When playing PC games, if your Windows 11/10 PC shuts down automatically, these suggestions will help you identify and fix the problem. There can be several causes other than overheating, and this article explains most of the causes and solutions in detail.
Your Windows PC shuts down while gaming
If your Windows 11/10 PC shuts down while playing, follow these suggestions to fix the problem:
- Check if your PC meets the system requirements for the game
- Close Unnecessary Apps
- Check RAM
- Check the inverter
- Check your scheduled downtime settings
- Scan Your Computer with Adware Removal Tool
- Check your graphics card
- Find the reason for the unexpected shutdown.
To learn more about these steps, keep reading.
1]Check if your PC meets the system requirements for the game
First you need to check if your computer meets the system requirements for the game. Go to the game’s website and type in the minimum hardware requirements.
Then use one of these methods to find your PC’s hardware specifications and see if you meet or exceed the requirements.
Read: Microsoft Surface Studio overheating while gaming
2]Close Unnecessary Apps
This is probably the first thing you need to do when your computer shuts down automatically while playing games. Suppose you have an old computer and you often run many heavy applications simultaneously. If so, your computer may crash and lag sometimes. That is why it is recommended to launch the task manager and close all unnecessary applications before starting the game.
Pro tip: Do not add unnecessary applications for startup. You might not be able to notice it, but some apps can consume a lot of resources without you even knowing it. You can follow this guide to remove apps from running at startup.
3]Check RAM
RAM or Random Access Memory is one of the most important parts of your computer, which helps you perform just about anything. From starting the computer to shutting down, it all depends on your RAM. If you have outdated RAM, you may need to clean up.
If you recently installed a second or third RAM, you may encounter the same problem on your computer. Let’s say you have 2400MHz of RAM and you install 3200MHz of RAM. In this case, your computer may shut down automatically. At such times, it is recommended to check the speed of your RAM before installing it.
Read: How to check how much VRAM you have
4]Check the inverter
Most home computer users use a UPS that keeps the computer running during a power outage. The problem with using a UPS is that it has to be on all the time to get your computer working. If there is a problem with the UPS, your computer will not turn on. Likewise, the same issue can also cause sudden shutdown. That is why it is recommended to check whether your inverter is fully working or not.
Read: How to prevent computer overheating problems
5]Check your scheduled downtime settings
There can be many reasons why your computer may shut down from time to time. For example, if a restart is pending to install Windows Update and it is already scheduled, your computer may not get permission to shut down even while playing games. Alternatively, there are other ways to schedule the shutdown of Windows PCs, for example, Command Prompt, Task Scheduler, etc. If you use any of these methods, it may cause the same problem.
Read: How to check GPU temperature on Windows.
6]Scan the PC with the Adware Removal Tool
Adware can be annoying in many ways, and this is one of them. That’s why you can use any adware removal tool to scan your computer. For example, you can use AdwCleaner, Ultra Adware Killer, etc.
Related: Windows PC shuts down while playing or watching videos
7]Check Graphics Card
This is probably the last thing you want to check. If your graphics card has data processing issues, your computer may shut down automatically. Also, the same issue can occur when you have an outdated graphics card. Dust can also be a reason why your graphics card or motherboard is not performing well.
Read: How to increase the allocated video memory.
8]Find the reason for the unexpected shutdown
If nothing helps, you need to find out the reason for the unexpected shutdown in Windows using Event Viewer, PowerShell, or Command Prompt.
How to fix if the computer shuts down randomly while playing the game?
If your computer randomly shuts down while the game is running, you should follow the above solutions. Apart from that, overheating can also cause the same problem. However, you need to close unnecessary applications, remove applications from startup, check RAM, check graphics card, etc.
What if the computer hangs while playing?
If your computer shuts down while playing games, you should check your RAM first. However, if you have new RAM, you may want to check if the inverter is working fine. On the other hand, a faulty or unsupported graphics card can also cause the same problem in your computer.
That’s it! Hope these solutions worked.
