Diagnosing a Mysterious PC Shutdown: My Gamer’s Dilemma

Every gamer dreads the moment when their reliable rig suddenly gives up amidst an intense gaming session. This is precisely what happened to me while I was deeply engrossed in a 40-man raid in World of Warcraft Classic. The screen went black without any warning, and my gaming world came crashing down. Now, I’m on a quest to figure out what went wrong with my PC, and your insights could be invaluable.

The Setup

For some context, here’s a quick overview of my system specifications:

• CPU: Ryzen 7 3700X (recently upgraded, used)
• GPU: RTX 2070 (Inno3D TwinX2, 1.5 years old)
• Motherboard: MSI B450 Pro Max (2 years old)
• RAM: 32GB DDR4
• Old PSU: 600W
• New PSU: 750W

Despite running WoW Classic—an older title that isn’t particularly demanding—the strain of combat animations and multiple players on screen may have pushed my GPU to its limits.

The Troubleshooting Journey

When my PC went dark, my first thought was to check the power source. I confirmed that other devices plugged into the same socket were still operational, which made me suspect the power supply unit (PSU). Given that my previous PSU had served me faithfully for over six years, it seemed logical to replace it. Upon connecting the new 750W PSU, the fans whirred to life; however, when I tried to boot the system, absolutely nothing happened.

After disconnecting the graphics card and only connecting the motherboard and CPU, the fans were responsive again. This led me to believe that the graphics card could be the culprit. Upon further experimentation, I confirmed my suspicions—the GPU, when connected, appeared to prevent the system from powering on at all. Forcing me to rethink everything, I booted my PC with an old GT 9800 lying around, and miraculously, it sprang back to life.

The Current Situation

At this point, it seems clear that my GPU may be the issue, particularly since it behaved identically when tested in a neighbor’s similar setup—no lights, no signals, and no signs of life. Conceivably, it appears that the graphics card could be shorting out the entire system when connected.

I still hold out