My computer reboots during gaming: what’s the problem - power supply or graphics card?
System:
- Graphics card: Gigabyte RTX 2080 Ti Extreme (water cooling)
- Motherboard: MSI Godlike Gaming Carbon X99A
- CPU: Xeon® CPU E5-2697A v4
- Power supply: be quiet! 550W
- Additional components: 3 fans, 2 hard drives
Problem:
The computer reboots after 5-7 minutes of playing Far Cry 4, Tanks and Ships. Meanwhile, NFS Rivals and Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 run stable without any issues.
Tests and observations:
- GPU test in AIDA (10 minutes) passes without failures
- GPU temperature in Far Cry 4 reaches 62-65°C
- GPU consumption around 250W
- Graphics quality in Far Cry 4 is worse than on the previous GTX 970
- Graphics settings optimized through NVIDIA drivers
Question:
What could be the cause of the reboots - graphics card failure or insufficient power supply power?
The issue with restarts during gaming is most likely related to insufficient power supply capacity rather than a graphics card malfunction. With a high-performance Xeon E5-2697A v4 processor with 14 cores and an RTX 2080 Ti graphics card, your be quiet! 550W power supply is operating at its limits, especially during graphically demanding games like Far Cry 4.
Contents
- Main Reasons for Restarts
- Comparison of Power Supply and Graphics Card Failure Symptoms
- Analysis of Your Configuration
- Testing to Confirm the Diagnosis
- Solutions and Recommendations
- Conclusion
Main Reasons for Restarts
Research shows that computer restarts during gaming are most often caused by one of two problems: insufficient power supply capacity or unstable graphics card operation. However, there is a key difference in symptoms:
Signs of a faulty power supply:
- Random restarts under high load
- Restarts specifically in demanding games
- Problems occur after several minutes of gameplay (when the system heats up)
- Stable operation in light applications and stress tests
Signs of a faulty graphics card:
- System freezes
- Black screen or complete loss of display
- Graphical artifacts on the screen
- BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) with graphics card driver-related errors
Comparison of Power Supply and Graphics Card Failure Symptoms
| Symptom | Power Supply | Graphics Card |
|---|---|---|
| Restart under load | ✅ Common cause | ❌ Rare |
| Restart after 5-7 minutes | ✅ Characteristic | ❌ Not characteristic |
| Stability in stress tests | ✅ Possible with low peak load | ❌ Problems usually manifest |
| Some games work, others don’t | ✅ Different load on PSU | ❌ Usually all games are affected |
| Graphical artifacts | ❌ Rare | ✅ Common |
| Black screen | ❌ Rare | ✅ Common |
As experts point out, restarts under high GPU load are often related to power supply issues, especially when it cannot provide sufficient power or stabilize voltage. According to Tom’s Hardware Forum, “once software/firmware has been eliminated, the culprits for sudden restarts tend to go in this order: PSU > GPU > RAM > MB > CPU.”
Analysis of Your Configuration
Your system has several factors that increase the load on the power supply:
1. Xeon E5-2697A v4 Processor
- This is a server processor with 14 cores and 28 threads
- Maximum TDP: 145W
- Under high load, it can consume significantly more than the specified TDP
2. RTX 2080 Ti Graphics Card
- Recommended power supply: 650W for stock, 750W+ for overclocking
- Power consumption up to 250W under load
- Water cooling may slightly reduce power consumption but not significantly
3. Estimated total system power:
- Xeon E5-2697A v4 under load: ~180-200W
- RTX 2080 Ti under load: ~250W
- Motherboard, RAM, SSD/HDD: ~50-80W
- Total: 480-530W for main components only
Your be quiet! 550W power supply, especially considering the age of the system, is operating at its limits. As noted in Quora, “If you put a 650 watt PSU for the above spec sheet your PSU will have to work at 80 to 90 percent load when you push your system to its limits which is not healthy.”
Testing to Confirm the Diagnosis
To accurately determine the cause of the problem, the following tests are recommended:
1. Power consumption and temperature monitoring:
- Use programs like HWMonitor, MSI Afterburner
- Monitor the +12V voltage (should be within ±5% of 12V)
- Check the power supply temperature
2. Reduce load:
- Turn off all unnecessary fans and connected devices
- Lower graphics settings in Far Cry 4 to minimum
- Check if restarts still occur
3. Test with another game:
- Launch a more demanding game (e.g., Cyberpunk 2077 on high settings)
- If restarts don’t occur, this confirms the theory of insufficient PSU power
4. Voltage check:
- Use a multimeter to check voltage stability
- Pay special attention to the +12V lines that power the GPU
As noted in PCSpecialist Forum, “I think it could be the PSU, I’ve tested it with a multimeter and all of my readings were fine besides the -12v cable which read 11.5.”
Solutions and Recommendations
Immediate Solutions:
1. Settings optimization:
- Lower graphics settings in games causing issues
- Disable unnecessary background programs
- Set an FPS limit through NVIDIA drivers
2. Cooling check:
- Ensure the power supply is not overheating
- Check the cleanliness of fans and radiators
Long-term Solutions:
1. Power supply replacement (most likely solution):
- Recommended power: 750-850W
- Quality: Gold or Platinum certification
- Reliable manufacturers: Corsair, Seasonic, EVGA, be quiet! Dark Power
2. Temporary diagnosis:
- If possible, try testing the system with another power supply
- You can contact a service center for diagnosis
3. Driver updates:
- Install the latest NVIDIA drivers
- Update the motherboard BIOS
According to Reddit discussion, “I would still recommend 650w for stock and 750w if your overclock.” And although you’re not overclocking the system, the powerful Xeon processor creates additional load.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis of symptoms, system configuration, and research, the most likely cause of the restarts is insufficient power supply capacity. Your system with a high-performance Xeon processor and RTX 2080 Ti requires a power supply of at least 750W for stable operation under load.
Key conclusions:
- Your 550W power supply is operating at the system’s limits
- Switching between stable and unstable games indicates different load on the PSU
- Stability in AIDA64 does not rule out PSU issues, as tests may create a different load curve
- Replacing the power supply with a 750-850W Gold-certified unit should solve the problem
Recommended actions:
- Monitor the voltage and temperature of the PSU
- Test the system with another power supply
- If the problem is confirmed - replace the power supply with a 750-850W unit from a quality manufacturer
This will not only solve the current restart issues but also ensure stable operation of your powerful system in the future.
Sources
- r/nvidia on Reddit: Power supply for the 2080TI
- Tom’s Hardware Forum: Computer restarts while gaming (probably a PSU problem)
- Tom’s Hardware Forum: GPU or PSU Failing?
- Quora: PC reboots occasionally. How can I know if it is a power supply issue, motherboard or the GPU?
- Quora: Can I use my 650 watt PSU for RTX 2080 Ti + i7 8700k + 10th HDD?
- PCSpecialist Forum: My PC restarts during games/under load. PSU issue?
- Super User: PC hard resets when GPU load is high
- Tech News Today: PC Restarts While Gaming? Try These 8 Fixes
- Appuals: How to Fix Computer Restarting when Playing Games
- YouTube: Power Supply Issues, Random Restart During Gameplay Fix