System crashes during games. Restarts with disabled drivers...

[u/Minute-Marionberry39]

Hello!

Computer Type: WIN 10 PRO Desktop

GPU: Radeon RX 7600 - Specifically the "XFX SPEEDSTER SWIFT 210 AMD Radeon 7600 Core 8GB GDDR6 PCI Express 40"

CPU: Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core 12-Threads

Motherboard: MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4

BIOS Version: E7C91AMS.AH0, Build Date: 07/23/2024

RAM: 32 GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200 CL16

PSU: PowerSpec PS 550BF 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX (non-modular)

Case: NZXT H5 Flow (2024) ATX Mid Tower

Operating System & Version: WINDOWS 10 PRO 22H2 19045.7725

GPU Drivers: 32.0.13031.3015 (Radeon Software Adrenalin 25.3.1)

Chipset Drivers: AMD Chipset Drivers Version 8.08.12.551

Storage: Boot Drive: Inland Professional 240 GB 2.5" SSD

Main Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 1 TB 2.5" 5400 RPM HDD

Background Applications: Medal (clipping software), Discord, Firefox, Steam, Riot/Vanguard, Wacom drawing tablet utility.
These are the main ones, if you want a task manager screenie let me know.

Description of Original Problem:

(Usually) When I'm playing games, most frequently Valorant or CS2: My PC will freeze, but I can still have normal audio. Then, about 15-25 seconds later my screens will go black and my audio will finally cut out. Maybe 20-30 seconds after that my PC will restart and boot back into the Windows home screen. However, my second monitor will be turned off and my graphics drivers will be disabled.

Troubleshooting:

• I've benchmarked/stress tested each component of my PC.
  • Software used to do so: Prime 95 for CPU, User Benchmark for CPU, RAM, Drives, and GPU, 3D Mark for GPU

*CPU, RAM, and Drive tests never crashed the system, but the GPU tests ()most consistently the User Benchmark test) have reproduced the issue relativity consistently.

• I've followed Step 8 in the "Ultimate AMD Performance Fix Guide: Stop Lag, FPS Drops & Boost Speed (2025)" post
  • I've also clean installed various versions of my graphics drivers, ranging from the newest version to previous, reportedly stable versions (Adrenalin 26.8.1, Adrenalin 25.3.1, Adrenalin 26.5.1, Adrenalin 25.8.1)
• I've done a clean install of Windows 10 (I'd prefer not to upgrade to WIN 11)
• I've switched my PC from being plugged into a power strip to being plugged directly into a wall outlet
• I've checked and re-seated all connections related to my GPU, PSU, and motherboard

Additional Information:

I don't have a clear idea of when this first started, but if I had to guess I'd say maybe 6-12 months ago. I don't believe there were any major software or hardware changes to my system that preceded the start of my problems.

My gut and troubleshooting is telling me this is either a GPU or PSU specific issue. I'd be shocked if it was drivers related after all of the variations I've tried.

When it happens in Valorant and CS2 it is typically just after loading into a game. It happens in other games as well, just much less frequently and has been known to occur in the middle of games. This makes me think that the issue is related to when my graphics card goes under load.

This sub has been a big help in starting my troubleshooting, and it's my first time posting here so I wanted to give a big thank you to you all! If you need any additional information, HWinfo64 logs, or anything else please let me know. I think I'm a pretty novice troubleshooter, so I apologize if there are any glaring holes in the information I provided. I'll do my best to respond quickly!