Why does my PC crash while playing games?

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JeremyLall

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Jun 11, 2013
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This problem has been occurring ever since I bought a new graphics card. I upgraded from a Radeon HD 6950 2GB to a Radeon HD 7970 3GB. What really happens is I'd play 10 minutes into a game, then the game would crash. After the game crashes, Windows 8 would crash, displaying a pure red screen. This causes my computer to restart. This only occurs while playing games, I can watch movies and do regular computing without a problem. I'm not sure if it is a temperature problem (I've already tried increasing the fan speed) or compatibility problem between the GPU and the motherboard, or even with the cpu. I've tried Windows 7 and I'd keep getting the blue screen of death instead of the red screen. Please help.

My specs:
CPU: Intel i7 2600k
GPU: XFX Double D Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB
Motherboard: Asus p8z68-v lx
Ram: 8GB

By the way, I've noticed that people who have the same problem as me have the same cpu and gpu. I've already returned the gpu and have received a replacement, but the problem still continues. Any ideas as to what is happening can really help a lot.
 
Solution
jerreece
My bit of advice on PSUs would be this. Don't go for bare minimum. If your video card says 600w minimum, don't buy a 600w PSU. If your system draws close to the max that the PSU can handle it'll wear out faster. And if you upgrade any time you might have to replace your PSU again (which means you spent more money than needed).

Sometimes spending an extra $20-$30 and getting a higher level PSU (say 800W instead of 600W) can prevent issues and save money later on. Buy for the future, not yesterday.
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Darkman69

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Jun 6, 2013
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It's quality first not quantity that matters most.
 
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JeremyLall

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Jun 11, 2013
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I know what you mean and I guess you're right. I have a Kentek 750 Watt psu which is quite a cheap quality psu. Wish I knew that before I bought it. I wish I could try another psu out because I just don't have the money to waste on a new one. By the way, could it also be the communication with the gpu and the motherboard and cpu?
 
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jerreece

jerreece

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Sep 7, 2006
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Kentek? Never heard of them before...

A quality gaming level Power Supply will likely put you out $90 or more. I just did a Google Search and found a very generic looking Kentek 775W power supply for $39. Claims it is SLI capable. Scary.
 
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Darkman69

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Jun 6, 2013
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LOL. But you can get great PSUs for gaming for much less than $90.
 
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JeremyLall

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Jun 11, 2013
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Well, at the time I built this PC, I wasn't very experienced, but hey you learn from mistakes. I'll have to try a friend's psu to see if that is really the problem.
 
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Darkman69

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Jun 6, 2013
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A good rule of thumb is to never skimp on the PSU. A good quality 600watt is plenty for any single card config and 750 watts is a good place to start for muti card configurations.
 
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JeremyLall

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Jun 11, 2013
44
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Thanks I'll keep that in mind next time. Now I just have to figure out if that is the real problem, or if any other hardware is failing. After that, I'll have to scrape together some money to buy a replacement. Wish I'd done some more research on these things.
 
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jerreece

jerreece

Splendid
Sep 7, 2006
3,960
0
23,160
My bit of advice on PSUs would be this. Don't go for bare minimum. If your video card says 600w minimum, don't buy a 600w PSU. If your system draws close to the max that the PSU can handle it'll wear out faster. And if you upgrade any time you might have to replace your PSU again (which means you spent more money than needed).

Sometimes spending an extra $20-$30 and getting a higher level PSU (say 800W instead of 600W) can prevent issues and save money later on. Buy for the future, not yesterday.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
J

JeremyLall

Honorable
Jun 11, 2013
44
0
10,530


Thanks for your advice, will keep that in mind.
 
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