Question GPU crashing to a black screen while gaming ?

[Drizz404]

Starting late last year, every now and then my GPU would crash to a black screen while gaming and the fans would kick up to maximum, where it would stay until I forced my PC to restart. It went from a rare chance, to a common chance, to almost certainly, and finally ended at permanently staying off over the course of 2 months. Figuring my old GPU (1070) had just died off, I ordered a brand new Gigabyte 3060 and installed it. After a driver update, it ran normally. My game opened right up and played at max settings just fine... for about 15 minutes, at which point my PC blacked out again just like my old GPU was doing, only this time instead of staying locked until I pressed the power button like my old card, it auto restarted my computer. Any time I open any 3d game, like Valheim or Astroneer, it immediately crashes my GPU. Terraria seems to load and play just fine for some reason.

On my old card, I read several forums saying it was overheating, so I downloaded GPU Tweak to track the temps of all my hardware and kick the GPU fans up to 100% at all times just to test it, and even replaced the thermal paste. It crashed at temps as low as 25c, so I doubt it was overheating. Similarly, my CPU stays around 40c, along with the rest of my hardware. I've uninstalled and reinstalled each graphics driver multiple times, clean installs, etc. I've updated my BIOS to the latest release. If it was any sort of GPU problem, surely it would have gone away with a brand new card, but it's exactly the same issue. I'm out of ideas.

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Please list full system specs, including make, model & approximate age of the PSU.

 

[Drizz404]

Windows 10 64 bit
MB: H110M-E/M.2
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
CPU: i7-7700 3.60GHz
PSU: Corsair RM650w Gold, 1 year old

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Motherboard updated with latest BIOS version ?
GPU using latest driver?

 

[Drizz404]

Yes, I've installed the latest GPU drivers, both by manually finding them from the website and installing them, as well as uninstalling them and using GeForce Experience to do a clean install. I also found the latest BIOS driver for my MB directly from ASUS website and installed that.

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Then I don't know what else to suggest since your PSU is a good one and has enough grunt for a 3060.

Please wait to see if anyone else chips in.

 

[Drizz404]

An update to the situation: I reinstalled Windows, and it worked normally for about 2 days, then it had a fast-track degradation process to where it was before, crashing immediately when a game opens.

 

[Drizz404]

Eventually got it diagnosed at a PC repair guy. He figured out it was caused by the fan of my new PSU shutting off immediately upon startup, so it would overheat and shut down my PC when power consumption increased.

 

[newenergy]

Starting late last year, every now and then my GPU would crash to a black screen while gaming and the fans would kick up to maximum, where it would stay until I forced my PC to restart. It went from a rare chance, to a common chance, to almost certainly, and finally ended at permanently staying off over the course of 2 months. Figuring my old GPU (1070) had just died off, I ordered a brand new Gigabyte 3060 and installed it. After a driver update, it ran normally. My game opened right up and played at max settings just fine... for about 15 minutes, at which point my PC blacked out again just like my old GPU was doing, only this time instead of staying locked until I pressed the power button like my old card, it auto restarted my computer. Any time I open any 3d game, like Valheim or Astroneer, it immediately crashes my GPU. Terraria seems to load and play just fine for some reason.

On my old card, I read several forums saying it was overheating, so I downloaded GPU Tweak to track the temps of all my hardware and kick the GPU fans up to 100% at all times just to test it, and even replaced the thermal paste. It crashed at temps as low as 25c, so I doubt it was overheating. Similarly, my CPU stays around 40c, along with the rest of my hardware. I've uninstalled and reinstalled each graphics driver multiple times, clean installs, etc. I've updated my BIOS to the latest release. If it was any sort of GPU problem, surely it would have gone away with a brand new card, but it's exactly the same issue. I'm out of ideas.

It sounds like the issue may not be with your GPU, but rather with some other hardware or software component in your system. Here are some steps you can take to try and diagnose and fix the issue:

1. Check your power supply: Make sure your power supply is sufficient to power your system with the new GPU installed. A failing or insufficient power supply can cause all sorts of issues, including crashes and black screens. Make sure all power connections to your GPU are secure and properly seated.
2. Check your RAM: A faulty RAM module or incorrect RAM settings in your BIOS can cause crashes and instability. Use a tool like MemTest86 to check for errors in your RAM.
3. Check for malware or viruses: Malware and viruses can cause all sorts of issues, including crashes and instability. Use a reputable anti-virus program to scan your system.
4. Check for other software issues: Make sure your system is fully updated with the latest drivers and Windows updates. Use tools like CCleaner to clean up your system and remove any unnecessary files or registry entries.
5. Check for hardware issues: You may want to try testing your system with different hardware components to see if the issue persists. For example, try using a different power supply or RAM module, or try installing your GPU in a different system to see if it behaves the same way.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, you may want to consider taking your system to a professional for further diagnosis and repair.