Why Does a New Graphics Card Cause BSODs Only in Games?
A technician upgrades the graphics card in a custom-built computer for a video game graphics tester. The computer works when the tester checks email. However, each time the tester attempts to launch video games, a BSOD occurs. Which of the following components should the technician upgrade?
Community Insight
The question tests isolating a load-dependent failure: the crash only under gaming load points to inadequate PSU wattage, and the trap is blaming the CPU heat sink or hard drive because BSODs are often misread as overheating or storage problems.
After a graphics card upgrade, a system that is stable at idle but crashes with a BSOD when launching games is showing a classic under-load power failure. The page establishes that the power supply unit (PSU) is the component to upgrade, because a new GPU demands far more wattage at 3D load than it does during email or desktop use.
Option D (CPU heat sink) is the most tempting wrong answer, since BSODs are commonly associated with overheating — but the crash occurs only when the GPU ramps up, not the CPU, and email would also stress the CPU's thermal path.
Community Discussion (1 comments)
Comments & Corrections
No comments yet — spotted an error or have a note? Share it below.
Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
The computer runs fine checking email, which means the motherboard, RAM, CPU, storage and OS are all healthy at idle and light load. Launching a video game is exactly the workload that makes a newly installed graphics card pull its maximum wattage — modern GPUs can transiently demand hundreds of additional watts from the +12V rails. An undersized or aging power supply cannot deliver that sustained/peak load, causing voltage droop, instability and a BSOD. Replacing the PSU with a unit that meets or exceeds the GPU manufacturer's recommended wattage (plus headroom) removes the failure, which is precisely the sizing guidance covered under installing the appropriate power supply.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B, the AC adapter, is irrelevant for a custom-built desktop: desktops use a PSU with a mains cable, not a laptop-style DC brick, so there is nothing to upgrade there. Option C, the hard drive, could explain game launch failures or corruption, but the crash occurs every single time regardless of the data written to disk, and email retrieval exercises the same drive without incident — so the storage subsystem is not the variable. Option D, the CPU heat sink, addresses thermal throttling or CPU-overheat shutdowns; those typically appear after minutes of CPU-heavy work or produce thermal trip behavior, not an immediate, repeatable BSOD the moment a GPU-bound 3D workload starts. The distinguishing clue is that the only thing that changed is the graphics card and its power draw, so the power supply is the only plausible common denominator.Community Comment Notes
A commenter aligned with this verdict noted the load-versus-idle reasoning directly: "Email doesn't make the GPU work hard, but games do." That is the same diagnostic principle the exam is probing — correlate the symptom with the specific component that changes state. The community vote here supports option A, and it coincides with the correct technical answer rather than merely reflecting popularity.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
When a symptom appears only under a specific workload, identify the component whose utilization spikes during that workload — here, the GPU's power draw. Also eliminate options that cannot physically exist in the described hardware, such as an AC adapter on a custom-built desktop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't the BSOD happen when checking email if the graphics card is faulty?
Email barely loads the GPU, so a stressed or underpowered card stays within its power budget. Only 3D game rendering drives the card to its peak draw, exposing the power shortfall.
Why is a CPU heat sink upgrade wrong when the symptom is a BSOD?
A thermal problem would show up after sustained CPU work or cause shutdowns/throttling. Here the crash is immediate and repeatable only when the GPU workload starts, which points to power delivery, not cooling.
Related Analysis
Practice All 220-1201 Questions
Access 105 questions with complete answers and detailed explanations.
View Full 220-1201 Practice Test →