Hard Crash today for the first time, what could have caused it?

[BloodStarvedHoonter]

Today, I was playing Like a Dragon Gaiden, then all of the sudden my gaming laptop just froze and nothing would fix it. I actually had to hard reset it by holding the power button for 10 seconds.

Current temps while gaming (that game specifically) ranges from 50-70c around 25% load, GPU was 50-60c around 40/45% load. I play at 1920x1080p high to medium settings, and this game specifically capped at 60 with VSync on. I just updated to the recent NVIDIA drivers, including NVIDIA app and latest Windows Version. Idle 50-60c at 5% load, not sure if that is caused by Wallpaper Engine as well or not, but I do not remember my temps ever being that high just idle.

I am not sure if this could have done it, but I updated my BIOS version through Windows, and never had a hard crash like this in the 1.5 years I have had this PC. I hope that wont be the cause, because I will downgrade if need be. And after doing some research, it could be overheating? I do not play many very demanding games, unless LAD is getting more and more demanding every release.

I also have a cooling pad, might get a new one in fact, if that helps more, and not sure if thermal paste needs to be reapplied or I need to dust out the fans.

[Guydodge]

i wouldnt read to much into it unless it keeps happening.check your task manager see
if anything is running in background that shouldnt be.if it happens again try uninstalling anything youve installed recently.also try turning off the overlay in nvidia app and
turn off auto optimize.

[Electric Cupcake]

Look in Event View logs. Particularly any unrecoverable errors involving "nvlddmkm"

[Illusion of Progress]

If it's a one off but everything has otherwise been stable for a long time until then, keep it in mind but don't read into it. If it starts occurring regularly, you may have an issue.

In that case, since you had a long period of stability before, it indicates something changed between then and now.

The BIOS update and graphics card drivers would fall under that. Otherwise, something might be aging or overheating and failing. The temperatures you gave for the CPU and GPU don't seem anywhere near high enough, but there's other things that could be overheating or failing.

[Masque]

Originally posted by Electric Cupcake:

Look in Event View logs. Particularly any unrecoverable errors involving "nvlddmkm"

Butting in with an aside here -- wouldn't it be neat if Grok or ChatGPT could be incorporated into the OS for the specific, narrow purpose of translating "nviddmkm" for the average user? Or the error logs in general? It's all incredibly arcane to anyone who hasn't spent their life learning these things, and shouldn't be at this late date. No more than, say, German or French to the unilingual normie.

Right-click option: translate into plain English.

[_I_]

could be failing psu if its older or poor quality

[The Brown Hornet]

Background updates

[ˢᵈˣ FatCat]

If only that game , usually because : memory leak, and it nothing you can do

[BloodStarvedHoonter]

Originally posted by ˢᵈˣ FatCat:

If only that game , usually because : memory leak, and it nothing you can do

Could be, I didn’t notice anything abnormal regarding height amounts of RAM being used during the game.

Which if that is the case, that would suck because that’s the only game that has happened with since I bought the gaming laptop

[BloodStarvedHoonter]

Originally posted by _I_:

could be failing psu if its older or poor quality

I hope not, I haven’t even had the laptop for 2 years yet, I am sure I can buy another from the official website or something if needed

[BloodStarvedHoonter]

Originally posted by Illusion of Progress:

If it's a one off but everything has otherwise been stable for a long time until then, keep it in mind but don't read into it. If it starts occurring regularly, you may have an issue.

In that case, since you had a long period of stability before, it indicates something changed between then and now.

The BIOS update and graphics card drivers would fall under that. Otherwise, something might be aging or overheating and failing. The temperatures you gave for the CPU and GPU don't seem anywhere near high enough, but there's other things that could be overheating or failing.

I am wondering if it is BIOS, but worse case scenario I just revert back from flash drive

[ˢᵈˣ FatCat]

Originally posted by BloodStarvedHoonter:

Originally posted by ˢᵈˣ FatCat:

If only that game , usually because : memory leak, and it nothing you can do

Could be, I didn’t notice anything abnormal regarding height amounts of RAM being used during the game.

Which if that is the case, that would suck because that’s the only game that has happened with since I bought the gaming laptop

The game is unreal engine?

[76561199389059995]

Originally posted by BloodStarvedHoonter:

Today, I was playing Like a Dragon Gaiden, then all of the sudden my gaming laptop just froze and nothing would fix it. I actually had to hard reset it by holding the power button for 10 seconds.

Current temps while gaming (that game specifically) ranges from 50-70c around 25% load, GPU was 50-60c around 40/45% load. I play at 1920x1080p high to medium settings, and this game specifically capped at 60 with VSync on. I just updated to the recent NVIDIA drivers, including NVIDIA app and latest Windows Version. Idle 50-60c at 5% load, not sure if that is caused by Wallpaper Engine as well or not, but I do not remember my temps ever being that high just idle.

I am not sure if this could have done it, but I updated my BIOS version through Windows, and never had a hard crash like this in the 1.5 years I have had this PC. I hope that wont be the cause, because I will downgrade if need be. And after doing some research, it could be overheating? I do not play many very demanding games, unless LAD is getting more and more demanding every release.

I also have a cooling pad, might get a new one in fact, if that helps more, and not sure if thermal paste needs to be reapplied or I need to dust out the fans.

Well your setup when running this game just doing FPS cap from NVIDIA App/NVIDIA Control Panel with VSYNC on, it may normal. Did you verify the game? Could it be some Windows Updates caused your laptop freezing? Or just SSD or HDD was that old?
In case it was Windows Updates, you may rollback updates from Windows Advanced Boot Options (you may go Start>Settings>Update & Security>Recovery>Advanced startup>Restart now). After couple of minutes you may try the game and see any issues.
You may try perform clean installation with NVIDIA Drivers only when problem still there.
Check your hard drive easy with HDTune, or Crystal Disk info or Crystall Disk Mark.
HDTune install then run QuickTest/FastScan (this for HDD), Crystall Disk Mark just checking writing and reading speed, Crystal Disk Info just look at Power On Hours (both Crystal Disk using for HDD and SSD).

Thermal paste well apply once a year when heat increasing or it will be pretty hot in summer. Cooling pad you just do full cleaning. But I have question, are you working as IT Helpdesk or IT or S.T.E.M related?

Originally posted by BloodStarvedHoonter:

Originally posted by _I_:

could be failing psu if its older or poor quality

I hope not, I haven’t even had the laptop for 2 years yet, I am sure I can buy another from the official website or something if needed

Okay your laptop just 2 years of use. But what manufacture also what models name?

[BloodStarvedHoonter]

Originally posted by ˢᵈˣ FatCat:

Originally posted by BloodStarvedHoonter:

Could be, I didn’t notice anything abnormal regarding height amounts of RAM being used during the game.

Which if that is the case, that would suck because that’s the only game that has happened with since I bought the gaming laptop

The game is unreal engine?

Nah. RGG Studios has developed their own engine for Like a Dragon/Yakuza/Spin Offs, called the Dragon Engine. And I have played multiple games so far, that have used the engine and never had any crashes until this

[BloodStarvedHoonter]

Originally posted by >9000:

Originally posted by BloodStarvedHoonter:

Today, I was playing Like a Dragon Gaiden, then all of the sudden my gaming laptop just froze and nothing would fix it. I actually had to hard reset it by holding the power button for 10 seconds.

Current temps while gaming (that game specifically) ranges from 50-70c around 25% load, GPU was 50-60c around 40/45% load. I play at 1920x1080p high to medium settings, and this game specifically capped at 60 with VSync on. I just updated to the recent NVIDIA drivers, including NVIDIA app and latest Windows Version. Idle 50-60c at 5% load, not sure if that is caused by Wallpaper Engine as well or not, but I do not remember my temps ever being that high just idle.

I am not sure if this could have done it, but I updated my BIOS version through Windows, and never had a hard crash like this in the 1.5 years I have had this PC. I hope that wont be the cause, because I will downgrade if need be. And after doing some research, it could be overheating? I do not play many very demanding games, unless LAD is getting more and more demanding every release.

I also have a cooling pad, might get a new one in fact, if that helps more, and not sure if thermal paste needs to be reapplied or I need to dust out the fans.

Well your setup when running this game just doing FPS cap from NVIDIA App/NVIDIA Control Panel with VSYNC on, it may normal. Did you verify the game? Could it be some Windows Updates caused your laptop freezing? Or just SSD or HDD was that old?

Originally posted by BloodStarvedHoonter:

I hope not, I haven’t even had the laptop for 2 years yet, I am sure I can buy another from the official website or something if needed

Okay your laptop just 2 years of use. But what manufacture also what models name?

I don’t believe so, I don’t ever open up the NVIDIA app unless I’m downloading new drivers. I always preferred to adjust settings myself in game. And it’s an MSI

[76561199389059995]

Originally posted by BloodStarvedHoonter:

Originally posted by >9000:

Well your setup when running this game just doing FPS cap from NVIDIA App/NVIDIA Control Panel with VSYNC on, it may normal. Did you verify the game? Could it be some Windows Updates caused your laptop freezing? Or just SSD or HDD was that old?

Okay your laptop just 2 years of use. But what manufacture also what models name?

I don’t believe so, I don’t ever open up the NVIDIA app unless I’m downloading new drivers. I always preferred to adjust settings myself in game. And it’s an MSI

What model is that? MSI GF63, MSI Katana/Sword Series,...