Re: Computer restarts while playing Sims 4

@puzzlezaddict Thank you for taking the time to look at the logs. I don't really have another PSU to test this with. I think I may just have to deal if this is the case.

@Esdeline  You can test yourself, if you'd like.  The test isn't absolute proof either way, but a fail would be a good argument that the PSU is the problem.  If you'd like to try:

• Download OCCT (the stable x64 version)
• Launch the app; you don't need to install anything
• Under Test Configuration, select Power, and start the test by clicking on the arrow

If your computer crashes again, you might look into getting a new power supply.  If you want to be sure though, a computer shop might let you test there, depending on its policy.  Now's not a great time to ask, of course, but in a few weeks they might be glad to have the potential business, and you might only pay $10-20 more for one of their PSUs than you would from Amazon, plus you wouldn't have to wait for it to arrive.

I ended up replacing the PSU a few weeks ago and haven't had any crashes. Seemed that did the trick. Thanks @puzzlezaddict for your help. 🙂

@Esdeline  That's great to hear.  Thanks for the update.

Hello, 

I'm having this issue as well, my boyfriend built the computer and swears up and down that it can't be the PSU (I believe otherwise), I've attached the results from HWinFO to see if there might be anything you could tell me @puzzlezaddict? 

https://www.transfernow.net/OlROcf012021

The PC has:

GeForce GTX 750 Ti

Intel(R) Core (TM) i5-4460 CPU @ 3.20GHz

7.94 GB Ram

1920 x 1080, 60 Hz

Motherboard: asustek computer inc. maximus vii ranger

Cooler Master PSU 

@AfroDite26  There's no evidence in the hwinfo log that the power supply is the problem, although its voltage on the 12 V rail does drop to 11.9 quite often.  The thing is, that's only borderline, and it's impossible to tell from that reading alone whether the voltage is a real problem or perfectly fine.  A better test would be swapping out the PSU for a different model and testing.  Before you do that though, double-check that all the connectors fit snugly—it's easy enough for one to come loose and cause all kinds of issues.

Did your computer restart while running this log?  I don't see anything in the log itself that indicates a hardware issue, or any kind of system crash for that matter.  It would be more helpful if you could get a log that ended with a restart, so I could see what was happening immediately before that.

If the computer did restart, how long did hwinfo run beforehand?  The log is just under 32 minutes long; if you ran it for longer but the log isn't intact past a certain point, that's also useful information to have.

Okay, that's good to know. I'll make sure to ask my boyfriend to check through the PC and make sure everything's plugged in correctly. 

Yes! The computer did restart with this log, i started it right before I played the Sims so there may be like 2 extra minutes but there's been no pattern to the restarts.  

Last night we noticed that with the graphics settings on ultra the computer tends to restart quicker. Could it be possible the graphics card isn't good for the sims anymore? Could that cause the restarts?

@AfroDite26  Ultra settings would definitely put more of a strain on the graphics card relative to the rest of the hardware, so it's reasonable to start with the card.  It's not overheating or downclocking for no apparent reason, and it's not running at or close to full load most of the time either, but that's not definitive proof it's fine.  I mentioned the PSU's 12 V rail: that's what supplies the GPU with its power, so if the voltage drops are in fact a problem, the graphics card would be the component to suffer for it.

If you have a different card that you could borrow, that would be the most straightforward test.  If the game still crashes with another GPU, then the issue could be the power supply to the card, or the PCIe slot, or perhaps one of the connectors, but you'd have narrowed things down significantly.

Otherwise, you could get a partial answer by playing on the processor's integrated graphics chip.  If the chip is currently disabled—you can look under Display adapters in the Device Manager, it would be listed as an Intel HD Graphics 4600—you'd need to either remove the dedicated card or change a setting in BIOS to enable the chip and disable the card.  Then you could plug your monitor into the motherboard.  You'd need to turn down the graphics as well, probably to low or low-medium.  This doesn't eliminate as many possibilities, but it's a reasonable place to start.

Alright, thank you! That's good to know. So to make sure it wasn't an issue with the slot we changed the graphics card slot, and I played, had no restarts. I played again a second time and the game restarted within 30 mins of me playing. Here's a log, it's long, and I didn't play the entire time I was logging, but maybe it'll be able to pinpoint whether its the PSU or not? Thank you so much for your help btw. 


https://www.transfernow.net/X597nl012021

@AfroDite26  Sorry for the late reply; I missed your last post until now.

There's nothing in this log that points to a graphics card issue either.  The card is clearly working hard, but its load was higher earlier in the log, and it apparently performed just fine.  The power supply looks like it did in the previous log: the voltage dips a bit, but not to the point where it's conclusively a problem.

The only suspicious reading I noticed was that virtual memory use was at its highest right at the end of this log, but that wasn't the case with the previous one.  It's worth running chkdsk though, on the off chance that the drive has a bad sector that's allocated to the page file.

• Hit Windows key-X
• Choose either “PowerShell (Administrator)” or “Command prompt (Administrator),” whichever option is offered
• Inside the window that appears, copy and paste "chkdsk /f /r c:" without quotes, and enter
• You'll be asked to allow a restart; say yes
• When the scan is done, use this guide to find the results

If you're still suspicious of the graphics card, I think it's worth testing with a different card, or barring that, with the card disabled or uninstalled and using the integrated chip instead.

@puzzlezaddict no worries! 

So, my boyfriend and I checked the thermal paste and did the check disk as you recommended, everything was good, but the restarts are still happening, and a little more frequently now. We ordered a new PSU and are going to see if it's that. We're also thinking about getting a new graphics card but there's apparently some massive shortage. I've attached the recent results from HWinfo, by any chance is there anything you see there that could pinpoint the issue? I've been trying to enjoy the new stuff pack but I can't play for more than 45 minutes, if I'm lucky, without my PC restarting. 

Thank you very much for all your help btw! 

https://www.transfernow.net/SQ2M4q012021

@AfroDite26  There's still nothing definitive in this log.  The voltage on the 12V rail is still a bit low, and virtual memory use is still at its highest towards the end of the log, but neither is conclusive.  Hopefully this in fact a power supply issue, in which case you'll know.  Otherwise, I'll try to get a second opinion on the logs in case I'm missing something useful.

@puzzlezaddict we think we found it! It's looking like the electrical plug in our room. We had the electricity re-done in our apartment not too long ago and surely enough the electrician had cut a wire he wasn't supposed to, but later fixed it. My boyfriend and I did a test and whenever we have multiple things plugged in the room the restarts happen. We plugged the PC to an outlet outside the room and I simmed my life away for hours with 0 restarts. We're testing again to be sure, but thank you so much!! 

@AfroDite26  That is quite the problem to have, and in all honesty I'd never have guessed that a cut wire was responsible.  Thanks for letting me know that was the problem, and for reminding me that trying a new outlet is always a useful test.