Why does my PC turn OFF when playing games?
Your PC may turn OFF when playing games because of PSU issues, overheating problems, virus attacks, outdated drivers or issues with the GPU and CPU.
- PSU issues
- Overheating
- Virus attacks
- Driver problems
- Hardware issues
Table of Contents
PSU issues
Your PC may turn OFF while playing games because of problems with the Power Supply Unit (PSU). The PSU plays the role of converting the AC mains to the required DC power supply in order to enable the working of the different components of the computer system.
Overheating
When your PC gets overheated due to various reasons like playing games, running many programs at the same time, overclocking the GPU clock and so on, your PC turns OFF automatically.
Virus attacks
When your computer is infected with a virus, your PC may turn OFF while playing games. This happens as a part of a mechanism to deal with the virus and protect the data stored on your computer from getting attacked by the viruses. Frequent scans can help solve the problem of computers shutting down while playing games.
Driver problems
Problems with the graphics drivers can also lead to PCs turning OFF while playing games.
The turning OFF happens because the graphics drivers aren’t able to support the games due to outdated versions and incompatibility.
It’s important to troubleshoot these issues to solve the problem of PCs turning OFF while playing games.
Hardware issues
Sometimes, the incompatibility of GPU and CPU may cause problems like PC turning OFF while playing games. This happens when the GPU and CPU are unable to handle the load of games that use high-definition graphics and power consumption.
How do you fix a computer that keeps shutting down when playing games?
You can fix a computer that keeps shutting down when playing games by changing the PSU, running a virus scan, updating the drivers or checking for other hardware issues.
- Check for overheating reasons
- Change the PSU
- Run a virus scan
- Check for hardware issues
Follow the steps given below to fix a computer that shuts down when playing games.
- To deal with the overheating of your computer, check for unusual sounds from the CPU fans, dust accumulation on the fans or decay of the thermal paste. All these things lead to overheating and in turn computers shutting down as a protection mechanism.
- PSU is the most important component that keeps the various interconnected devices of the computer system running. When a PSU is unable to supply enough power to CPU, memory or hard drives, the computer shuts down while playing games.
- Test your PSU with a multimeter or you can use it on another computer to see if it works. If it doesn’t, then you will need to replace the PSU with a new one.
- To run a virus scan, you can download free or pro versions of antivirus programs on your computer. Once the program finishes downloading, run a quick scan which takes only about two minutes to present you a list of problematic files and documents.
- If you want an in-depth scan, you can go for a complete scan. Repair or delete the problematic files to prevent your computer from shutting down when playing games.
- There are two ways to update the drivers, one is manually and the other is automatically. To update the drivers manually, you will need to download them from the manufacturer’s website and install them on your computer.
To update your drivers automatically, you can use any automatic scanner and scan for updates. It will scan and show you all the drivers that need to be updated.
You can simply click the “Update” option and download the latest updates of the drivers on your computer.
Once the drivers are properly updated, you can relaunch the game to see if the computer still shuts down when playing the game.
- Hardware like network card, modem, sound card and graphics card, when damaged, can cause your PC to shut down without warning. You will need to remove each of these hardware one by one and check if the problem goes away.
- If you have recently installed new hardware, you can simply remove it and check to see if the issue persists.
Why does my PC keep turning OFF mid-game?
Your PC may keep turning OFF mid-game mostly because of issues with the power supply unit of your PC and overheating issues. To prevent your PC from turning OFF, you will need to change the PSU and eliminate the factors leading to the overheating of your computer.
You can also check for the decay of thermal paste in your CPU and reapply a layer of it on the heat sink if the paste is found decayed. Clean the fans off the accumulated dust by using alcohol and a soft brush.
Use a blow dryer or compressed air pump to suck out all the dust in the corners of the CPU, which is otherwise unreachable. Look out for broken fans or overclocking of the GPU speed to prevent your computer from getting overheated.
Why does my PC restart when launching a game?
Your PC may restart when launching a game because of computer viruses, wrong power settings, overheating, or outdated graphics drivers.
- Computer virus
- Incorrect power settings
- Overheating
- Windows automatic restart enabled
- Outdated graphics drivers
To fix each of these reasons why your PC restarts when launching the game, follow the steps given below.
- To eliminate any virus infections in your computer, install an antivirus program and run a thorough scan of your computer to find any malicious files. If you already have an antivirus program installed in your computer, ensure that it is updated to the latest version in order to get maximum efficiency when scanning the PC.
- If your PSU is unable to supply enough power to the computer components, the problem can often occur. To do the required PSU setting, type “Control Panel” in the search bar and hit the “Enter” key. Click “Power Options” followed by “Change plan settings”. Click “Change Advanced Power Settings” and then click “Processor Power Management”.
Click the “Minimum processor state” option. Click the up and down arrows to set the number to a low state like 0% or 5% for both “On battery” and “Plugged in (%)”. Click “OK” to save the changes. Restart your computer and launch the game to see if the computer still shuts down when launching a game.
- Check the PC for overheating. You can look for symptoms like the loud noise from your CPU, dust accumulation in the fans or broken fans. Fix the problem to prevent overheating of the computer and the PC from shutting down while launching the game.
- To disable the Automatic Restart feature of the Windows, press the “Windows” and “Pause” keys simultaneously. Select the “Advanced Power Settings” option. Click the “Advanced” tab and click the “Settings” option under “Startup and Recovery”.
- Clear the “Automatically Restart” checkbox. Click the “OK” button to save the changes. Restart your PC and try launching the game now.
- To update the graphics drivers installed on your computer, type “Device Manager” in the search bar and press the “Enter” key. Click the “Device Drivers” option or a similar option to view the list of installed drivers. Right-click the name of the graphics driver and select “Update” from the context menu.
- Follow the prompts to update the drivers. Once the update and installation process finishes, restart your computer and try launching the game again.
Computer shuts OFF while playing games but not overheating
If your computer shuts OFF while playing games but not because of overheating, then it can be because of the presence of viruses, hardware issues, operating system issues or UPS problems.
You will need to troubleshoot these problems to get rid of the problem of the computer shutting down while playing games but not overheating.
- Presence of virus
- Hardware issues
- Operating system issues
- UPS problem
Try the solutions given below.
- Run a deep scan to identify the viruses in your computer. Delete or repair the infected files.
- Check for hardware issues especially if you have recently installed any external hardware or adapters like Bluetooth adapters, wireless adapters and so on. Check the RAM sticks and PSU for faults if you don’t find any problem with the graphics card of your computer.
- Test the UPS of your computer with another PC to see if it works or not. If it doesn’t, it must have gone bad and needs replacement.
- Outdated or pending updates of the operating system can also be the cause of the PC shutting down while playing the games. So you can update the operating system to see if it works.
PC shut down while gaming now won’t turn on
Your PC may shut down while gaming and won’t turn ON because of overheating, issues with the power connectors and motherboard or a faulty power supply unit.
- Overheating problem
- Issue with power connectors and motherboard
- Faulty power supply unit
Try the troubleshooting steps given to turn your PC ON after it shuts down while playing games.
- Let the computer sit for an hour in a well-ventilated and cool space. Try switching it ON after an hour and see if it turns ON or not. If it does, then the problem is overheating.
- If the computer doesn’t turn ON, open the case and disconnect all the power cables to reset the cables as well as the motherboard. Wait for some time before reconnecting the cables. After reconnecting them, try turning your PC ON. If it still doesn’t turn ON, then your power supply unit must be problematic.
- To check the PSU, connect a multimeter or voltmeter to note the fluctuations in the readings. If there are no fluctuations, this means your PSU needs replacement.
Computer shuts down when playing high graphic games
Your computer may shut down while playing high graphic games because of overheating, failing graphics card or drivers, faulty PSU.
- Overheating problem
- Failing graphics card or drivers
- Faulty PSU
To fix these issues, try the steps given below.
- Prevent the overheating of your computer by setting the overclocking frequency of the GPU.
- Delete and download the graphics drivers on your computer once again. Make sure to download and install only the latest drivers.
- Check the PSU for failure and replace it, if needed.
- Run a system scan to find viruses and make repairs accordingly.
Conclusion
Your PC may shut down while playing games because of issues such as overheating, outdated drivers, faulty PSU, malicious virus or failing hardware. You can troubleshoot these issues easily and prevent your PC from shutting down while playing games.