Question Troubleshooting Random Hard System Freezes for Months

[Jorvis]

I'm having random hard freezes where the system completely locks & is unresponsive (last second of audio will usually stutter endlessly). Image will be frozen on screen most of the time, sometimes distorted, last time it went entirely grey. Hard reset is only option. It will happen at complete random even with light computer use (browser, media player, etc). Sometimes a couple days goes by before freezing, sometimes a week or two without any freezing. Longest was two months. Because there's no BSOD, I have no direct error codes. A couple errors in event viewer I've had around the time of freezing are:

- The cplspcon service terminated with the following error: unspecified error
- The Secure Boot update failed to update a Secure Boot variable with error Secure Boot is not enabled on this machine. (I've since enabled secure boot in BIOS, I will see if freeze occurs)

The last two freezes have another error on the same day in reliability manager (one shortly before the freeze, one shortly after): Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update with error 0x80073D02: 9NTXGKQ8P7N0-MicrosoftWindows.CrossDevice.

I have tried:

- Disabling XMP
- Updating BIOS
- Updating/reinstalling various drivers including GPU
- MemTest86 (passed several times)
- Various stress tests on the CPU & GPU (no crashes)
- SFC Scan & DISM
- Cleaned computer

I noticed the freezing was more frequent when I had a second SSD installed. After removing that one I was able to go two months before the freeze happened again. With both SSD's the longest I got was a week. Does this point to PSU not supplying enough power? I have a 550 watt PSU & have read mixed things about the wattage required for RX Vega 64. Some people say that GPU needs 650 or 750 watts. What I don't understand then is, why am I able to put heavy loads & higher temperatures on my GPU/CPU without issue for hours at a time but then my system hard freezes randomly while doing something light or even idling while I'm away?

I bought the system from a reputable local PC builder about a year ago. I think the age of the PSU is at least five years judging by the review dates for it.

Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B360-F ATX
CPU: Intel Core i5 9400
GPU: MSI AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB HBM2
RAM: 16GB (2x8GB) Corsair LPX DDR4 3200MHz, running at 2666 due to CPU limit
SSD: 1TB Teamgroup MP44L M.2 NVME
Case: Deepcool CC560 Mid-tower case
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AG400
Power Supply: Corsair RM550X 550W 80+ Gold
OS: Windows 11 Home

 

[Lutfij]

Some people say that GPU needs 650 or 750 watts.
Yes, AMD cards did draw in more power than it's Nvidia counter part.

GPU: MSI AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB HBM2
+
Power Supply: Corsair RM550X 550W 80+ Gold
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-rx-vega-64.c2871
How old is your PSU in your build and what did it power during it's tenure?

I think the age of the PSU is at least five years judging by the review dates for it.
or did you buy this PSU second hand?

Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B360-F ATX
+
Updating BIOS
What BIOS version are you on and did you clear the CMOS after verifying the BIOS was successfully flashed to the latest version.

Use DDU to remove all GPU drivers(Intel, Nvidia and AMD) in Safe Mode, then manually reinstall with the latest GPU driver sourced from AMD's support site in an elevated command.

 

[Jorvis]

Some people say that GPU needs 650 or 750 watts.
Yes, AMD cards did draw in more power than it's Nvidia counter part.

GPU: MSI AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB HBM2
+
Power Supply: Corsair RM550X 550W 80+ Gold
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-rx-vega-64.c2871
How old is your PSU in your build and what did it power during it's tenure?

I think the age of the PSU is at least five years judging by the review dates for it.
or did you buy this PSU second hand?

Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B360-F ATX
+
Updating BIOS
What BIOS version are you on and did you clear the CMOS after verifying the BIOS was successfully flashed to the latest version.

Use DDU to remove all GPU drivers(Intel, Nvidia and AMD) in Safe Mode, then manually reinstall with the latest GPU driver sourced from AMD's support site in an elevated command.

The PSU was included from the person who sold me this system. He said it was used. The motherboard was also used & they are the two components I'm suspecting now.

I am on the latest BIOS. I did not clear the CMOS but I stopped suspecting the BIOS because the problem remained unchanged before & after flashing the latest.

I have removed my AMD & onboard Intel graphics with DDU & reinstalled the latest, but it didn't change anything. My system has hard freezed once a week for the last 3 weeks now. I just experienced another one this evening.