Question PC restarts while gaming; PSU issue?

[airwalkrr]

My specs are in my signature. About two days ago my PC started to restart during gaming. I've only been playing Gloomhaven and Baldur's Gate 3. Here is what I have done so far:
Cleaned out dust with air in my whole case
Applied new arctic silver 5 thermal paste (it has been about 2 years)
Verified game files for both games on Steam
Turned off Steam Overlay
Updated .NET framework
Updated NVIDIA graphics drivers
Updated VC x64 and x86 (I think I only needed x86 with Skylake but I was not 100% positive)
Turned off overclocking by clearing CMOS; currently running at default BIOS settings
Run Windows Memory Diagnostic (no errors)
Used OCCT to stress test power (passed, no errors)
Run MemTest86 (passed) - wanted to double check memory

Any other diagnostics you would run?

I ran Baldur's Gate 3 for about an hour last night after completing MemTest86 and didn't have any restarts, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything because before doing most of the diagnostics/cleaning it had run for about two hours before restarting. When the system starts cold after being shut down for the night it seems to take longer. This sounds to me like a PSU issue, but I'm not sure since the OCCT stress test passed. I've run a stable overclock using the Game Boost button on the BIOS for about 15 months, so maybe there's some kind of degradation. My CPU usually runs around 64-68 C while gaming (I've rarely seen it climb above 70) and GPU runs a little hotter when playing new games on Ultra at 1080p (about 78 C) but rarely over 80 C.

I am plannng to upgrade my 980 Ti to a 4080 once they drop in price a bit so I can run new games at higher resolution without frame drops, so I might want a new PSU anyway and this is a good time for one with all the sales. Do you have any recommendations? When it comes to PSU I prefer quality over price. I was looking at something like this: https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-vertex-gx-1000/p/N82E16817320022 Is 1000W too much overhead for a 4080?

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Hey there,

Yes, issues like that typically point to a PSU problem. Only real thing to do is to swap it with a spare if you have it. If not bring to local repair store and ask them to swap it out for maybe 20£$€ or so.

 

[elderMat7]

You can check windows event viewer - Windows Logs > System and look for critical errors on the date your PC restarted. I'd guess the problem is the PSU and if not - GPU.

As for the upgrade - A 4080 is overkill for that CPU, it will bottleneck the card - you should either aim at 20 series cards or upgrade CPU+Motherboard for the 4080 to make sense

 

[airwalkrr]

Hey there,

Yes, issues like that typically point to a PSU problem. Only real thing to do is to swap it with a spare if you have it. If not bring to local repair store and ask them to swap it out for maybe 20£$€ or so.

Thank you for your reply. I do not have a spare with enough power. I'm fine with buying a new one, especially since there are sales right now.

 

[airwalkrr]

You can check windows event viewer - Windows Logs > System and look for critical errors on the date your PC restarted. I'd guess the problem is the PSU and if not - GPU.

As for the upgrade - A 4080 is overkill for that CPU, it will bottleneck the card - you should either aim at 20 series cards or upgrade CPU+Motherboard for the 4080 to make sense

Thank you for the reply. Here is the critical error from the last reboot. I don't understand enough to know what it means though. Do you have any idea?

Spoiler: Event Log Friendly View

-

System

- Provider [ Name] Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power [ Guid] {331c3b3a-2005-44c2-ac5e-77220c37d6b4}

EventID 41

Version 8

Level 1

Task 63

Opcode 0

Keywords 0x8000400000000002

- TimeCreated [ SystemTime] 2023-11-26T02:18:05.4665665Z

EventRecordID 72241

Correlation

- Execution [ ProcessID] 4 [ ThreadID] 8

Channel System

Computer desktop

- Security [ UserID] S-1-5-18

-

EventData

BugcheckCode

0

BugcheckParameter1

0x0

BugcheckParameter2

0x0

BugcheckParameter3

0x0

BugcheckParameter4

0x0

SleepInProgress

6

PowerButtonTimestamp

0

BootAppStatus

3221225684

Checkpoint

0

ConnectedStandbyInProgress

false

SystemSleepTransitionsToOn

1

CsEntryScenarioInstanceId

0

BugcheckInfoFromEFI

false

CheckpointStatus

0

CsEntryScenarioInstanceIdV2

0

LongPowerButtonPressDetected

false

Spoiler: Event Log XML View

- <Event xmlns="

http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event

">


- <System>


<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331c3b3a-2005-44c2-ac5e-77220c37d6b4}" />


<EventID>41</EventID>


<Version>8</Version>


<Level>1</Level>


<Task>63</Task>


<Opcode>0</Opcode>


<Keywords>0x8000400000000002</Keywords>


<TimeCreated SystemTime="2023-11-26T02:18:05.4665665Z" />


<EventRecordID>72241</EventRecordID>


<Correlation />


<Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />


<Channel>System</Channel>


<Computer>desktop</Computer>


<Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />


</System>


- <EventData>


<Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>


<Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>


<Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>


<Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>


<Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>


<Data Name="SleepInProgress">6</Data>


<Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>


<Data Name="BootAppStatus">3221225684</Data>


<Data Name="Checkpoint">0</Data>


<Data Name="ConnectedStandbyInProgress">false</Data>


<Data Name="SystemSleepTransitionsToOn">1</Data>


<Data Name="CsEntryScenarioInstanceId">0</Data>


<Data Name="BugcheckInfoFromEFI">false</Data>


<Data Name="CheckpointStatus">0</Data>


<Data Name="CsEntryScenarioInstanceIdV2">0</Data>


<Data Name="LongPowerButtonPressDetected">false</Data>


</EventData>


</Event>

There is also an error from an earlier reboot that says:

Performance power management features on processor 0 in group 0 are disabled due to a firmware problem. Check with the computer manufacturer for updated firmware.

And there are several others like it at the same timestamp, one for each processor (0 through 7). And there is a link at the bottom of the error that takes me to https://support.microsoft.com/en-US but that's not really any help unless I know what to search for. These 8 errors are accompanied by the following critical error:

The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Spoiler: Friendly View

-

System

- Provider [ Name] Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power [ Guid] {331c3b3a-2005-44c2-ac5e-77220c37d6b4}

EventID 41

Version 8

Level 1

Task 63

Opcode 0

Keywords 0x8000400000000002

- TimeCreated [ SystemTime] 2023-11-25T22:12:26.4923082Z

EventRecordID 71930

Correlation

- Execution [ ProcessID] 4 [ ThreadID] 8

Channel System

Computer desktop

- Security [ UserID] S-1-5-18

-

EventData

BugcheckCode

0

BugcheckParameter1

0x0

BugcheckParameter2

0x0

BugcheckParameter3

0x0

BugcheckParameter4

0x0

SleepInProgress

0

PowerButtonTimestamp

0

BootAppStatus

0

Checkpoint

0

ConnectedStandbyInProgress

false

SystemSleepTransitionsToOn

1

CsEntryScenarioInstanceId

0

BugcheckInfoFromEFI

false

CheckpointStatus

0

CsEntryScenarioInstanceIdV2

0

LongPowerButtonPressDetected

false

Spoiler: XML View

- <Event xmlns="

http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event

">


- <System>


<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331c3b3a-2005-44c2-ac5e-77220c37d6b4}" />


<EventID>41</EventID>


<Version>8</Version>


<Level>1</Level>


<Task>63</Task>


<Opcode>0</Opcode>


<Keywords>0x8000400000000002</Keywords>


<TimeCreated SystemTime="2023-11-25T22:12:26.4923082Z" />


<EventRecordID>71930</EventRecordID>


<Correlation />


<Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />


<Channel>System</Channel>


<Computer>desktop</Computer>


<Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />


</System>


- <EventData>


<Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>


<Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>


<Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>


<Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>


<Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>


<Data Name="SleepInProgress">0</Data>


<Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>


<Data Name="BootAppStatus">0</Data>


<Data Name="Checkpoint">0</Data>


<Data Name="ConnectedStandbyInProgress">false</Data>


<Data Name="SystemSleepTransitionsToOn">1</Data>


<Data Name="CsEntryScenarioInstanceId">0</Data>


<Data Name="BugcheckInfoFromEFI">false</Data>


<Data Name="CheckpointStatus">0</Data>


<Data Name="CsEntryScenarioInstanceIdV2">0</Data>


<Data Name="LongPowerButtonPressDetected">false</Data>


</EventData>


</Event>

The phrase "lost power unexpectedly" leads me to believe PSU might be the culprit, but the vagueness of "system stopped responding, crashed" leaves me unsure.

Thank you for any help.

 

[elderMat7]

Yeah, the event viewer is of little help usually (about the error details - the error code matters in this case - 41 Kernel power) - but best guess is that the PSU is the culprit. First you gotta decide what you are going to be upgrading to, if you get just a 4080 for your current build, you won't need 1000W but as I said you are not going to be satisfied with the results(bottleneck).

 

[airwalkrr]

Yeah, the event viewer is of little help usually (about the error details - the error code matters in this case - 41 Kernel power) - but best guess is that the PSU is the culprit. First you gotta decide what you are going to be upgrading to, if you get just a 4080 for your current build, you won't need 1000W but as I said you are not going to be satisfied with the results(bottleneck).

Thanks for advice. I bought a new EVGA SuperNOVA 850 GT on sale and found a decent deal on an RX 6700 XT which should tide me over until I'm ready to upgrade the mb+cpu. You made me rethink the over-upgrade on the GPU and another poster talked me into reconsidering AMD. I appreciate the help!