PC Shuts Down/Reboots While Playing Apex Legends (12700KF + B760-I Build) — Need Help Diagnosing

Understanding and Troubleshooting Unexpected PC Reboots During Gaming: A Case Study with an Intel Core i7-12700KF Build

Introduction

Experiencing unexpected shutdowns or reboots while gaming can be a distressing issue for PC enthusiasts and gamers alike. Such problems not only interrupt gameplay but may also indicate underlying hardware or configuration issues that require careful diagnosis. In this article, we examine a specific case involving a high-performance gaming PC experiencing spontaneous reboots during Apex Legends and other activities, and discuss potential causes and troubleshooting steps.

System Overview

The user’s PC configuration is as follows:

Processor: Intel Core i7-12700KF
Graphics Card: NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B760-I (Mini-ITX)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance DDR5, 32GB
Storage: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB SSD
Power Supply Unit (PSU): Corsair 750W Gold (model specifics unspecified)
Cooling Solution: Corsair Nautilus 240 (liquid cooling)
Case: Mini-ITX with adequate airflow

Observed Symptoms

The primary issue reported involves the PC abruptly shutting down and rebooting while playing Apex Legends. The reboots are characterized by:

A brief freeze of 2-5 seconds before shutdown
A sudden power cut resembling a plug pull
No preceding bluescreen; audio continues during freeze
Occasional reboots during non-gaming tasks, such as browsing

Initial Hypotheses and Considerations

Given the symptoms and system specifications, several potential causes can be considered:

Power Delivery Issues:
Mini-ITX motherboards often have more limited power phasing and VRM capacity. An unstable power delivery can cause shutdowns under load, especially during gaming when GPU and CPU workloads spike.
Overheating:
While temperatures are reported to be within 80-85°C during stress testing, temperature-related shutdowns typically involve thermal throttling or system alarms. Sudden reboots without warnings may suggest other issues, but overheating should still be verified.
Power Supply Problems:
Despite a 750W Gold-rated PSU, it’s important to ensure it is functioning correctly. PSU faults, even with adequate wattage, can cause system instability and reboots.
Software or Driver Conflicts:
Faulty