PC rebooted on its own during a game and is now super laggy.

Understanding and Troubleshooting Unexpected PC Reboots and Performance Issues During Gaming

Experiencing unexpected system reboots and severe lag during gaming sessions can be frustrating and challenging to diagnose. If your PC unexpectedly reboots while playing a demanding game like Battlefield 6 Beta and subsequently exhibits intermittent severe lag, several underlying factors could be contributing to the problem. In this article, we’ll explore potential causes, interpret relevant event logs, and suggest troubleshooting steps to help you identify and resolve the issue.

Case Overview

A gamer reported that during a gameplay session, their PC froze, then rebooted without warning. Following this incident, the system became intermittently unusable due to severe lag, although at other times it maintains acceptable performance. The user provided system specifications:

Graphics Card: NVIDIA RTX 4080 Super
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D
Memory: 32GB RAM
Storage: 2TB NVMe SSD
Motherboard: ASUS PRIME B450M-K II

Additional notes include the use of ‘Secure Boot’ enabled in BIOS to run the game, and consideration of potential BIOS updates or motherboard compatibility issues.

Event Log Analysis

Two critical entries from the Windows Event Viewer were noted:

“Unable to load Pluton-Windows firmware. StatusCode: STATUS_SUCCESS, Reason: Failed to apply firmware.”
“IOMMU fault reporting has been initialized.”

The first log pertains to firmware related to Microsoft’s Pluton security module, which is typically used for hardware security features. This error may indicate an issue with firmware update or compatibility, especially relevant after enabling Secure Boot or BIOS modifications.

The second log indicates that Input-Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU) fault reporting has been initialized—this relates to hardware virtualization features and direct memory access handling, which could be implicated in hardware faults or driver conflicts.

Possible Causes and Troubleshooting Steps

Hardware Stability and Overheating
Thermal Management: Severe lag and reboots could result from overheating. Use hardware monitoring tools (e.g., HWMonitor, MSI Afterburner) to track CPU and GPU temperatures during gameplay.
Thermal Throttling: If temperatures are high, ensure proper airflow in your case, clean dust, and verify cooling solutions.
Power Supply and Hardware Integrity
Power Supply Capacity: An insufficient or failing power supply can cause unexpected reboots, especially with high-end GPUs like