GPU issues after my screen went black, vents revved up and did a restart

Understanding GPU Performance Fluctuations and Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you’re experiencing unexpected GPU behavior, such as screen blackouts, increased fan speeds, or hardware misidentification, it can be concerning—especially during gaming sessions. Recently, some users have reported encountering such issues, which we’ll explore in this article, along with effective troubleshooting steps.

Case Study: GPU Irregularities During Gaming

A typical scenario involved a user gaming casually (for example, in World of Tanks) when suddenly, the display went black, and the system’s vents spun up significantly. Following a forced reboot, the PC struggled to boot properly. After opening and adjusting BIOS settings, the system initially loaded correctly. However, subsequent Windows updates appeared to introduce further complications.

It was observed that the graphics card, a high-end Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, was being recognized inconsistently—initially showing as a standard RTX 3080 with 10GB of VRAM, rather than the expected 12GB. This discrepancy raised questions about driver compatibility and system stability.

Investigation and Troubleshooting

Check Windows Version Compatibility
The affected system was running Windows 10, version 22H2. Ensuring your OS is fully updated can help resolve compatibility issues with drivers and hardware.
Verify Graphics Driver Version
The user had installed the latest Nvidia driver (released August 19). Reverting to a previous stable driver version (e.g., the July 31 release for the RTX 3080 Ti) was attempted, but the VRAM reporting issue persisted.
This suggests that driver version alone may not resolve the problem, especially if Windows updates or system issues interfere.
Monitor Hardware and System Events
The appearance of Event ID 41 (Kernel Power) indicates unexpected shutdowns or power state transitions, which can cause hardware recognition problems or system instability.
Perform Hardware Diagnostics
Run stress tests and hardware monitoring tools (such as GPU-Z, HWMonitor, or MSI Afterburner) to check GPU temperatures, voltages, and clock speeds.
Assess power supply unit (PSU) integrity and connections, as insufficient or unstable power delivery can cause GPU issues and system crashes.
Update or Roll Back System Software
Keep all system drivers and BIOS firmware up to date.
If issues began after a specific Windows update, consider temporarily rolling back or delaying updates until compatibility is