easyMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: A customer reports that their desktop PC randomly…
A customer reports that their desktop PC randomly shuts down when playing graphics-intensive games, but runs fine during web browsing. The power supply is a 450W unit. What is the most likely cause of the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
220-1201 often tests whether candidates distinguish PSU overcurrent shutdowns (abrupt, load-dependent) from thermal throttling or driver crashes, which present with different symptoms.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The power supply is underrated for the system's peak power draw.
Random shutdowns that occur only under graphics-intensive load strongly indicate the power supply cannot sustain the system's peak power draw. Modern GPUs can spike well above their rated TDP, and a 450W unit is often insufficient once the CPU, GPU, drives, and fans are all under load. During web browsing, power draw stays low, so the PSU never trips its overcurrent or overvoltage protection.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The CPU thermal paste has dried out, causing overheating only during gaming.
Why it's wrong here
Dried CPU thermal paste primarily leads to inefficient heat transfer from the CPU to its heatsink, resulting in elevated core temperatures. While severe overheating can trigger thermal throttling or an emergency shutdown, this typically manifests as consistent performance degradation or shutdowns under any sustained CPU load, not exclusively during gaming. Furthermore, thermal shutdowns are usually logged and are not typically described as "random" in the context of a consistent heavy load like gaming, making a power delivery issue a more direct cause for immediate, unlogged shutdowns.
- ✓
The power supply is underrated for the system's peak power draw.
Why this is correct
An underrated power supply (PSU) is a common cause for system shutdowns specifically during demanding tasks like gaming. Modern graphics cards and CPUs consume significant power under full load, and if the PSU's maximum wattage output is insufficient to meet the combined peak power draw of all components, its internal over-current or over-power protection circuits will activate. This safety mechanism instantly cuts power to prevent damage, resulting in an abrupt and seemingly random shutdown without warning or error messages, precisely matching the described symptom.
- ✗
The graphics card driver is corrupted, causing system instability.
Why it's wrong here
Corrupted graphics card drivers typically cause software-related issues rather than direct power-off shutdowns. Symptoms often include application crashes, display artifacts, "blue screen of death" (BSOD) errors, or system freezes, particularly when the GPU is heavily utilized during gaming. While these can certainly lead to system instability, they rarely result in an immediate, unlogged, and complete power loss that is characteristic of a power supply failing to meet demand.
- ✗
The motherboard capacitors are failing, causing intermittent power loss.
Why it's wrong here
Failing motherboard capacitors, especially those in the voltage regulator modules (VRMs), can indeed lead to system instability, random reboots, or crashes by providing unstable power to the CPU or other components. However, such failures usually manifest as more generalized instability that might occur under various loads or even at idle, rather than being exclusively triggered by the high, consistent power demands of gaming. The specific pattern of shutting down only during gaming strongly points to a component reaching its power limit, which is typically the PSU.
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Key term
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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