Question Ongoing PC instability after BIOS update, replaced multiple parts — still crashing occasionally

[eliavM]

Hi all, I’m dealing with ongoing crashes and instability even after doing a full rebuild and reinstall. I’ve done a ton of troubleshooting already, and I’m hoping someone here can help me figure out what’s still wrong.

Here’s the full timeline of what I’ve done:
---
Initial Issue: BIOS Update & Blue Screens
Original motherboard: Gigabyte B550 AORUS Elite V2
CPU: Ryzen 9 5900X
GPU: RTX 3070 (brand new)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2×16GB 3200MHz (CMT32GX4M2E3200C16)
SSD: Samsung 980 PRO 1TB

I updated the BIOS to version F17, then downgraded to F13 due to instability.
After that, I started getting multiple BSODs like:

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

---

Rebuild: Swapped Hardware
Replaced motherboard with Gigabyte B550 Gaming X V2
Upgraded CPU to Ryzen 9 5950X
Installed new copy of Windows 11
Still got occasional crashes even on clean install

---

RAM Troubleshooting
Ran MemTest86 on both RAM sticks
One stick failed quickly
The other passed 4 full passes (0 errors)
Running only the good stick for now (1×16GB)
Still experienced one crash during a large download (no games running)

---

Windows Installation
Fully wiped the SSD
Created new bootable USB with Windows 11
Did clean install, deleted all partitions
Installed only essential drivers and apps
System is mostly stable — only one crash since install

---

Diagnostics Done
Event Viewer shows Kernel-Power 41 (unexpected shutdown)
Hard Disk Sentinel shows SSD health at 98%
Samsung Magician fails to update firmware on 980 PRO
Temps and power look stable

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

You forgot to mention the make, model and age of the PSU. How are you cooling the processor?

Considering that you're on the Gigabyte B550 Gaming X V2, what BIOS version are you on? IMHO, VRM wise for the motherboard, you performed a downgrade. To add, a good practice is to clear the CMOS after you've verified your BIOS was successfully flashed.

Did clean install, deleted all partitions
Did you install the OS in offline mode, manually installing all drivers in an elevated command, while in offline mode?

Can you pass on the .dmp files for us to look through?

 

[JayGau]

Most of the time, this kind of sudden crashes are due to RAM instability. You should have started with that.

You should also have got a better mobo for the new processor (ideally a X570). Running the top-of-the-line CPU of its generation on one of the cheapest motherboards might not give the best results.

And a 5950x built requires a high-quality PSU and a very good cooler, two things you haven't mentioned (as Lutfij wisely pointed out). Temps look stable doesn't mean much by the way. You could have a very stable 100°c, doesn't mean it's good. You should monitor the min/max/average temps with HWInfo during regular productivity and gaming loads.