Computer restarts while playing Sims 4

[Esdeline]

Hello all,

I recently restarted playing the Sims 4 and have had a problem with my computer restarting whenever playing the game. I play other games and have not had this issue. I have done a few things after some google searches:

1) Ran repair on the Sims 4 through Origin

2) Disabled Origin in game

3) Checked to ensure my graphic card was up to date

4) Manually updated my computer through windows update

I've attached my dxdiag after the latest crash. Any help would be appreciated.

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@Esdeline  I apologize for the delay.  Both of your hwinfo logs show a significant drop of voltage on the 12V rail, enough to account for the restarts.  But it's not totally clear-cut that this is the issue.  Unless you were planning on buying a new power supply anyway, it would be better to borrow one and test it in your system, just so you can see whether this is in fact the issue.

If the restarts recur with the new PSU, you'll know that the issue is somewhere else.  The next suspect would be the motherboard, although yours is high quality and shouldn't be causing this kind of problem.

[puzzlezaddict]

@Esdeline  There's nothing obvious in your dxdiag that would explain this: no BSODs or other critical errors, just a bunch of Cortana crashes.  But that's not surprising, since straight restarts tend to be hardware errors.  What do you have for a power supply?  If you're not sure, you can physically look at it; please list manufacturer, wattage, and rating, e.g. Corsair 750W 80+ Gold.

It's also a good idea to do some hardware monitoring.  If this isn't a process you already know how to handle, you can log a session and upload it for us to look at.  Download hwinfo for free from here:

https://www.hwinfo.com/download/

You don't even need to install it if yo udon't want to; just download the portable version, unzip it, and launch it from Downloads or wherever you want.  (If you do want to install, be sure to click the green button, not the orange one.)  Restart your computer, open hwinfo, choose "sensors only," and click on the icon that's a sheet of paper with a + sign to start logging.  Wait five minutes, open Origin and Sims 4, and play until it crashes, or at least 20 minutes if it doesn't crash.  Don't open any other apps at the same time.

You can upload the log to a third-party filesharing site and link it here.  Please leave it in .csv format, or my log reader won't be able to open it.

By the way, did you happen to notice a pattern to the restarts?  We had one person here a couple months ago who said their system often restarted when they alt-tabbed back and forth between the game and other apps.

[Esdeline]

Hi Puzzlezaddict,

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond. The power supply is a Cooler Master masterwatt lite 600. I also took some time to use pressurized air to clean some of the dust bunnies out of the system. I've downloaded hwinfo and will follow your instructions asap.

Thanks again!

[Esdeline]

Here is the google drive link for the hwinfo.csv.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=14-W1Bf9Hg9Xg5_YfW5QY5H0wQpA5M0am

I had no restarts while playing.

As far as patterns, I did occasionally tab out to start a video on my second screen or look something up, but I also had restarts that had no tabbing.  I've had sessions that have gone on for some time (I couldn't say how long, just much longer than others) and sessions that were 5 minutes. The difference between this last session, with no restarts, and others is I don't have Chrome open.

Thanks again!

[Esdeline]

I've been playing since my last post without any random restarting. Perhaps it was cleaning the dust and such that helped?

[puzzlezaddict]

@Esdeline  That may well be the case, although it would be a bit unusual.  Excess heat would normally lead to the game crashing, or maybe an emergency shutdown, but not a restart.  Still, I'll take a look at the log later tonight (i.e. in a few hours) and let you know if I see anything.

In the interim, you can keep logging as you play normally, if you want; and if you do get another restart, now or in a few days (or weeks, I'll be around), just post back and tag me.  Since the computer behaved itself while you didn't have anything open, you might experiment with Chrome and other apps and see if you can reproduce the restart.  Or just do what you'd normally do and see how it goes.

[Esdeline]

@puzzlezaddict Unfortunately it restarted again midgame. I had turned the monitor off (and stopped playing for a while) to make dinner and did not start logging again. *sigh*  Thank you for your help! I will start log again.

[Esdeline]

Here is a log with a restart midgame.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1X-oomrLlpXe3N_jID29yrCud_v7rGb8d

[Esdeline]

Still having computer restarts in game, no pattern that I can discern. With chrome open, without chrome open, with tabbing out, without tabbing out. I've tried running in compatibility mode with no luck.

Hoping someone with more computer knowledge has any ideas.

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@Esdeline  I apologize for the delay.  Both of your hwinfo logs show a significant drop of voltage on the 12V rail, enough to account for the restarts.  But it's not totally clear-cut that this is the issue.  Unless you were planning on buying a new power supply anyway, it would be better to borrow one and test it in your system, just so you can see whether this is in fact the issue.

If the restarts recur with the new PSU, you'll know that the issue is somewhere else.  The next suspect would be the motherboard, although yours is high quality and shouldn't be causing this kind of problem.