What can be causing random system reboots?

[Jarhead0331]

I picked up a new rig in March and up until recently, it only got very light use. However, I recently started doing some regular VR simming with it and I began having an issue where the PC would randomly reboot itself. No error message or anything, just a sudden, clean reboot. It could happen while I was running a game, or while I was doing nothing, for instance, shortly after a normal boot process. I did check the system logs and saw there were critical errors causing the reboot due to an Event 41, Kernal-Power issue with a bugcheck code of zero.

I brought the PC back in to the retailer, they ran all sorts of diagnostics and found nothing wrong. I brought it home and not long after, the problem started again. Also, after a few reboots, its not uncommon to lose video signal altogether. If I shut down for awhile, it will boot normally again. In any event, I decided to start my own troubleshooting by unplugging my crystal super Micro-OLED headset because I noticed just having it connected with the pimax software running seemed to tax the CCPU somewhat.  I have not experienced the problem since.

System specs are the following:

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D 4.4GHz Processor

MSI Mag X870E Tomahawk WiFi

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7

64GB DDR5-6000 RAM

2TB Solid State Drive

Microsoft Windows 11 Home

360mm AIO Liquid Cooler

1000 watt PSU

In addition to the VR headset, I also have a triple monitor setup and the system is connected to a KVM switch with two other rigs. Both other rigs run fine.

I ran a CPU-Z stress test for a few minutes with the headset unplugged and everything seemed steady. Any thoughts of what could be the cause or what else I should try?

Thanks in advance for any input.

[al_infierno]

I was going to guess it's likely either a power supply issue or a cable issue (recently my powerstrip started dying and caused me a bit of a panic when it would cause my system to randomly shut down), but the fact that it only happens when the headset is plugged in definitely throws me off. Did a bit of Googling and came across some info that might be relevant.

Google AI overview:

Sudden, clean computer reboots from the Pimax Crystal Super Micro-OLED are generally caused by power spikes overwhelming the USB controller, unstable GPU drivers, or an inadequate power supply. Troubleshooting involves checking your USB connections and ensuring your system can handle the headset's high power demands. [1, 2] 
Here are the specific, actionable steps to resolve this issue:

• Relocate USB Connections: Move the headset's USB cable to a direct, high-powered USB 3.0 or 3.1 port (usually blue) on the motherboard's rear I/O panel. Avoid using unpowered or even powered external USB hubs, which can trigger system instability.
• Perform a Clean GPU Driver Install: Use a tool like Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to remove your existing NVIDIA or AMD drivers, then install the newest, stable driver available directly from your GPU manufacturer.
• Update Pimax Play: Ensure your headset firmware and the  Pimax Play Software  are updated to the latest version.
• Check the Power Supply Unit (PSU): The Micro-OLED headset and modern GPUs (like the RTX 40 or 50 series) require massive amounts of continuous power. Ensure you have a high-quality, 850W to 1200W+ PSU and make sure you aren't daisy-chaining power cables from your PSU to your graphics card.
• Test the Battery: If you are using the headset's battery, try swapping to your second battery or testing it with the direct-power kit (if applicable) to ensure the power cut isn't caused by a loose battery connection. [5] 

Could you tell me:What GPU and Power Supply (PSU) do you currently have in your rig?Does this restart happen immediately upon launching a game, or after a specific amount of time?Are you getting any Windows Event Viewer errors (like a Kernel-Power Event 41) when the PC boots back up?I can help you pinpoint exactly which hardware component is failing.
AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/Pimax/comments/1t6zxz1/8k_crystal_super_microoled_keeps_restarting/
[2] https://forum.openmr.com/t/can-my-crystal-super-be-causing-my-pc-to-reboot/43233
[3] https://forum.dcs.world/topic/387955-pimax-micro-oled-turns-off-by-itself/
[4] https://www.reddit.com/r/Pimax/comments/1tnvzsp/computer_crashing/
[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/Pimax/comments/1ji072c/crystal_light_randomly_restarts_headset/

and a Reddit thread where someone seems to have a similar issue:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pimax/comments/1t6zxz1/8k_crystal_super_microoled_keeps_restarting/

If you want to get more info from the AI overview, I googled "crystal super micro oled causing computer reset" to get that result.

[Jarhead0331]

^Thanks, interesting...but it seems like that is all referring to the headset itself restarting. That's not my issue. My whole rig is rebooting.

Still, I will definitely try changing the USB connection. Definitely worth trying.

[Pete Dero]

The only time something like that happened to me it was an issue with my Anti-Virus software.
My software was active while Windows Defender was also running (should have been disabled).
When both checked the same file at the same time my system rebooted.

[Redwolf]

It could be anything, unfortunately. Hardware-wise, CPU, mainboard, RAM are candidates.

I would run real stability testing:
- memtest86_ for a day
- superpi
- mprime/prime95 for a day

That are really hard tests. They heat up your room pretty good, especially mprime.

[Jarhead0331]

I ended up bringing it back to the retailer. This time they were able to reproduce the problem and told me the issue was with the CPU, which they replaced.

So far, I haven't had the problem, but I'll be honest, I've been babying the system. Fingers crossed.

[Destraex]

I ended up bringing it back to the retailer. This time they were able to reproduce the problem and told me the issue was with the CPU, which they replaced.

So far, I haven't had the problem, but I'll be honest, I've been babying the system. Fingers crossed.

Just saw this. It's amazing how often CPU's fail these days. Back in the day it was super rare. It's the last thing you would suspect when doing your troubleshooting. I have seen a few people have their cpu's replaced recently now.