Can fan curves cause PC crashes/random reboots?

[chopinanopolis]

So I've been having issues with my PC since I built it. I've RMA'd every single component except for my CPU and Mobo, and tried basically every single thing I've foind online, but I still get crashes, strangely, only in Apex Legends, no other game. But I recently changed one of the PC case Fan Settings in BIOS, and forgot to change it back, and exactly what happens in Apex happened while watching YouTube, my screen went black, the sound cut out and my PC restarted. Is that just a freak coincidence, or could fan curves actually be the thing that has been crashing my PC this whole time?
The exact same error came up as well in event viewer with that crash , a Chache Hierarchy Error, the same thing that shows when it reboots in Apex Legends
Specs:
GPU: AMD Radeon 6650XT
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600
Mobo: ASRock B450M Pro4 R2.0
Ram: 16GB Kingston Fury Beast DDR4-3200
SSD: 1TB Lexar NM620 M.2
PSU: 700 Watt be quiet! System Power 9
OS: Windows 10 Pro
Case: DeepCool CC360 ARGB

 

[Knight47]

Since you suspect fan curve. What are your temps before the reboot happens?

 

[Beginner Macro Device]

Extremely rare but some fans operating in PWM mode might cause weird sounds and odd system behaviour. Try DC mode if that's available.

 

[dgianstefani]

I doubt it.

Unless it's temperature related from you being too conservative with fan speeds.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Can fan curves cause PC crashes/random reboots?

No. Well, maybe.

But only if something abnormal is going on.

That is, if the fan's electronics are not faulty, if the motherboard's electronics are not faulty, if the controller settings are proper AND if heat throughout the computer are properly managed, then "no".

 

[chopinanopolis]

Since you suspect fan curve. What are your temps before the reboot happens?

I'm not sure, I'll have to check, but they're not unusually high in other games. I'm running Core Temp right now with the temp warning setting at 75°, but that's not it. It just crashed. I've noticed it very often crashes at the exact same spot, right after the legend select screen when the screen goes black and the champion squad is about to be shown. It's not 100% consistent there, but I'd say about 95%

 

[Beginner Macro Device]

If that happens in the same game at the same place then it's about right to suspect the game to be the problem. Reach out to devs, yet I only give you 1/100th of one percent they will fix it.

 

[chopinanopolis]

Extremely rare but some fans operating in PWM mode might cause weird sounds and odd system behaviour. Try DC mode if that's available.

I'll have to check that, there's is a strange like gurgling sound sometimes, but I'm not sure which component that's coming from, definitely fans, but not sure which ones

I doubt it.

Unless it's temperature related from you being too conservative with fan speeds.

It's the regular base fan speeds, I haven't changed anything in terms of speeds, so I'd hope it's not cause they're too low

No. Well, maybe.

But only if something abnormal is going on.

That is, if the fan's electronics are not faulty, if the motherboard's electronics are not faulty, if the controller settings are proper AND if heat throughout the computer are properly managed, then "no".

I don't think it's a temp issue, I've had core temp running a lot of the times with overheating protection enabled, and I've never gotten a notification that it's getting too hot. I've decided to just reinstall Apex through the EA app instead of Steam, maybe it was never a hardware issue to begin with, or something didn't agree with steam, no clue.

 

[dgianstefani]

Sounds more like a case short.

Check the standoffs between motherboard and frame are installed and check all power connections.

Could also just be an AMD bug, they aren't exactly uncommon.

Have you done a fresh Windows install? Windows 10 LTSC is the most stable version, and has little bloat.

If your BIOS isn't the latest, try updating that too, and ensure XMP is set.

Run OCCT and do a stability test for 30 min.

OCBASE/OCCT : Free, all-in-one stability, stress test, benchmark and monitoring tool for your PC

Ocbase is the home of OCCT, the most popular all-in-one stability / stress testing / benchmarking / monitoring tool available for PC

www.ocbase.com

 

[Bill_Bright]

I don't think it's a temp issue, I've had core temp running a lot of the times

Please note I was very careful to say exactly what I meant. CoreTemp is great. In fact, I regularly recommend it and use it on all my systems here because it is my preferred "CPU" temp monitor.

But note I said, "heat throughout the computer". This is because there are many components in addition to the CPU that, when overheated, can cause stability issues. Removing the side panel and blasting a desk fan in there might reveal if that is a problem.

I also want to confirm I am providing good, clean, stable power. So I would swap in another known good PSU and see what happens. Note, just because that PSU is new, that does not mean you did not get a lemon.

Check the standoffs between motherboard and frame

Good point. Since this has been a problem since the computer was built, verifying you only have a standoff where there is a corresponding motherboard mounting hole would be wise. Any extra standoff creates the potential for an electrical “short” in one or more circuits. The results range from "nothing" (everything works perfectly) to a wide assortment of odd problems, to "nothing" (as in nothing works at all ). To add to the confusion, these issues may be intermittent, depending on heat, expansion/contraction of materials, as well as continuity/resistance through the contact point. Therefore, you need to ensure the case only has an inserted standoff where there is a corresponding motherboard mounting hole.

Note the latest version of the ATX Form Factor standard hopes to eliminate these issues by dictating where standoffs will go, not just where they may go. But not all existing boards or cases comply with those latest standards - yet. So, you still should verify you only inserted a standoff where there is a corresponding motherboard mounting hole.

 

[GerKNG]

i'd start with a CMOS Reset and maybe replace the battery (B450 is 6 years old)