Windows 10: New PC constantly crashing or freezing in demanding games since day one

Timeline of Technical Issues with My PC November 2024 – May 2025 PC Specifications• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X• GPU: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 Ti OC 8 GB• RAM: 2x16 GB DDR5 6000 MHz G.Skill SK Hynix chips• Motherboard: B650 AORUS ELITE AX ICE BIOS updated to version F33 – includes RAM and CPU compatibility improvements• Storage: 1TB Adata M.2 SSD• PSU: Seasonic Focus SGX 650W Gold 80+• Operating System: Windows 11 clean installed multiple times• Drivers: NVIDIA 576.40, clean installed several times• XMP: Currently disabled enabling it increases instability• Manual voltages: DDR VDD

:)

 

PC freezes demanding games

So I've had this PC since 2013 (stopped upgrading it in 2017). I've been using it extensively for video rendering work and 4K gaming, so I know exactly its bending points when it comes to performance.

It has worked flawlessly up until a few weeks ago when I noticed Pathfinder WOTR inexplicably crashed randomly with a loud "BRRR" sound that lasted 1 second or so, and then the game's audio would keep coming out as normal but the image and program were completely frozen. At first, I thought it was the game, which was weird since a couple of years ago played through it without a single crash, but I quickly realized this EXACT same thing happens in pretty much any demanding game. Some games have a crash log and for example, Unreal Engine games say that the GPU took a lot of time responding, other logs say that the DX Device was disconnected. Unity Engine games logs say that it's something related to the GPU TDR.

Other games reboot my PC or straight up turn it off.

So this is what I did:

• I did a clean installation of Windows 11. THRICE, formatting my SSD every time.
  
• Tried using both the Game-Ready and Studio drivers from Nvidia.
  
• I reinstalled the latest BIOS for my MOBO.
  
• Brought the BIOS back to its factory defaults.
  
• Used MemTest to check my RAM, which resulted in 0 errors and 100% success rate.
  
• There's no overclocking on processor or ram other than Intel's TurboBoost.
  
• I do bi-mensual cleaning of the inside of my PC, but this time I unplugged everything, cleaned the contacts with 100% pure isopropyl alcohol and dusted it with a hand air blower. Reseated everything.
  
• Ran multiple stress-test software such as Furmark, OCCT, 3DMark, and they can be left running overnight with both the CPU and GPU working at 100%, and the PC never reboots or crashes the stress-test software.
  
• Downclocked my GPU to 90% of its stock speeds and power.
  
• The voltages the PSU is providing is near exact of what it should for the 3V, 5V, and 12V values.
  
• Replaced the GPU's thermal paste, although it wasn't really necessary IMO: ALL temperatures on my PC are below 60°C when it's being used at its max potential. CPU rarely goes over 46°C, same thing with RAM and HDD temps.
  
• Event Viewer does show Kernel 41 errors after rebooting my PC due to games hard crashing.
  
• Viruses and registry errors are out of the question. The issues present equally with freshly deep-formatted SSDs, on brand new W11 installs, with nothing but the Nvidia Drivers and Steam/GOG/Epic/Ubisoft Connect to run my purchased games that, since 2013 up until a few weeks ago, I could enjoy without issues.
  

But then again, ANY demanding game crash with the BRRR freeze, 5 minutes in or 1 hour in, meanwhile I leave the PC rendering videos overnight using the GPU and even overclocking it and nothing fails. I don't see any visual artefacts that one would see from a dying/faulty GPU, and my performance is the exact same I've experienced for the past years, before crashes began.

My PC specs:

• PSU: Corsair GS700 (700w)
  
• MOBO: ASUS Maximus VI Gene.
  
• CPU: Intel i7 4770k.
  
• GPU: GTX 1080ti Strix OC Edition.
  
• RAM: HyperX 1886Mhz DDR3 (2x8GB- Dual Channel)
  
• Windows 11 Professional.
  

I'm leaning to assume this might be a stealthy PSU error, but any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

all games crash!

I suggest you run rthdribl > http://www.daionet.gr.jp/~masa/archives/rthdribl_1_2.zip
Increase the window size step by step and watch your vga temps permanently.
What happens?
If it crashes, run at stock speeds as suggested before and retry.

P.S.: When your system locks, does the display signal turn off after a time?
Stuttering sound or no sound at all when freezing?
What X1800XT model do you own exactly?

 

all games crash!

ive watch my temps and both the cpu and gpu are within normal ranges. when it freezes it simply freezes the image and stops the sound. i must reboot to get back to windows.