Have you ever been in this situation: you’re in the middle of the game, and suddenly, the screen shutters, the frame rate drops, and a second later, you’re staring at your desktop?
Crashes like this usually have particular reasons. They’re the result of high temperature, throttling, power draw, or memory pressure. In this guide, we’ll talk about what really happens inside your system when the game locks up mid-session and how to keep it running smoothly even if your computer has seen better cooling days.
Modern games push your CPU and GPU to their limits, causing them to heat up as you play. If the heat gets too high, thermal throttling kicks in, slowing down the processor to prevent damage. This process protects your system, but, at the same time, it can make the game lag or even crash.
The tricky part with throttling is that you may not even notice the temperature spike unless you’re monitoring it. The system tries to survive under the load and sacrifices performance to adapt. You should check overheating first if your crashes tend to happen after your system’s been running for a while.
To get started, Windows has some useful built-in tools:
While Task Manager doesn’t show exact temperatures, it’s great for spotting unusual spikes or heavy usage. Resource Monitor provides a more detailed view, helping you see how much stress your system is under. If your CPU is constantly maxed out or your memory is running low, it’s a sign your computer is under pressure.
To check temperatures, you’ll need a tool like Camomile or HWMonitor. But Task Manager and Resource Monitor can help you see what’s happening before a crash. Once you know how hot your system gets, simple changes can make a big difference:
Crashes may also be caused by outdated drivers, as modern games rely on GPU drivers. That's why it's important for you to check for driver updates. Open NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Adrenalin, depending on which one you use, and install the latest version. Don't forget to restart your PC before launching a game.
But the opposite situation is also possible. Sometimes, your game starts crashing because of recent updates that have some bugs. In this case, you should roll back to a previous version. To do this, follow these instructions:
Another option you should consider is a fresh installation of the driver. Both NVIDIA and AMD offer options to remove old files before you install a new driver. This can help prevent conflicts that lead to crashes.
Not every crash is about your hardware. Sometimes, a slow or unstable network can make online games freeze, time out, or disconnect. High ping or packet loss means your actions take longer to reach the server, and the game starts to feel unresponsive.
Using a VPN can make it worse. Some VPNs limit bandwidth. Others route your traffic through distant servers, adding even more lag. That’s why connecting to a random VPN server during a game may cause more problems than it solves.
That said, a good VPN can actually help if you pick the right one. It keeps your data encrypted and reduces the risk of DDoS attacks. Sometimes it even stabilizes your connection when your ISP throttles traffic. Look for gaming-friendly servers and low ping. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a quick guide on how to set up a VPN at home.
Game freezes often happen because of memory exhaustion. Some games, especially older or poorly optimized ones, slowly eat up RAM and don’t give it back. That’s why your system can crawl or the game might crash suddenly. It gets worse if you’ve got a bunch of apps running in the background.
Here’s what helps:
If you need a VPN active while gaming, choose one that’s lightweight and optimized for low latency. Some include gaming modes or smart routing, keeping your data secure and resources low.
Power management can limit performance, especially on laptops. In power-saving mode, your CPU and GPU slow down to conserve battery, which can result in lower frame rates, longer loading times, and sometimes even crashes.
If you’re gaming on a laptop, switch to High Performance mode before you start. It gives your components the power they need without throttling them.
For desktop users, the issue may be a weak PSU (power supply unit). If your PSU can’t keep up with the demands of your CPU and GPU, your system might shut down or restart mid-game.
To check, use a tool like the Seasonic Wattage Calculator to estimate your system’s total power draw and compare it with your PSU’s capacity. If the numbers are too close, upgrading to a higher-wattage PSU can help prevent crashes.
Crashes aren’t limited to PCs. Mobile games can freeze for similar reasons — overheating, memory leaks, or unstable network connections.
Devices often throttle CPU performance when temperatures climb. To prevent that, try playing in a cool area and avoid gaming when you charge your phone. You can also lower graphics settings or enable battery optimization modes.
Sideloading APKs? Make sure they’re from trusted sources. Learn how to open APK files safely on your device. Corrupted or modified packages can drain memory and battery or introduce bugs.
A lightweight VPN can also help stabilize connections for online games, especially if your ISP throttles traffic. Just choose one with mobile-optimized servers and low-ping options.
Game crashes may have various causes. Maybe it’s your CPU running hotter than it should or your GPU driver hasn’t been updated in months. Or your RAM is full of background processes.
The good news is that most of these issues can be fixed with some basic maintenance and attention: keep your system clean, watch your temperatures, and make small tweaks where you can. When your hardware, software, and connection are all working together, the chance of crashes goes down.