Sudden shutdowns can be caused by a number of issues, however there are two common triggers:  power and cooling.

Power related issues tend to come from components not being able to pull sufficient power, usually because:

• The power supply (PSU) is not able to meet the power demands of the system due to improper spec or degradation.
• The power supply is not able to pull steady power from mains (aka wall power).

Cooling issues however point to a component overheating, generally the CPU, causing the system to power off by triggering Over Temperature Protection (OTP).

How do I tell if it's a Power or Cooling issue?

To check if a PC is overheating, it's best to start by checking the CPU of the PC either during startup or shortly after logging in to your Windows account.  For more information, please check out our guide here:  Is my PC overheating?

For power related shutdowns, this will require a bit more troubleshooting to narrow down.

Troubleshooting External Power Issues

To troubleshoot Power issues, the best place to start is to check the power being fed from mains (aka wall power).  There are a few ways we can test this:

• If you are using a UPS, Surge Protector, or Plug Strip:  try temporarily connecting the PC to direct wall power (please see the below note regarding surge protectors).
• Try connecting the PC to an outlet on another circuit in your home/building.
• Try another power cable.  All NZXT Gaming PCs use a standard NEMA 5-15 to C13 cable.  We recommend using an appropriate gauge power cord based on your PSU rating.
  • <750W - 18 AWG
  • 750W to 1200W - 16 AWG
  • 1300W+ - 14 AWG

When setting up your PC, we do not recommend connecting your PC to direct wall power as this can leave your PC unprotected from power surges.  We will always recommend to have your PC connected to either a Surge Protector or Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to ensure safe operation.

What is a Surge Protector or UPS?

Surge Protectors in this context refers to a plug strip which features surge protection (a fuse or switch that trips when a power surge is detected).  A surge protector is the first line of defense for your PC from electrical surges.  Some surge protectors may also have features such as power conditioning which helps smooth our power.  It is worth noting that not all plug strips are surge protectors, so be sure to check that your strip does feature a surge protection rating of at least 2000J.

An Uninterruptible Power Supply or UPS, also called a battery backup is another option when setting up your PC, typically including surge protection, power conditioning, and other features alongside providing backup power in the event of a sudden power loss (also known as a blackout).  When picking out a UPS, it's best to get one that exceeds the rating of your PC's Power Supply Unit.

If you are wondering if you should go with a Surge Protector or UPS, we generally do recommend a surge protector rated for 2000J+ as the minimum for safely setting up your PC.  A UPS is a great option for those looking for additional protection, or if you experience brownouts.

Troubleshooting Hardware Issues

After ruling out overheating and external power, the next place to look will be the PC itself.  For this we recommend using a stability and stress testing program such as OCCT.

This program generates artificial workloads for your PC which can help narrow down hardware related issues in your PC.  Below are a few example tests we recommend running to narrow down hardware errors.  Each test should be run for its full duration (1 hour for free users) or until an issue is detected.

Supporting OCCT

OCCT is provided free of charge for personal use but cannot be used in a commercial or business environment.  If you would like to support the development of OCCT, support options are provided when starting a test or through the OCCT website.

CPU Test

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• Mode: Extreme
• Load Type: Variable
• Thread Settings: Auto

For additional CPU testing, you can use the CPU+RAM or Linpack tests to test additional loads on the system.

Graphics Test

For Graphics testing, we recommend using the Combined test with the 3D Adaptive and VRAM tests active.

• 3D Adaptive Configuration - Steady
• Priority - Realtime
• Load Type - Extreme
• Memory - 80% or higher

These tests can be run individually, however combined can help better expose hardware issues with the graphics card.

Power Supply

For testing Power Supply related issues, the aptly named Power test places a high general load across all components in the PC which can force a sudden shutdown or crash.  No additional configuration is necessary for this test.

OCCT also includes additional tests such as Memory and Storage tests, however issues with these components rarely contribute to sudden shutdowns.

My PC crashed or shutdown during testing, what next?

If your system crashed or suddenly shutdown from a test, take a note of which test caused the crash and run it again to confirm if the issue is consistent.  When you re-open OCCT following a crash or sudden shutdown, you may also get a report for the test itself.

Once you've confirmed the issue is consistent, the next step will depend on your system:

• If your PC is still within Warranty, reach out to our Customer Support team for further assistance.
  • All NZXT Gaming PCs carry a standard 2-year limited warranty.
• If your PC is outside of Warranty, the component targeted by the test may need to be replaced.
  • NZXT does not offer out-of-warranty repair, however all NZXT Gaming PCs are built using standard off-the-shelf components for ease of repair and upgradeability.