You need a good PSU. Some people overlook getting a decent one. I'd recommend Corsair, 750w is probably all you need. I went 850 in case I ever go SLI.

My previous one was a Corsair, but it was the RM series, which that list doesn't seem to like as much. There are plenty of other Corsairs in the Tier 1 list, though.

Of course, I might have just gotten a bad one--my experience isn't necessarily the same as everyone else's experiences (assuming this is the fix).

Several years back now but I went with Corsair as well. The http://www.corsair.com/en/hx-series-hx850-power-supply-850-watt-80-plus-gold-certified-modular-psu (Professional Series) to be specific. It was with current (at the time) needs and future upgrades in mind. I was using Crossfire back then but no longer.

As long as it doesn't outright fail I'll be using this PSU as long as possible.

I think mine was HX, maybe TX if that's a thing. I forget the model, just that it was 850w and almost ￡100.

TX is a model. HX was/is mid-range pro where TX was/is entry-pro. AX was/is high end.

That's the one yea. I remember others being like ￡30 more or something, those must have been the HX. I got my TX in 2011 for Skyrim and Battlefield 3, and its still going strong.

I did not read this whole thread, so apologies of someone said this already.

But computers generally only hard-restart as your describe as a safety measure.

Most commonly, when the current power consumption exceeds the limit of your power supply very suddenly.

I bring this up because your card has very high power requirements.

And if your computer has an i5, and did not come with a GTX 970 card originally, it probably has a weak power supply.

It probably is a weak power supply, as it's in the Tier 4 section as one to avoid. It's a Thermaltake Smart 750W. I was thinking of going for the EVGA SuperNOVA G2 850W in case I, one day, put a second GPU in there. That's in the first tier and it a pretty reasonable price. Apparently, MaximumPC forums aren't a thing anymore so I thought I'd just ask here - any reason why that's a terrible idea or is there something I'm missing. I'd hate to end up with a second dud or some other blind blunder. Thanks all.

It looks good, but I have no experience with EVGA PSUs. I currently have a Corsair AXi 860W .

Really hope a good PSU will solve your problem. Anyway, its never a waste to invest in a good PSU...

I ended up getting the 750W version. I'm thinking it'll make a big difference. I'll report back when it comes in in a few days. Thanks all.

Edit: I signed my name like I've never been on the internet.

Haha, the EGVA is the one I settled on too! It's worked for me so far (OK, it has only been less than a week, but still).

Interesting to note, there is another post(another site) mentioned that only a certain game causes the system to reboot, no other games. The issue was resolved by replacement of PSU too. I guess different games stress the system differently.

My friend had the same thing with Battlefield 4. Only game with the problem. He waited long enough and it eventually started happening in other games. New PSU solved it.