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[SOLVED] Need help diagnosing a gaming problem

Nov 7, 2020
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Purchased a premade gaming computer in July 2020 specs below:
ProcessorIntel® Core™ i7-9700KF Processor (8x 3.60GHz/12MB L3 Cache)
Processor Cooling120mm RGB Liquid Cooling System
Memory16GB [8GB x 2] DDR4-3200MHz ADATA XPG SPECTRIX D41 RGB
Video CardGeForce RTX 2070 SUPER - 8GB GDDR6 (VR Ready)
Storage1TB Intel 665P M.2 NVMe SSD
MotherboardASRock Z390 PHANTOM GAMING 4-IB w/ WiFi
Power Supply650 Watt - HIGH POWER 80 PLUS Gold
Internal Wireless NetworkPCIe or On-Board Wireless Network
Operating SystemWindows 10 Home


Started having problems in September with lock ups happening while playing games. Interestingly, I only experience lock ups when playing games I have downloaded after September, and have never experienced them in the games I had on my computer before. I describe the lock ups and my attempts to diagnose so far:

  • The lock ups present as a frozen screen and a loud tone coming through the speakers. The computer requires a hard restart, I cannot input any commands unless I shut it down.
  • They occur anywhere between 10 minutes and 3 hours of playing the game. They happen during CPU/ GPU intensive moments, loading screens, and during idle time where nothing stressful is occurring.
  • The specific games they occur on are Battlefront II and Vermintide II (all purchased after Sept 2020).
  • Games downloaded before Sept 2020 (RDR2, Total War 3K and Warhammer 2, Elite Dangerous, NMS, Bannerlord) have never experienced a lock up.

My work-up so far:
  • I have updated GPU and audio drivers
  • I have run Prime95 and FurMark to stress my CPU/ GPU without issue.
  • I turned up my fans to run faster at lower temps
  • I have run Windows memory diagnostic and Seatools for my memory and HD which appeared clean
  • I had a third party run a hardware diagnostic tool which was unrevealing
  • I have done a factory reset on my PC to try to rule out a drivers issue
I am unsure what to do next other than an RMA (which I have the opportunity to do but would like to avoid). I am presenting this to hopefully get some input from people who are (much) more knowledgeable about this than I am. I appreciate any advice/ solutions.
 
Solution
Solution