Question System randomly restarting and starting at shorter intervals

[trepvox]

So starting Saturday night, my pc randomly crashed/reset. Dove into the event logs and noticed that it was throwing the critical warning of Windows-Kernel-Power. Bought a new PSU that is an upgrade in power and quality than what I had and installed it along with all new cables connecting everything to it. This didn't fix the issue, so I reformatted everything and installed a fresh version of Windows 10, still didn't fix anything. Updated the drivers, didn't fix anything. Took the entire pc part and reassembled it thinking it was maybe a bad connection somewhere, still no luck. Ran some tests on the Ram and SSD's, both of which passed no problem.

It's very difficult to work on with it crashing every 3-5 minutes, if it even boots up all the way before it crashes again. I am just at a loss of what to do about this short of dropping big money on a new parts again because the machine is not even a year old now. Anyone have some tips or direction for what to do next?

BIOS version: 4408
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 3.7 GHz 12-Core Processor
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: Two Corsair Vengeance LPX 8 GB DDR4-300 CL15 Memory
SSD: 2 SanDisk SSD PLUS 1TB
Video Card: Asus Dual GeForce RTX 3060 V2 OC Edition 12GB
PSU: Corsair HX1000i ATX Power Supply 80 + Platinum Efficiency
(old PSU was Corsair RM650x 80+ Gold)


Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
Date: 1/10/2024 10:43:05 AM
Event ID: 41
Task Category: (63)
Level: Critical
Keywords: (70368744177664),(2)
User: SYSTEM
Computer: DESKTOP
Description:The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first.
This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.
<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="2024-01-10T15:43:05.5423058Z" />
<EventRecordID>1286</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>

 

[Ralston18]

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

Try a new CMOS battery as a matter of elimination.

Will the system boot into Safe Mode and remain stable?

Look in Reliability History/Monitor. Much more end user friendly and may reveal some pattern.

Possibly some file corruption occurred.

Try to run "dism" and "sfc /scannow" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-dism-command-line-utility-repair-windows-10-image

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-use-sfc-scannow-to-repair-windows-system-files-2626161

 

[Darkbreeze]

Full hardware specs including exact model of old and new PSUs?

Motherboard BIOS version?

Have you gone to the product page for your motherboard and downloaded, then installed, the latest chipset, network adapter and audio controller drivers? And I don't mean "yeah, drivers are up to date" because you used Windows update or some third party driver updater. I mean installed the latest motherboard manufacturer supplied drivers.

Does it crash only when running certain programs or is it random no matter what you are running it still happens?

 

[trepvox]

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

Try a new CMOS battery as a matter of elimination.

Will the system boot into Safe Mode and remain stable?

Look in Reliability History/Monitor. Much more end user friendly and may reveal some pattern.

Possibly some file corruption occurred.

Try to run "dism" and "sfc /scannow" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-dism-command-line-utility-repair-windows-10-image

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-use-sfc-scannow-to-repair-windows-system-files-2626161

Updated with pc spec, and it can run in safe mode but will still crash/restart. I'll try doing all the other things you mentioned next though!

 

[trepvox]

Full hardware specs including exact model of old and new PSUs?

Motherboard BIOS version?

Have you gone to the product page for your motherboard and downloaded, then installed, the latest chipset, network adapter and audio controller drivers? And I don't mean "yeah, drivers are up to date" because you used Windows update or some third party driver updater. I mean installed the latest motherboard manufacturer supplied drivers.

Does it crash only when running certain programs or is it random no matter what you are running it still happens?

It crashes no matter what. It crashes sometimes just trying to boot up at the screen to get into your BiOS even sometimes. I have downloaded the update for the BIOS but my PC is crashing/restarting. I'll keep trying though, MOBO version 4408. And updated the post to contain all of the info, thank you for pointing it out as I am still new to this.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Well, I'd certainly recommend updating the BIOS to at least version 4802, and if you update to any version newer than that please be sure to research how to backup your bitlocker key if necessary and do that. For updates up to version 4802 it is not necessary as no changes to the fTPM module are included.

I would not however recommend doing that so long as you are having crashes that occur just trying to get into the BIOS as that's a recipe for a bricked board. Something else is going on if you can't even get into the BIOS without it crashing.

Was this system running fine previously and suddenly isn't or has it never run correctly? Any recent hardware changes besides the PSU?

What is the actual model of your memory kit?

Which DIMM slots are your memory installed in?

If you have not, I would try running only one stick of memory, in the A2 slot. If nothing changes swap it for the other stick.

If that does nothing, still leave just the one stick installed and remove or completely disconnect your SSDs including both data and power cables for SATA models. Totally remove from the board for M.2 drives. Try it again.

Do you own or have access to a different graphics card?

 

[trepvox]

Well, I'd certainly recommend updating the BIOS to at least version 4802, and if you update to any version newer than that please be sure to research how to backup your bitlocker key if necessary and do that. For updates up to version 4802 it is not necessary as no changes to the fTPM module are included.

I would not however recommend doing that so long as you are having crashes that occur just trying to get into the BIOS as that's a recipe for a bricked board. Something else is going on if you can't even get into the BIOS without it crashing.

Was this system running fine previously and suddenly isn't or has it never run correctly? Any recent hardware changes besides the PSU?

What is the actual model of your memory kit?

Which DIMM slots are your memory installed in?

If you have not, I would try running only one stick of memory, in the A2 slot. If nothing changes swap it for the other stick.

If that does nothing, still leave just the one stick installed and remove or completely disconnect your SSDs including both data and power cables for SATA models. Totally remove from the board for M.2 drives. Try it again.

Do you own or have access to a different graphics card?

No, none new hardware changes at all since I installed motherboard and CPU last summer.

Model number on the Memroy is ‎CMK16GX4M4B3000C15

They are plugged into slots 2 and 4 because the heatsync fan covers up for first slot.

I do not have access to another GPU to use for troubleshooting unfortunately.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Slots 2 and 4 are the correct slots anyhow for two DIMM population. That is ALWAYS the case on any consumer chipset board since basically DDR type memory became a thing, so like at least the last fifteen years on any board with four DIMM slots.

The memory kit model you listed does not coincide with the description you posted above though showing two 8GB DIMMs. That model you posted is a 4 x4GB kit. So is the model correct and you have four DIMMs or is that the wrong model and you have two 8GB DIMMs?

 

[trepvox]

Slots 2 and 4 are the correct slots anyhow for two DIMM population. That is ALWAYS the case on any consumer chipset board since basically DDR type memory became a thing, so like at least the last fifteen years on any board with four DIMM slots.

The memory kit model you listed does not coincide with the description you posted above though showing two 8GB DIMMs. That model you posted is a 4 x4GB kit. So is the model correct and you have four DIMMs or is that the wrong model and you have two 8GB DIMMs?

That's strange cause I took the ram sticks out to read them for that. No, it's indeed two 8 gb sticks.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Well, something is not right because this is the kit model you posted and it IS a 4 x4GB kit. And, there are exactly ZERO 4 x4GB kits that Corsair shows as compatible with that board on it's memory finder compatibility utility.

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/p/mem...00mhz-c15-memory-kit-black-cmk16gx4m4b3000c15

 

[trepvox]

Well, something is not right because this is the kit model you posted and it IS a 4 x4GB kit. And, there are exactly ZERO 4 x4GB kits that Corsair shows as compatible with that board on it's memory finder compatibility utility.

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/p/mem...00mhz-c15-memory-kit-black-cmk16gx4m4b3000c15

I dove back into my purchase history from when I bought the cards and got the listing of this instead off of amazon bought from Corsair's store on there. CMK16GX4M2B3000C15, a single letter off I guess so maybe they broke up what was a 4 pack and sold me a two pack? Or I just misread but i really tried to be careful not to mess it up.

 

[Darkbreeze]

No, they couldn't have, because the other model was a 4 times FOUR GIG kit, and yours are 8GB DIMMs. You can't get 8GB DIMMs out of a kit that came with 4GB DIMMs.

Your kit however IS compatible with your motherboard based on the Corsair memory finder utility, which means, it is.

SO, moving on. When you did a "fresh install" of Windows, how, exactly, did you do that. Did you do a CLEAN install, deleting ALL existing partitions on the target drive when you installed Windows, and then letting Windows create all necessary partitions and perform all necessary formatting, or did you do some other method such as restore from backup, system restore, refresh, reset, etc.? Or use some third party boot loader like Rufus? And did you disconnect all other drives while you did the installation, except the source drive and the target drive?

As follows?

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

If so, then having done a clean install, having replaced the power supply, having memory that is verified compatible and testing the drives, it's time to start looking further. You mentioned having tested the memory. Did you run Memtest86 AND did you run it for FOUR full passes of all 11 tests?

Memtest86​

Go to the Passmark software website and download the USB Memtest86 free version. You can do the optical disk version too if for some reason you cannot use a bootable USB flash drive.


Create bootable media using the downloaded Memtest86. Once you have done that, go into your BIOS and configure the system to boot to the USB drive that contains the Memtest86 USB media or the optical drive if using that option.


You CAN use Memtest86+, as they've recently updated the program after MANY years of no updates, but for the purpose of this guide I recommend using the Passmark version as this is a tried and true utility while I've not had the opportunity to investigate the reliability of the latest 86+ release as compared to Memtest86. Possibly, consider using Memtest86+ as simply a secondary test to Memtest86, much as Windows memory diagnostic utility and Prime95 Blend or custom modes can be used for a second opinion utility.

Click here to download Memtest86 USB package​

Create a bootable USB Flash drive:

1. Download the Windows MemTest86 USB image.

2. Right click on the downloaded file and select the "Extract to Here" option. This places the USB image and imaging tool into the current folder.

3. Run the included imageUSB tool, it should already have the image file selected and you just need to choose which connected USB drive to turn into a bootable drive. Note that this will erase all data on the drive.


No memory should ever fail to pass Memtest86 when it is at the default configuration that the system sets it at when you start out or do a clear CMOS by removing the CMOS battery for five minutes.

Best method for testing memory is to first run four passes of Memtest86, all 11 tests, WITH the memory at the default configuration. This should be done BEFORE setting the memory to the XMP profile settings. The paid version has 13 tests but the free version only has tests 1-10 and test 13. So run full passes of all 11 tests. Be sure to download the latest version of Memtest86. Memtest86+ has not been updated in MANY years. It is NO-WISE as good as regular Memtest86 from Passmark software.

If there are ANY errors, at all, then the memory configuration is not stable. Bumping the DRAM voltage up slightly may resolve that OR you may need to make adjustments to the primary timings. There are very few secondary or tertiary timings that should be altered. I can tell you about those if you are trying to tighten your memory timings.

If you cannot pass Memtest86 with the memory at the XMP configuration settings then I would recommend restoring the memory to the default JEDEC SPD of 1333/2133mhz (Depending on your platform and memory type) with everything left on the auto/default configuration and running Memtest86 over again. If it completes the four full passes without error you can try again with the XMP settings but first try bumping the DRAM voltage up once again by whatever small increment the motherboard will allow you to increase it by. If it passes, great, move on to the Prime95 testing.

If it still fails, try once again bumping the voltage if you are still within the maximum allowable voltage for your memory type and test again. If it still fails, you are likely going to need more advanced help with configuring your primary timings and should return the memory to the default configuration until you can sort it out.

If the memory will not pass Memtest86 for four passes when it IS at the stock default non-XMP configuration, even after a minor bump in voltage, then there is likely something physically wrong with one or more of the memory modules and I'd recommend running Memtest on each individual module, separately, to determine which module is causing the issue. If you find a single module that is faulty you should contact the seller or the memory manufacturer and have them replace the memory as a SET. Memory comes matched for a reason as I made clear earlier and if you let them replace only one module rather than the entire set you are back to using unmatched memory which is an open door for problems with incompatible memory.

Be aware that you SHOULD run Memtest86 to test the memory at the default, non-XMP, non-custom profile settings BEFORE ever making any changes to the memory configuration so that you will know if the problem is a setting or is a physical problem with the memory.