How to Troubleshoot Common Gaming PC Problems

Source: Prime Tech Support

In today’s World with a lot of information from videos that are made from beginners to experts, we at Prime Tech Support receive computers every day for repair due to lack of good troubleshooting or assembly.

From Miami to gamers worldwide, Prime Tech Support is here to provide tips and how to improve your gaming experience. Prime Tech Support, your trusted partner in the dynamic world of gaming computer repair, with over 25 years of experience, we bring you insights into troubleshooting common Gaming PC problems based on what we do every day and the common issues we receive to fix every day.

What are Some Common Gaming PC Problems?

Gaming is a passion that fuels your virtual adventures, but encountering technical glitches can ruin your day. With so many gaming computer repairs that we perform every day, we created a collection of the ones we have seen the most.

In this comprehensive guide, we explore the most prevalent gaming PC problems and offer effective solutions to issues such as Gaming Computer crashes, Game Lagging due to lack of resources, Gaming PC not turning on or DOA (Dead on Arrival) -This is how we named these computers-, Gaming PC Black Screens, Gaming PC Blue Screens, Gaming PC with slow performance, Gaming PC not connecting to the Internet

Source: Prime Tech Support

Common Gaming PC Problems

1. Computer Crashes When Playing Games

As the adrenaline surges during intense gaming sessions, sudden crashes can be frustrating. Some samples of this issue are the screen staying black, blue screen or sometimes the screen shows artifacts

What causes your computer to crash while playing?

• Overheating is the number one cause, especially if you haven't done a hardware tune up to your computer.
• The second cause is the lack of resources, as you may know when you got your computer for the first time you built it or bought it for an initial requirement, but with time your games and applications start asking for more memory, processing, power, and video. In these cases, we recommend upgrading based on the requirements that your games or apps are asking for.
• Another cause is the drivers, remember that windows send you updates every now and then automatically and when that happens you may need to update your video drivers or even the bios for your motherboard.

2. Game Lagging on PC

Nothing disrupts gameplay like lag. This issue is presented when your gaming pc is having memory issues, video and/or software configuration issues.

Source: Prime Tech Support

How To Fix Game Lagging?

• Memory Upgrade: check the task manager and if your memory consumption is reaching 75% or more, it is time to upgrade the memory ram. Check the motherboard and if you can upgrade try to put twice of the ram you are using at the moment.
• Video Drivers update: if your memory consumption is in good condition then check the drivers. Go to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers for your GPU.
• Motherboard Drivers update: highly recommended once you do video drivers update. Go to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest version that is compatible with your computer components. Try to update one version at a time, it is a good practice to update to the next available depending on the version you have currently installed.

After this basic troubleshooting is completed and you still have the issues, we highly recommend reviewing the cooling system, motherboard, CPU or other hardware issues. You may need to hire a computer professional to fix the lagging on your PC. We at Prime Tech Support can help you with your Gaming PC Repairs.

3. Gaming PC Not Turning On

This is one of the most complex issues to repair. In our experience, most of our customers tend to fix their units using videos or documentation they find on the internet, but sometimes by doing so, the issue becomes worse than the original issue because of the lack of experience on how to handle these types of situations.

How To Fix a Gaming PC Not Turning On

• The first step should be checking the power supply. We need to make sure your power supply or PSU is providing the right power to your Gaming PC.
• Second step, if the power is OK then you need to check the GPU. In this case we recommend installing your GPU on another computer to make sure your GPU is working. If your GPU is OK, then you need to do step #3.
• The third step is to check the RAM, Motherboard and processor. Remove the RAM and clean the slots and if that does not help then you need to concentrate on the Motherboard and CPU. To test the motherboard, you need another CPU to make sure the board is responding. If the motherboard works, then you move to test the CPU by swapping it with another one. Last option, if none of the steps worked for you, we highly recommend contacting a computer technician to help you with the troubleshooting.

We at Prime Tech Support Repair Gaming Gaming PCs every day every day and we can have it ready to go the same day!

To get more ways on how to fix your Gaming PC, this is a good article which show 10 ways to fix a PC that does not turn on

4. Gaming PC Black Screen

A black screen can cast a shadow over your gaming journey. We understand how frustrating it may be when you are in the middle of a game, or a project, and your computer just goes black and never comes back. This issue happens a lot to gamers with their Gaming PC either custom-built or prebuilt. We at Prime Tech Support receive units with these issues and customers always ask why? … and the only we can tell is … We need to do a diagnostic to find out what happened to the unit and produce the best solution available.

How to fix Gaming PC Black Screen

Depending on what may cause the Gaming PC Black Screen we have the following solutions:

• Windows OS Corrupted: When we install many applications and we do not know if they are compatible with our current OS then the registry gets corrupted, and our computer starts misbehaving. A helpful solution to that is to do a computer restore to the version before the issue starts.
• Malware or Virus: When your computer got infected the computer registry and apps start misbehaving and the Gaming PC may slow down, to fix this you can download free software such Malwarebytes, CCleaner to run it on your Gaming PC. If these tools do not work, we recommend to take the unit to a Professional
• Corrupted Drivers: This happens a lot due to the lack of automatic updates. Windows OS updates but not the drivers, especially the GPU and BIOS, we highly recommend to update drivers once your Windows OS is updated.
• Hardware Issues: If one component is not performing or not configured correctly, then you will experience black screens. In our experience, the GPU is the main reason for hardware failure. To fix this problem, swap your GPU, by installing your GPU into another Computer. If your GPU works OK, then you need to start looking at RAM, CPU, BIOS, at this point we recommend working with a Computer Technician that is experienced with Gaming PCs.

Click Here To read more about how to fix your Windows 11 Black Screen.

5. Gaming PC Blue Screen

The notorious blue screen can bring gaming joy to a standstill. We unravel the complexities of this issue and provide a roadmap to a blue screen-free gaming haven.

How to Fix Gaming PC Blue Screen

• Troubleshoot a Software Issue: most of the time you get a blue screen due to configuration issue, the first step we do is to boot the Gaming PC with a USB where we have a testing OS to find out if the issue was related to a software issue or corrupted Windows and we may need to reset the unit. We also check for data in case we need to recover and back it up before doing anything to the computer.
• Hard Reset: If the unit works perfect with another Windows OS then the issue is related to software and we recommend hard reset when the unit is beyond repairable.
• Update the BIOS drivers: If after resetting your Gaming PC, you experience blue screens then you may need to update the BIOS Drivers.
• Update GPU Drivers: Very important to update GPU drivers to make sure the unit is stable and software is running as it should.

If none of those work for your situation you may have hardware issues, and in that case you need to start swapping parts with a working unit or take it to a Computer Technician who is a Professional Troubleshooter and have experience with Gaming PCs and Custom-Built PCs. We at Prime Tech Support help customers all over the USA to fix their computers.

Here there is a Guide from Dell on how to troubleshoot a blue screen

6. The Gaming PC Running Slowly

When speed is paramount, a slow PC can be exasperating. The worse experience in front of a Gaming PC is trying to do something and the computer is running like a turtle (nothing wrong with the turtles, but in gaming you need to run faster).

What Are the Causes of a Gaming PC Running Slowly?

• Hard Drive is dying: If you have a hard drive it is time to upgrade to a Solid State Drive (SSD) which runs up to 10 times faster.
• Overheating: If the unit has debris and the fans are dusty, your unit may experience slow performance due to the heat.
• Software Configuration: If Windows is having registry issues or not performing as it should, then you may need to reinstall the Windows OS or troubleshooting to avoid loosing all current configuration.
• RAM: If Ram is being used at a rate of 80% or more, then you may need to upgrade and add more RAM to your Gaming PC.

7. The Fans Run Loudly

Loud fans can disrupt the auditory pleasure of gaming. Most of the time a fan starts making noises when the vents are clogged or the fan itself is damaged due to the lack of maintenance. Remember that once the fan is not working, cleaning may not solve the problem, and replacement is necessary.

To avoid this from happening you need to do cleaning and maintenance at least once a year. At Prime Tech Support we do Cleaning and Maintenance for Gaming Computers, and we can do this on the same day.

Source: Prime Tech Support

8. The PC Not Connecting to the Internet

Not Internet connection? And is everybody else in your house able to surf the internet? Then you may have a hardware or software-related issue. The fastest way to fix it is to get a USB to Ethernet Adapter or USB to WiFi Adapter to see if the issue is fixed.

Schedule a Gaming Diagnostic Service now!

What Are The Main Causes Of Not Having Internet Access On A Gaming PC?

• The Wi-Fi or Network is not turned on: To fix this make sure that the Wi-Fi/Network adapter is enabled in the PC's settings. Go to the Network & Internet settings and turn on the adapter. If the adapter is ON, try disabling and enabling the adapter and see if you get connectivity.
• The Wi-Fi/Network adapter is not properly installed: This usually happens when an update is performed or you have a new adapter and drivers are conflicting. Reinstall the Wi-Fi adapter driver to fix this issue.
• The Wi-Fi network is out of range: If the Gaming PC is too far away from the Wi-Fi router, it will not be able to connect to the network, in this case move closer to the Router or get an extender. We highly recommend for best gaming experience to connect via cable using a high quality CAT6, CAT7 or CAT8 Cable.
• Hardware issue: The ethernet or wifi is not responding because the motherboard has hardware problem and you either replace the board or install a new adapter via USB which is the best cost-effective option for this case.

Source: Prime Tech Support

How Can I Optimize My Gaming PC for Better Performance?

• Step 1 - Check Your Hardware: Ensure your gaming PC's physical components are snugly connected. Loose connections can lead to performance issues.
• Step 2 - Update Your Drivers: Outdated drivers can hinder performance. The most common drivers you need to do are BIOS and GPU. We highly recommend visiting the manufacturer website to keep your drivers updated.
• Step 3 - Reinstall Your Games: Sometimes, a fresh start is all your games need. If your Gaming PC works perfectly, and you just have issues with a specific game, it is time for reinstallation. If you have issues with most of the games or have artifacts, you may have GPU issues.
• Step 4: Run a Diagnostic Tool: Online diagnostic tools are your virtual allies. Remember there are tools to test your GPU, CPU, Motherboard, even your games, use those tools available from your manufacturer.
• Step 5 - Contact Technical Support: When all else fails, Technical Support is your lifeline. Reach out to professionals close to you or even remotely who can provide tailored solutions to your gaming PC problems. We at Prime Tech Support provide In-Store, Onsite and Remote Technical Support to improve your Gaming PC Experience.

What Can I Do to Prevent Gaming PC Problems?

• Keep Your PC Clean: Dust and debris can compromise your PC's performance. We highly recommend performing a Hardware Tune-Up every 6 months. We at Prime Tech Support offer a Cleaning and Maintenance Gaming PC Service which not only checks the hardware but also the software to ensure your Gaming PC is running like new again. The best part of it is that we may discover issues that will prevent future issues and fix them on the spot.
• Keep Your Drivers Updated: Regular driver updates are essential for peak performance. We emphasize the importance of driver updates and highly suggest keeping an eye on this process, which varies depending on the manufacturer.
• Avoid Overclocking Your PC: While overclocking may seem tempting, it can lead to instability. We will discuss the pros and cons, helping you make an informed decision in a future blog, our idea is to provide you with the best available news about it. Leave a comment if you would like to know more about this topic. We do overclock many Gaming PCs, but to do so we need to pay attention to many components to make sure your Gaming PC is stable.
• Use a Surge Protector with Battery Backup: Not having good protection could cause not only to get you out a game in the middle of the most exciting part, but it could damage your Investment (Your Gaming PC) and break your pocket. We always recommend having a good surge protector with a battery backup which allows you to keep your unit running while the power shuts down. There are many of those to choose from, we will explain which is the best one for your Gaming PC based on your computer components. Let us know if this is something you would like us to write in the future.
• Back Up Your Data Regularly: Data loss can be devastating. Our advice on regular data backups ensures your gaming progress and valuable data are safe from unforeseen situations. Windows has its own backup options, but you can also get an external hard drive or backup on cloud or network storage. We will go through all these options in another article so you can have a good idea of what to choose for your specific needs.

Schedule a Gaming Diagnostic Service now!

Conclusion

Prime Tech Support stands as your gaming ally when it comes to repairs and custom PC building, bridging the gap between technical hurdles and immersive gameplay. With our 25 years of expertise, we ensure your gaming experience remains uninterrupted, exhilarating, and unforgettable.

We hope with this guide you can troubleshoot your Gaming PC and if the issues are beyond your control or knowledge get help from a professional who can help right away like our team who is always here to help you out.

FAQs:

Question 1: How Can I Speed Up My Gaming PC?

From optimizing settings to hardware upgrades, we provide comprehensive strategies to boost your gaming PC's speed and responsiveness.

Question 2: Why Does My Computer Glitch When Playing Games?

Glitches can stem from various sources. The main reason is lack of resources, your gaming PC is asking for more power or more video and your unit is not able to provide it. This could be because the unit is overheating, the GPU is not performing at its maximum capacity due to lack of maintenance or a hardware issue. To avoid this, try to keep your Gaming PC updated and clean. The best option is to take it to a professional at least once a year, the same way you go to the dentist for cleaning and maintenance.