Understanding Sudden PC Shutdowns During Specific Gaming Sessions: A Technical Overview
Introduction
Experiencing unexpected shutdowns while gaming can be both frustrating and concerning. Such issues may stem from a variety of hardware or software factors. This article aims to analyze a real-world scenario of a gaming PC that shuts down unexpectedly when launching certain titles, explore potential causes, and suggest troubleshooting steps to resolve the problem effectively.
Scenario Overview
The user reports experiencing abrupt, unanticipated shutdowns of their custom-built gaming PC when launching specific games, notably “Dead by Daylight” and “Into The Radius 2.” The shutdowns occur without warning, blue screens, or error messages, directly shutting down the system. The problem persists across different games that share common elements, such as being built on the Unreal Engine.
System Specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i3-13100F
- GPU: XFX Speedster 6650 XT
- Motherboard: ASRock B660M PRO RS
- RAM: 4 x 8GB DDR4-3200 (TeamForce)
- Power Supply: MSI A650GL
- Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
- Cooling: Temperatures typically around 75-80°C for CPU and GPU
- Maintenance: CPU re-pasted and dust cleaned
Initial Troubleshooting Attempts
The user has undertaken several troubleshooting measures, including:
- Verifying and repairing game files
- Reinstalling the affected games
- Deleting anti-cheat folders
- Performing a factory reset of the operating system
- Monitoring temperatures to ensure they are within acceptable ranges
Despite these efforts, the crashes persisted, suggesting that the root cause may be related to hardware configurations or system settings rather than software corruption.
Potential Causes and Analysis
- Power Supply and Thermal Management
While the PSU appears adequately rated, sudden shutdowns under gaming load could indicate power stability issues. Gaming, especially with demanding titles, increases system power draw, which may expose PSU weaknesses. Additionally, high temperatures, even if within designed limits, can trigger thermal shutdowns to protect components.
- CPU Power States and BIOS Settings
An important clue emerges from the recent observation that disabling C-States (CPU idle states) temporarily resolved the issue. C-States are advanced power-saving features that reduce CPU power consumption during idle periods but can sometimes cause instability, particularly if BIOS configurations or motherboard firmware are not optimized or if certain hardware components do not fully support these states.
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