Hello,
In January I upgraded my PC, replacing the processor with a Ryzen 5 5600X and the GPU with a GeForce 3060.
Since then, I've experienced intermittent shutdowns, seemingly at random. The PC does not need to be under load or stress; they are as likely to occur when I am using MS Word as they are when I am gaming. The frequency seems to vary--sometimes it happens every two weeks, sometimes twice in a day.
When the shutdowns occur, I lose video signal and my speakers kick off (you can hear the pop). But power continues to flow to the monitor. My PC tower actually stays lit up, and to reboot, I cannot use the case power switch--I have to use the switch on the rear of the PSU.
Eventually I noticed that when this happens, the CPU EZ-Debug light on the motherboard flips on. The PC posts without issues. The debug light only comes on after a crash and goes away with reboot. I can't find any suspicious events in Windows Event viewer, just ones saying an unexpected shutdown occurred.
I've tried a lot of things over the last nine months and am about at my wit's end. If I can't resolve this soon, eventually I am going to end up replacing every part of this machine like the Ship of Theseus. Below is a list of things I have tried and the hardware list for the PC; any advice or insight genuinely appreciated. If I don't isolate the cause soon, my next steps might be to buy an UPS (sometimes the lights in my office flicker; it's a 112 year old house we bought a year ago) or even to upgrade the Motherboard. If it's the GPU I might swear off computers and go live in the woods.
The original PC build was in 2018, so five years ago now. The parts list is the current build; as noted below, several of these parts are replacements from my previous efforts to resolve the issue.
Parts List:
- MSI B350 PCMate Motherboard
- Ryzen 5 5600X processor
- NVidia GeForce RTX 3060
- CORSAIR RM650 650 W ATX 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Power Supply
- G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin SDRAM DDR4 3600
- fenvi FV-AX3000 WiFi 6 PCI-E 3000Mbps Bluetooth 5.1 Wifi Adapter Intel AX200 Wi-fi6 Card Wireless PCI Express
- WDC 100T2BOA-00SM50 1TB SDD
- Hitachi HUA721010KLA330 1TB HDD
- Large Acer gaming monitor (this is new; crashes started with previous monitor)
- Lots of USB peripherals (mouse, keyboard, webcam, speakers, cell phone charger, right light for video calls; also plugged into the same circuit are two small lamps)
I have:
- Updated the BIOS to the latest version, 7A34vAN6(Beta version); I am not sure what the old version was, but it may well have been the launch version (A.0) as this was my first M-Flash
- Performed a clean Windows install and upgraded to Windows 11
- Updated all drivers, including especially the GPU driver
- Performed a Malware scan
- Installed temperature monitoring software, replaced thermal paste, reseated processor and cooler. Temperatures did fall, but crashes continue. Temps are often below 60C when crashes occur.
- Undervolted the CPU, which helped a lot with some initially high temps but did not stop the crashes
- Installed fan control software and set a more aggressive fan curve
- Fully replaced the CPU with a second Ryzen 5 5600x, which did not help
- Fully replaced the RAM with a kit of two 16gb sticks (instead of a 4-4-8 setup from two manufacturers)
- Scanned previously installed RAM for errors with Memtest
- Scanned the SDD and HDD for errors (the HDD does have 7 reallocated sectors, probably from all the shutdowns, but does not hold my Windows system files; storage only)
- Replaced the PSU with one that is gold-certified instead of bronze, and with higher wattage; replaced all power cables during that process
- Plugged PC directly into wall outlet instead of power strip (Due to the set up of the room, lots of devices are plugged into the same outlet, unfortunately)
- Re-seated the GPU
- Checked connection of CPU and motherboard power cables
- Cleaned any dust out of the case
- Looked for any pattern before a crash in Windows Event viewer, didn't find anything
- Installed HWiNFO64 for better monitoring reports, to see if any indicators look weird right before a crash (did this recently, no findings yet)
Like I said: at my wit's end and out hundreds of dollars trying to fix this. Any insights appreciated. Thank you!
In January I upgraded my PC, replacing the processor with a Ryzen 5 5600X and the GPU with a GeForce 3060.
Since then, I've experienced intermittent shutdowns, seemingly at random. The PC does not need to be under load or stress; they are as likely to occur when I am using MS Word as they are when I am gaming. The frequency seems to vary--sometimes it happens every two weeks, sometimes twice in a day.
When the shutdowns occur, I lose video signal and my speakers kick off (you can hear the pop). But power continues to flow to the monitor. My PC tower actually stays lit up, and to reboot, I cannot use the case power switch--I have to use the switch on the rear of the PSU.
Eventually I noticed that when this happens, the CPU EZ-Debug light on the motherboard flips on. The PC posts without issues. The debug light only comes on after a crash and goes away with reboot. I can't find any suspicious events in Windows Event viewer, just ones saying an unexpected shutdown occurred.
I've tried a lot of things over the last nine months and am about at my wit's end. If I can't resolve this soon, eventually I am going to end up replacing every part of this machine like the Ship of Theseus. Below is a list of things I have tried and the hardware list for the PC; any advice or insight genuinely appreciated. If I don't isolate the cause soon, my next steps might be to buy an UPS (sometimes the lights in my office flicker; it's a 112 year old house we bought a year ago) or even to upgrade the Motherboard. If it's the GPU I might swear off computers and go live in the woods.
The original PC build was in 2018, so five years ago now. The parts list is the current build; as noted below, several of these parts are replacements from my previous efforts to resolve the issue.
Parts List:
- MSI B350 PCMate Motherboard
- Ryzen 5 5600X processor
- NVidia GeForce RTX 3060
- CORSAIR RM650 650 W ATX 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Power Supply
- G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin SDRAM DDR4 3600
- fenvi FV-AX3000 WiFi 6 PCI-E 3000Mbps Bluetooth 5.1 Wifi Adapter Intel AX200 Wi-fi6 Card Wireless PCI Express
- WDC 100T2BOA-00SM50 1TB SDD
- Hitachi HUA721010KLA330 1TB HDD
- Large Acer gaming monitor (this is new; crashes started with previous monitor)
- Lots of USB peripherals (mouse, keyboard, webcam, speakers, cell phone charger, right light for video calls; also plugged into the same circuit are two small lamps)
I have:
- Updated the BIOS to the latest version, 7A34vAN6(Beta version); I am not sure what the old version was, but it may well have been the launch version (A.0) as this was my first M-Flash
- Performed a clean Windows install and upgraded to Windows 11
- Updated all drivers, including especially the GPU driver
- Performed a Malware scan
- Installed temperature monitoring software, replaced thermal paste, reseated processor and cooler. Temperatures did fall, but crashes continue. Temps are often below 60C when crashes occur.
- Undervolted the CPU, which helped a lot with some initially high temps but did not stop the crashes
- Installed fan control software and set a more aggressive fan curve
- Fully replaced the CPU with a second Ryzen 5 5600x, which did not help
- Fully replaced the RAM with a kit of two 16gb sticks (instead of a 4-4-8 setup from two manufacturers)
- Scanned previously installed RAM for errors with Memtest
- Scanned the SDD and HDD for errors (the HDD does have 7 reallocated sectors, probably from all the shutdowns, but does not hold my Windows system files; storage only)
- Replaced the PSU with one that is gold-certified instead of bronze, and with higher wattage; replaced all power cables during that process
- Plugged PC directly into wall outlet instead of power strip (Due to the set up of the room, lots of devices are plugged into the same outlet, unfortunately)
- Re-seated the GPU
- Checked connection of CPU and motherboard power cables
- Cleaned any dust out of the case
- Looked for any pattern before a crash in Windows Event viewer, didn't find anything
- Installed HWiNFO64 for better monitoring reports, to see if any indicators look weird right before a crash (did this recently, no findings yet)
Like I said: at my wit's end and out hundreds of dollars trying to fix this. Any insights appreciated. Thank you!
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