thinking it might have been W11 related.

 

[Colif]

from what i can tell, its an AMD chipset driver but as there isn't any hardware for it to talk to, it can't do anything. So I don't think its the problem, just a mystery as to how it got there.

Helping someone else with similar problems and a Z690 board but theirs is from another hardware maker. We looking at that being ram related too.

Upgrading from 10 to 11 could be problem. Old drivers and all. Might want to try clean install win 11 instead.

 

[Varg7]

Okay I'll get going with a fresh W11 install and see how it goes.

In the past when I have reinstalled new copies of Windows I use a software called Driver Booster to update all my drivers on the PC. The only one I did manually myself was the graphics card drivers. I never had any problems in the past with it, but should I perhaps avoid using it this time around? It always seemed like a pretty good software to me though, as it did pick up on a lot of old drivers I would have never thought to upgrade manually myself. Some of them as old as 2006 haha.

 

[Colif]

I use a software called Driver Booster to update all my drivers on the PC.

That isn't a good idea. I find 3rd party driver updaters can install the wrong drivers. can cause problems.

-ASUS TUF 3080ti OC (GPU)
-i7 12700k (CPU)
-Gigabyte Z690 Gaming X (Mobo)
-Corsair Vengeance DDR5 5600 MHz (RAM)
-Firecuda 530 1tb (SSD)
-Corsair RM1000e (PSU)

Install win 11
for most part, windows is pretty good at finding right drivers
You could use the App Centre which you can find in Utilities - https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z690-GAMING-X-DDR4-rev-10/support#support-dl-utility
it can be used to update all the drivers for motherboard
downside to it is it automatically selects every file for download so when you run it, untick the Orange tick in the header column of each section

refer tick next to New Utilities. You don't want all the stuff it offers.
Grab GPU drivers from Nvidia

Always best to go to makers of hardware for drivers.

 

[Varg7]

Right sounds good Ill do it this way instead. Alright this should give me some stuff to get on with for a while now, so I wont have to pick your brain for a bit. Thanks again for all the help up to now, it's really appreciated.

 

[Colif]

i did it again, this is link to utility on the DDR 5 board - https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z690-GAMING-X-rev-10-11/support#support-dl-utility
it shouldn't actually make any difference, should be same application anyway.

 

[Varg7]

Well looks like it's decided to really bust on me now. New windows was all installed fine, things seemed to be running well although I hadn't tried any games yet. Just watching a Youtube video and this sudden loud pop just comes from inside the PC and it all just shuts off aside from the fans and the fan lights. Now the whole thing won't turn on. Sounds like the PSU blew out. Perhaps the PSU was faulty this whole time and that was the issue. Going to RMA the PSU, I just hope the power pop/surge didn't damage any of the other parts.

 

[Colif]

at least its got a 7 year warranty. RMe aren't as high quality as the RMx but they still pretty good... main reason I didn't question it... that is a bad idea really.
some people here in the past have blamed BEX errors on PSU but I can't find any proof to back that up. So I didn't mention it.

I have had a PSU go bang as I turned it on... that is something I don't want to hear again.

 

[Varg7]

Did you find all the other parts were still fine after the bang? I'm just hoping it didn't mess up the motherboard or something with the power surge.

 

[Colif]

it happened about 10 years ago, I think It took my GPU with it, and the replacement GPU I got also didn't work, and with having 3 GPU in PC in such a short amount of time, windows vista decided it wanted me to buy a new licence... i just bought win 7 instead.

I hope you more fortunate than I was.

 

[Varg7]

Well I have done the RMA for the RMe 1000w. Bought the RMx 1000w instead. Should arrive Monday. Hopefully it will just be a case of a PSU swap and I'm back in business. Worst case it still doesn't turn on which will show it's taken some of the other parts along with it during the pop. Ill have to cross that bridge if it comes to it.

 

[Colif]

Have to think positively

I may end up with an RM1000x myself, I can't justify the cost of the Icue ones just to get extra software features.

 

[Varg7]

I got the RMx for a reasonable price I guess. Pretty much the same price I paid for the RMe.

Is there anything I should do specifically when trying out this new PSU? Or should I simply swap the 2 PSU's and turn it on like I would any other time?

Also would I be looking out for anything specific that might not be noticeable at a glance, in order to tell if all is well? Or would I be right in thinking if it all turns on and all the specs are correctly listed on the software (CPU-Z etc) then it's likely to be just fine?

 

[Colif]

Or should I simply swap the 2 PSU's and turn it on like I would any other time?

i think that is all you need to do.

just use PC as normal and see how it goes.
Could run benchmarks if you want, just to be sure.

Its likely if there is anything wrong, you will soon find out.

 

[Varg7]

Okay cool. Well I'll put this thread on ice until Monday then come in with an update.

 

[Varg7]

Okay well this is slightly annoying. I was just sat twidling my thumbs so I decided to just do a little test with an old motherboard (about 8 years old) I had sat in a cupboard. I plugged in my new RMe PSU into the old mobo and the light came on and stayed on. When I plugged both this new PSU and an old 500w PSU into the new motherboard, the light just flicks on then off instantly.

That has to be a busted mobo then & not the PSU. Obviously something on the mobo shorted and that is what caused the pop.

 

[Colif]

i would get PC tested to make sure other things didn't go at same time.

sorry for the broken parts. Its risk you get when PSU go pop.

 

[Varg7]

Well I have a new mobo and PSU incoming. So Ill see how it all works once I get them. Sent the 3080ti back as well. Gonna look into one of the 7900 cards.

 

[Colif]

Well, my GPU, PSU & case fans will all change in the next few weeks.
Ordered:

• 3 Noctua Chromax Black Swap 140mm case fans
• 1 Powercolor Radeon Red Devil RX 7900 XT
• 1 Corsair RM1000x to keep it happy

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/kkVQv3

I waited 2 weeks for the fans but they in my city now, took a while.
PSU on its way
GPU gets shipped on Monday. XTX all sold out as soon as they hit, I was too late for one of them. Could still pre order this card so I did. I don't need xtx, this still beats my current GPU and thats all that matters.

All my Xmas presents I bought for myself.

 

[Varg7]

Nice, yeah I'm thinking of grabbing the XT as well. I can pick up the Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XT Gaming for £899. I'm not too clued up on AMD brands though, this has been in stock pretty much since the 7900 release. Not sure if there is a reason nobody has really gone for it. I was under the impression that Sapphire was one of the better ones.

Edit: not going off topic, just letting it sit until my new parts arrive and then will update on the original topic of the post.

 

[Colif]

Its the stock standard version.
When you can also get the https://www.overclockers.co.uk/sapp...ddr6-pci-express-graphics-card-gx-3a6-sp.html version that runs a little faster and a little cooler, it makes sense that the stock speed versions are still on store
its a little more money but its probably worth the difference. I would have got that had it been a choice on the day.
it must overclock more with that cooler on it. max is already 2560

It seems that instead of AMD making their own reference cards, every card maker has made versions instead.

off topic: I am guilty of that myself. I really need to think about something else.

in case you interested - all 7900xt

 

[Varg7]

The appeal for me with the XT was the fact I could pick one up for not only less than 1000, but less than 900 (yeah by £1 lol, but still). If I'm pushing up over the 1000 mark, like the one you showed at £1050. At that point I'd be starting to lean on the idea of spending 150 more and getting the 4080, or the XTX at their current higher prices.

Do you think the peformance/thermals difference between those 2 Sapphire XT cards is really going to be all that big? I never OC my cards, I just like to pay for a good quality card that is going to do the job at high speeds at stock, all the way up until I replace it.

 

[Colif]

AFAIK no one is testing the XT models enough yet to have all 3 Sapphire XT cards to compare, as there is a model between the one I showed and one you ordering.

Radeon RX 7900XT	AMD Radeon™ RX 7900 XT 20GB AMD RDNA™ 3 Architecture. THE MOST ADVANCED GRAPHICS FOR GAMERS. <div> </div> www.sapphiretech.com	2400​	2000​
Nitro+	NITRO+ AMD Radeon™ RX 7900 XT Vapor-X 20GB <p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #131313;">OC BIOS Up to 2560 MHz, 20GB/320 bit DDR6. 20 Gbps Effective</span></p> www.sapphiretech.com	2560​	2220​
Pulse	PULSE AMD Radeon™ RX 7900 XT <p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #131313;">BOOST CLOCK Up to 2450 MHz, 20GB/320 bit DDR6. 20 Gbps Effective</span></p> www.sapphiretech.com	2450​	2075​

So XT costs 899
Pulse costs 979.99
Nitro costs 1049.99

Really, if you only have one card and don't have anything to compare it against, and don't expect exact results as a friend, then it doesn't matter if some are faster, just buy the one you can afford. I think when I ordered the only choices I had were Pre orders on the Red Devil. If I tried now, I would have all 3. I would still get the same one.

Yes, I do pay more... The Red Devil XTX is $2000 but the 4080 starts at 2100 here. Australia is fun to live in.
I have no idea how much the Nitro would cost here... no one seems to have them here.

Its likely main difference between them will be noise. The reference cards are really loud if you run them at high resolutions in games, but from what I can tell that is after a few hours. The custom cards have better cooling and can run quieter and get higher speeds.