Computer Freezes When Playing Games? Here’s How to Fix It.

If Computer freezes when you’re playing games, that can be frustrating for you. But don’t worry. In this post, we’ll let you know more about this problem and show you the methods for fixing this problem.

Why does the computer freeze when playing games?

Following are the most common causes of this problem:

  • Overheating: Playing games requires a significant amount of system resources. This may cause your computer hardware components (CPU, GPU, etc.) to overheat, and then overheating causes your computer to freeze.
  • Insufficient RAM: Games require a significant amount of memory to run smoothly. If your computer doesn’t have enough RAM, it may freeze when you’re playing games.
  • Outdated drivers: Updated drivers can boot your PC performance and game performance. On the other hand, if drivers are outdated, your PC and games may run slowly and even freeze or crash.
  • Malware or virus infections: Malware or virus infections can cause a variety of problems, including causing your computer to freeze when you’re playing games.
  • Incompatible hardware: Every game has their own minimum system requirement. If your computer doesn’t meet the game’s minimum system requirements, it may freeze.
  • Corrupted game files: If game files become corrupted, you may experience freezing issues when playing games.

Symptoms you may encounter……

When a computer freezes while playing games, there could be several symptoms. Following we list the most common symptoms. See if you’re encountering one of them.

  • The game freezes and you can’t continue to play the game.
  • The computer is not responding. You can’t use your keyboard or the mouse to control the computer.
  • Only the screen freezes. You can hear the game’s audio but you can’t interact with the game.
  • The mouse or keyboard is not responding. The cursor cannot move or you can’t use the keyboard to control the game.
  • The computer crashes. In this scenario, you may see a blue screen or a black screen. You’ll need to restart your computer to make it run again.

How to fix computer freezes when playing games

To fix the problem, you can try these methods:

Method 1: Check the game’s minimum system requirements
Method 2: Close background programs
Method 3: Run System File Checker
Method 4: Update your device drivers
Method 5: Reinstall the game
Method 6: Check for overheating
Method 7: Check for faulty hardware
Method 8: Seek professional assistance

Method 1: Check the game’s minimum system requirements

If your computer’s hardware doesn’t meet the minimum system requirements for the game you’re playing, you could experience the freezing issue while playing the game. So it’s necessary to check the game’s minimum system requirements and ensure your computer’s hardware meets the requirements.

Go to the game vendor’s official website and then you can check the game’s minimum system requirements there.

Method 2: Close background programs

Some programs may conflict with the game and cause the freezing issue. If you have any other programs running while playing the game, close them.

To do so, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager and end all unnecessary programs, including antivirus software. After that, check to see if the problem persists.

Method 3: Run System File Checker

You can use Windows’ built-in tool System File Checker to detect and repair any corrupted system files.

1) Press Win+R to open the Run box.

2) Type “cmd” into the Run box and click the OK button.

3) Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to open Command Prompt as administrator.

4) Type “sfc /scannow” into the Command Prompt window and then press Enter to run a full system scan.

The scan process may take a few minutes. Just wait until it’s finished at 100%.

Method 4: Update your device drivers

You can update all your device drivers and see if it helps fix the computer freezing issue while playing games.

Check for Windows Update and see if there are any available new drivers that you can install.

1) Right-click on the Start menu and select Settings.

2) Select Update & Security.

3) Select Windows Update in the left pane and click Check for updates. If there are new drivers available, the drivers will be installed automatically.

Tip: If you can’t update drivers through Windows Update, you can go to your PC manufacturer’s website to check and download the new drivers. Or you can update device drivers using a reputable driver updater.

Method 5: Reinstall the game

Corrupted game files is one of the reasons causing the problem. Reinstalling the game can help repair corrupted game files. Here’s how:

1) Right-click on the Start menu button and select Apps and Features.

2) Locate the game that you have the freezing issue from the Apps list, click on it and click the Uninstall button. Then follow the on-screen instructions to finish the uninstallation.

3) Restart your computer.

4) Download and install the game again.

Method 6: Check for overheating

Check if your computer is overheating. You can install a temperature monitoring tool such as HWMonitor to monitor your computer’s temperature while playing games.

This kind of tool will tell you if your computer’s temperature is too high. If the temperature is too high, it indicates the cooling system doesn’t work properly, In that case, do the following and see if it helps:

  • Clean the fans: Power off your computer, open your case. Take out the fans to clean them.
  • Clean the dust in your computer: Use an air duster to clean out all the dust in your computer.
  • Check the thermal paste: Check if the thermal paste between CPU and heatsink is dried up. Replace the current thermal paste with new one if necessary.

Method 7: Check for faulty hardware

The problem is possibly caused by faulty RAM. If possible, remove your RAM stick by stick and check each one separately. You can also check other hardware components and ensure they’re not faulty, such as the hard drive and the graphics card.

Method 8: Seek professional assistance

If none of the above methods works for you, you should seek professional assistance. You can consult a computer technician or contact the customer support for the game.

Hopefully you find this post helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below. I’ll get back to you ASAP.

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