Fix: PC Restarts When Playing Games (Not Overheating)

Few things in this world are more annoying than your PC restarting mid-game. A common cause for this is overheating, but many of us face it even with a perfectly cool PC. 

So what’s the deal?

Other common reasons why this is happening include problems with the Power Supply Unit (PSU), corrupt or outdated graphics, a CPU working at full power, or misconfigured settings.

Below, we’ll address all of these possible causes that force your PC to restart while gaming. 

How to stop your PC from restarting when playing games

First, make sure your PC meets the minimal requirements. Also, if available, try another PSU instead If the problem still persists, let’s perform the solutions below to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

1. Update the graphics driver

1. Press Windows + S to launch the Search menu, enter Device Manager in the text field; and click on the relevant search result.
2. Now, double-click on the Display adapters entry.
3. Right-click on the graphics adapter in use, and select Update driver from the context menu.
4. Next, select Search automatically for drivers.
5. Wait for Windows to find and install the best available driver on the system.

Though it’s not recommended that you frequently check for driver updates, the graphics driver here is an exception. When gaming, it plays a critical role, and if it’s outdated or there’s a bug present, updating it could fix the problem.

If this method doesn’t work, try manually installing the latest driver version, and check if the PC still restarts when playing games.

Constantly updating drivers on your PC is essential, especially when playing games, and a third-party automated solution can improve gaming sessions.

2. Disable automatic restart

1. Press Windows + S to launch the Search menu, enter View advanced system settings, and click on the relevant search result.
2. Click on the Settings button under Startup and Recovery.
3. Now, untick the checkbox for Automatically restart under System failure, and click on OK at the bottom.

3. Remove overclocking

For many users, overclocking resulted in frequent restarts when playing games on the PC. Overclocking is meant to boost the performance; and take it to levels the device is not designed to run at, thus often causing it to malfunction.

So, remove any overclocking on the PC, and uninstall apps that fall under the category of game boosters. If the problem persists after making the changes or the method is not applicable in your case, head to the next one.

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4. Perform a System Restore

If none of the methods listed here have worked, chances are that the underlying problem is not a general one but specific to your computer. In this case, the simplest solution is to perform a System Restore.

A system restore will fix almost any kind of issue, be it problematic drivers that were recently installed, conflicting applications, or changes to the settings. It does that by reverting any modifications made to the computer’s software.

Once done, the PC would no more restart when playing games on Windows 10 or 11.

How do I stop my computer from overheating when playing games?

The overheating problem generally arises when the CPU usage is high, there isn’t enough RAM available, the computer fan does not work, no space around the CPU for the hot air to escape, or due to dust buildup.

Here are a few ways to stop your computer from overheating when playing games:

• Choose optimal system settings: If the PC is overheating due to poor performance, configure the settings such that your PC becomes faster and more responsive.
• Clear storage space: If your computer runs low on storage, uninstall unnecessary apps and additional files. In case you don’t want to delete them, upload the files to cloud storage.
• Control the CPU fan: If you notice the fan speed to be persistently low, manually control the CPU fan and set it to run at the optimal speed.
• Use dedicated software, too: You can also use a dedicated third-party tool to reduce overheating. These identify what’s causing the problem and automatically take corrective measures.

That’s it! These were all the ways you can fix things if the PC restarts when playing games and stop it from overheating. The methods will also work if the PC restarts with a black screen while gaming.

Also, determine what to do if your Windows 11 PC restarts randomly, even when not playing games.

Other problems like random restarts or unexpected reboot messages can also mess with your gaming. If your PC is stuck restarting, won’t restart properly, or restarts on its own, these guides can help: fix PC stuck restart, computer restarted unexpectedly, Windows 10 not restarting, Dell laptop stuck on restarting, and random restart Windows 10. Check them out to keep your PC stable during gaming and everyday use.

If you have any other queries or know of a method not listed here, drop a comment below.