How to Fix Computer Restarts When Gaming
Encountering computer reboot problems while playing games is a headache, which not only breaks the gaming experience, but also may lead to data loss or system corruption. Today we will analyze these reasons in detail and provide some solutions.
1. Check Hardware Temperature
When gaming, the computer's hardware (especially the graphics card and CPU) will be loaded and generate a lot of heat. If the cooling system is not strong enough or clogged with dust, the hardware will easily overheat, causing the system to restart automatically to protect the device. This is especially common when playing some graphically demanding games.
Regularly clean the dust inside your computer, especially the cooling fan and heatsink.
If your heatsink is not powerful enough, consider replacing it with a more efficient one.
You can use some software (e.g. Driver Sentry) to monitor the temperature of your computer hardware in real time to make sure the temperature is within the safe range.
By opening "Driver Sentry", you can check the current temperature of your hardware under the "Hardware" section.
2. Incompatible or Outdated Drivers
Gaming requires efficient interaction with the system hardware, and the compatibility of graphics card drivers and other hardware drivers is crucial to game performance. If the drivers are outdated or incompatible with the game itself, it may lead to system errors and eventually reboots. We recommend using Driver Sentry for automatic driver updates, saving time and avoiding the risk of downloading or installing incorrect drivers.
Click the download button to get the latest version of Driver Sentry. After installation, open the software and click "Scan".
After the scan is complete, it will show which drivers are missing or need updates. Find the drivers to update in the list and click the "Upgrade" button.
After the update is complete, it is recommended to restart the computer to ensure the updated drivers take effect.
3. Inadequate Power Supply
Computers require more power support when running at high loads. If the power supply is underpowered or if there are problems with the power supply itself, it may cause the computer to suddenly power down and reboot while running a big game. This is especially common when using high-performance graphics cards or multiple hard disks.
Make sure your power supply has enough power to support the entire system. Generally speaking, power supplies should be rated at about 20% more power than you actually need.
Make sure the power cord and power connector are solid to avoid poor contact.
4. Unstable Voltage or System Settings
Certain system settings (e.g. overclocking) or unstable voltage supply may cause hardware errors or even system crashes and reboots. Overclocking, in particular, improves performance but also poses risks if not adequately tested for heat dissipation and stability.
If you have overclocked your CPU or GPU, try reverting to the default operating frequency to see if the problem is resolved.
Sometimes settings in the BIOS may also affect the stability of the hardware. Try resetting the BIOS to the default settings and see if that solves the problem.
5. Memory Problems
Damaged memory or incompatible memory sticks may also cause your computer to reboot while gaming. Especially if you are running a game with a large memory footprint, the system will frequently call for memory, and this is where a damaged memory stick may trigger a reboot.
Use the memory diagnostic tool that comes with Windows to detect if there is a problem with the memory.
Consider replacing the memory stick if you find that the memory is corrupted or cannot be fixed by repairing it.
6. Operating System And Software Problems
Sometimes file corruption in the operating system, bugs in the game itself, or other programs running in the background can also cause the computer to restart while gaming. Malware or viruses may also take up a lot of system resources and cause the system to crash.
Use Windows' system file checker tool (sfc /scannow) to fix errors in the operating system.
Run a system scan with a reliable antivirus program to ensure that there is no virus or malware infection.
While gaming, try to close some unnecessary background programs to avoid taking up too much system resources.
The above is the way to solve the problem of computer reboot while gaming, hope it is helpful to you.
See also:
Guide to Fixing a Non-Working Mouse