Kernel Power - Event ID 41 - Task Category 63 (spontaneous improper shutdowns and reboots)

Question

I have been having consistent power offs/reboots lately, and im at my wits end about how to fix them.
It always seems to happen when im playing a high end game (Guild Wars 2, Mirrors Edge, etc.). 
I havent experienced it while just browsing or doing basic work, or while playing lower intensity games that hog less resources.
The computer screen goes black, it reboots and i get the "windows has had an improper shutdown" kind of message.
Usually after playing the game for an hour at the least, though its happened 2-3 hours into the game as well.
I checked temps, and they are all normal,
Ive also attempted updating drivers, and downgrading from any beta drivers i was using, and none of that seemed to affect it.
I checked event viewer,
And right before this shutdown i get the critical error "Kernel-Power" "Event ID 41" Task Category 63"
this is the XML given to me in the details:
- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider
Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />
<EventID>41</EventID>
<Version>2</Version>
<Level>1</Level>
<Task>63</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords>
<TimeCreated
SystemTime="2012-09-02T04:55:51.116009800Z" />
<EventRecordID>28689</EventRecordID>
<Correlation
/>
<Execution
ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Owner-PC</Computer>
<Security
UserID="S-1-5-18" />
</System>
- <EventData>
<Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="SleepInProgress">false</Data>
<Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>
If anyone has any suggestions as to what could be going wrong, or things to check it would be greatly appreciated.
Ive looked around at others solutions and tried whats helped others and it hasnt done much so far.
it seems like this is a very broad problem, with no unspecific fix in most cases.

Answer 1

Hi,
This scenario usually indicates a problem with the hardware. Or, the driver can cause this problem. To help isolate the problem, check the following items: 
1. Overclocking: Disable overclocking to see whether the issue occurs when the system is run at the correct speed.
2. Check the memory: Verify the memory by using a memory checker. Verify that each memory chip is
the same speed and that it is configured correctly in the system.
3. Power supply: Make sure that the power supply has enough wattage to appropriately handle the
installed devices. If you added memory, installed a newer processor, installed additional drives, or added external devices, such devices can require more energy than the current power supply can provide consistently.
4. Overheating: Check whether the system is overheating by examining the internal temperature of
the hardware.
5. Defaults: Use system defaults, and run the system. 
If you see that the computer generates a Stop error that contains a BugcheckCode value that is not reported in an event ID 41, change the restart behavior for the computer. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click Advanced system settings.
3. Click the Advanced tab.
4. In the Startup and Recovery section, click Settings.
5. Click to clear the Automatically restart check box.
For more information, please refer to this.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2028504#method3
Kim Zhou
TechNet Community Support