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If your PC restarts or powers off during games and you can reproduce the failure in FurMark, the problem is probably not limited to one game or cutscene: the system is becoming unstable under a demanding graphics workload. That makes the GPU, its power delivery, cooling, tuning, and the wider system worth investigating—but it does not prove that the GPU or PSU is defective. FurMark can draw unusually high power, and the same abrupt failure can have several causes.
First note exactly what happens—game crash, black screen, hard freeze, blue screen, reboot, or full power-off—then return tuning to stock and inspect the Windows logs. Stop repeating FurMark runs if the PC is shutting down, temperatures are abnormal, or a connector looks damaged.
First, identify the failure
“The game crashed” can describe very different problems. Before changing parts or reinstalling Windows, record what you see:
- The game closes to the desktop: Often an application, driver, overlay, shader, or game-file problem. It is different from the PC itself restarting.
- The display goes black, but audio continues: Windows may still be running while the GPU or display driver hangs, or the monitor signal path may have failed. Check whether Caps Lock or Num Lock responds and whether the display returns.
- The PC instantly restarts or powers off: Prioritize power delivery, hardware stability, overheating, and abrupt crashes. Windows may not have time to show a blue screen.
- The whole system freezes until you press Reset: GPU, RAM, CPU or memory tuning, motherboard, and PSU are all candidates.
- A blue screen appears: Photograph the stop code and any named driver. A named module is useful evidence, not automatic proof that the module is the root cause.
Also note whether the failure happens in more than one game or 3D application, during video playback or desktop hardware acceleration, immediately or after several minutes, and only after the PC has warmed up. A cutscene is not necessarily an ordinary video file: it may be rendered in-engine or combine video playback with shader compilation, asset loading, ray tracing, resolution changes, or a sudden change in GPU power state. The transition can expose instability even if gameplay seemed fine.
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What reproducing the crash in FurMark tells you
It shows that the system can fail under a graphics-heavy workload, which makes a single-game bug less likely. It does not identify which component is at fault. FurMark is an unusually aggressive GPU workload; NVIDIA warns that it can drive power draw beyond that of many real-world applications and trigger GPU over-current or over-temperature protection.
That makes these possibilities important:
- PSU limitations, failure, overheating, or a protection trip;
- a loose, damaged, or unsuitable GPU power cable or connector;
- GPU overheating, including hotspot or memory temperature that a headline core reading does not reveal;
- GPU, VRAM, or PCIe instability, including a factory overclock, manual overclock, or undervolt;
- CPU, RAM, memory-controller, motherboard, or VRM instability that becomes apparent when the system is busy.
Treat FurMark as a short, supervised diagnostic—not an endurance contest. The FurMark guidance recommends monitoring temperatures and stopping if the system becomes unstable. A crash is already useful information; repeatedly forcing the PC to shut down does not identify the failed part and can add unnecessary thermal stress.
Check Windows records before changing hardware
Reliability Monitor
- Press Win+R, enter
perfmon /rel, and press Enter. - Find the time of the failure on the reliability timeline and open the red failure marker.
- Record whether it reports a hardware error, LiveKernelEvent, display-driver problem, game executable failure, or Windows failure.
This timeline can make it easier to relate a crash to a driver, game, or Windows update, but its label is a clue rather than a component verdict.
Event Viewer
- Press Win+R, enter
eventvwr.msc, and press Enter. - Open Windows Logs → System and inspect events around the restart time.
- Record any Kernel-Power, Event ID 41, WHEA-Logger, BugCheck, display or GPU-driver errors, and storage errors such as
stornvmeordisk.
Event ID 41 is not a “bad PSU” code. It means Windows detected that the previous shutdown was not clean. Microsoft says it can follow a power interruption, a stop error, or an unresponsive system; interpret it with the surrounding events and symptoms, not by itself. An Event 41 with BugcheckCode 0 confirms an abrupt or unclean shutdown but usually gives little cause information. Microsoft’s Event 41 guidance explains its limits and recommends checking the broader system evidence.
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WHEA-Logger entries raise suspicion of a hardware or platform problem involving, for example, the CPU, memory, PCIe, motherboard, or power stability. WHEA is Windows’ standardized mechanism for recording hardware error conditions. A BugCheck event points to a stop error and may have a dump file; a display-driver or LiveKernelEvent entry without a full reboot points more toward a GPU/driver hang. If the log shows only Event 41, do not conclude that hardware is fine—or that the PSU is guilty. A hard lock or power cut can leave little evidence.
Keep Windows from hiding a stop code
If you suspect a blue screen that disappears too quickly:
- Press Win+R, enter
sysdm.cpl, then open Advanced → Startup and Recovery → Settings. - Clear Automatically restart. Leave crash-dump creation enabled.
- Only reproduce the failure if the PC appears safe to test. If a stop screen appears, record its code and any named file.
Windows 10 and 11 can restart automatically after serious stop errors. Microsoft’s unexpected restart and stop-code guidance covers this behavior. A driver shown on the screen may be the cause, a trigger, or simply where an underlying hardware problem surfaced.
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1. Return everything to stock
Before more testing, undo GPU core and memory overclocks, undervolts, CPU overclocks or PBO-style tuning, XMP/EXPO memory profiles, and custom motherboard power limits. Return fan and voltage curves to defaults if they were changed. Test with default BIOS and GPU settings. A system can seem stable in ordinary games yet fail during a particular load or power transition. This is free, reversible, and helps separate a tuning problem from a hardware fault. Microsoft also recommends disabling overclocking when investigating unexplained Event 41 restarts.
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2. Check temperatures and cooling
Use a sensor-monitoring utility if the PC is stable enough to do so, and watch GPU core, hotspot/junction and memory temperatures where available; GPU power, fan speed, clock and throttling indicators; CPU package temperature; and motherboard or VRM temperature if exposed. A normal GPU core reading does not rule out a hot hotspot, memory, VRM, or PSU.
- Check that GPU and CPU fans spin under load and that filters and heatsinks are not clogged with dust.
- Note whether the failure happens sooner after the case has warmed up. A brief side-panel-off comparison can help assess case airflow, but is not a substitute for proper cooling.
- Stop if temperatures climb abnormally, the system becomes unstable, or you smell burning. Do not keep running a failing test just to collect more heat data.
Thermal throttling can lower clocks; a total freeze, shutdown, or restart deserves a broader check of cooling, power, and configuration.
3. Inspect the GPU and its power path safely
Shut the PC down and unplug it before touching internal components. If you are comfortable doing so, check that the GPU is seated in its PCIe slot and that its power connector is fully seated. For a modular PSU, check the PSU end too.
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- Follow the GPU and PSU documentation on cable arrangement. For a high-power card, separate PSU leads may be recommended instead of one daisy-chained lead.
- Look for a loose fit, discoloration, melting, or other heat damage. Fully insert a 12VHPWR/12V-2×6-style connector and avoid a sharp bend immediately at the plug.
- Do not test with a visibly damaged connector or cable. Arrange qualified service or warranty support instead.
A marginal connection can fail under a sudden high current demand even if it survived lighter gaming.
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4. Assess the PSU without guessing from its wattage label
Consider the exact GPU and CPU models, PSU age and quality, the GPU’s power behavior, cable arrangement, and whether the issue began after a GPU upgrade. Note whether the machine fails only when CPU and GPU loads overlap. Wattage alone does not establish that a PSU is healthy, and a larger replacement is not automatically the solution. A complete power loss during FurMark is consistent with a PSU protection trip, but it can also come from a GPU, cable, motherboard, or unstable tuning.
If the existing PSU is questionable, a controlled test with a known-good, suitable PSU and its own correct cables is more informative than buying a random higher-wattage unit. If that swap makes the problem disappear, power delivery becomes much more likely; if it does not, continue isolating the GPU and platform.
5. Clean-test the graphics driver and remove software variables
- Download the correct driver for your GPU and Windows edition from its manufacturer before removing the current one.
- Use the installer’s clean installation or reset option where available. Temporarily disconnecting the internet can prevent Windows Update from substituting a different driver during the test.
- Install the display driver and necessary control software first; defer optional utilities.
- Temporarily disable game, chat, recording, and performance overlays (including Steam, Discord, Xbox, and GPU overlays), third-party monitoring or RGB tools, and browser or launcher hardware acceleration.
- Retest the same workload. If the issue began immediately after a driver update, try the previous known-good driver; do not assume a recent Windows or game update is the cause without comparing results.
Windows’ Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR) mechanism detects when the GPU stops making progress and attempts to recover the display. It can explain a black screen or a game crash, but it does not mean the underlying issue is fixed; repeated recoveries indicate unresolved instability. Microsoft describes how TDR works. A full power-cycle symptom points beyond an ordinary recoverable display timeout.
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6. Separate graphics, CPU, memory, and whole-system load
Change one variable at a time and use moderate, brief tests. Do not run multiple maximum-intensity stress tests at once.
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| Test | Mainly stresses | What a failure suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Light GPU workload or another game/3D benchmark | GPU at a less extreme load and a different engine or API | Failure across several graphics workloads makes a single-game bug less likely. |
| FurMark | GPU, cooling, and graphics power path under unusually heavy load | Confirms graphics-load instability, but cannot distinguish GPU, PSU, cable, cooling, or board by itself. |
| CPU-only test | CPU, memory controller, and motherboard VRM | A failure here weakens a GPU-only explanation. |
| Memory test | RAM and memory subsystem | Errors point toward RAM, memory settings, memory controller, or board. |
| Combined CPU and GPU load | PSU and whole-board power delivery as well as both processors | Failure only under combined load raises suspicion of PSU/VRM/power delivery, but is not proof. |
| iGPU or spare compatible GPU | Removes or substitutes the discrete GPU | A useful isolation check when the CPU/system supports it or a spare card is available. |
If a discrete card fails at stock settings while CPU and memory checks pass, test it in a known-good compatible system if possible. Conversely, a known-good GPU in the affected PC can help determine whether the fault follows the card or stays with the system. Swap tests are more useful than interpreting one synthetic benchmark as a verdict.
7. Check RAM and CPU stability
Run Windows Memory Diagnostic with mdsched.exe. For intermittent problems, test at default memory speed with XMP/EXPO off; if needed, test one module at a time in the motherboard-recommended slots. A bootable memory diagnostic can provide a longer check. A clean result does not clear the GPU, PSU, motherboard, or CPU memory controller, but errors are a strong reason to investigate the memory path before replacing the graphics card.
Graphics-heavy games still exercise the CPU, RAM, PCIe bus, asset decompression, and GPU together. If the machine also fails in CPU-only, memory, boot, or idle scenarios—or disabling memory/CPU tuning fixes it—look beyond the GPU.
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8. Repair game or Windows files when the evidence points to software
These steps make sense if the PC is not hard-rebooting in unrelated GPU workloads, or if logs and testing point to one game or Windows corruption:
- Verify the game’s files in its launcher; remove mods, injectors, and custom launch arguments.
- If only one title or scene fails, clear that game’s shader cache if supported, try borderless/windowed mode, and compare another graphics API if the game offers one.
- Temporarily disable ray tracing, frame generation, unusual anti-aliasing, or other features that may use a distinct rendering path.
- Update motherboard chipset/platform drivers. Consider a BIOS/UEFI update only by following the motherboard maker’s instructions and only when power is stable.
- From an elevated Command Prompt, run
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, thensfc /scannow.
These can address software and game-specific failures; they will not repair a loose power connector, defective GPU, or unstable PSU.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Read the result as evidence, not a verdict
| What you observe | What to investigate next |
|---|---|
| Instant reboot or power-off in FurMark | Stock settings, temperatures, connectors, PSU and whole-system power delivery; then controlled PSU/GPU swap testing. |
| FurMark fails, but ordinary games do not | The test’s unusually high load, a marginal cable/PSU, cooling, or GPU tuning. Compare a reduced FurMark load briefly, but do not treat a lower power limit as a proven permanent fix. |
| Games crash in cutscenes, but FurMark is stable | Game/API driver path, video decoding or hardware acceleration, shader compilation, overlays, VRAM allocation, storage, RAM, or a scene-specific bug. |
| Black screen while the PC remains responsive | Display-driver/GPU timeout, display cable/monitor/port, temperature, overlays, and stock GPU settings. |
| WHEA errors or memory-test errors | Hardware/platform stability, RAM settings, CPU, PCIe, motherboard, and power—not just the game. |
| Only Event 41 appears | Use the symptom and surrounding evidence. Event 41 records an unclean shutdown; it does not name the failed component. |
When to stop and seek service
Stop stress testing and contact the system builder, component maker, or a qualified repair service if a connector is melted or discolored, there is a burning smell, hard power-offs recur, the GPU shows artifacts at stock settings, memory tests report errors, or persistent WHEA errors remain. Warranty support or repair is also sensible when the PC still fails at stock settings with clean drivers and known-good supporting hardware. Record the crash time, exact symptom, logs, temperatures, and what changed; this gives support a more useful starting point than “FurMark says the GPU is bad.”
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