New Ryzen 7 and RTX 4070 PC crashes during Windows 11 USB install

[Ava.R]

I just finished building a new gaming PC with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and an NVIDIA RTX 4070, and while it posts and I can get into the BIOS just fine, it consistently crashes at startup whenever it tries to load Windows 11 from my USB installer. The screen freezes or goes black, and sometimes it reboots itself before even reaching the installation screen. I've double-checked all my connections, reseated the RAM and GPU, and tried different display ports, but the issue persists. For anyone who has troubleshooted a similar build, where should I focus my efforts next? Could this be a power supply issue not delivering stable power under load, a problem with the boot drive or USB media, or is it more likely a compatibility or BIOS setting I need to adjust for the new hardware before installing the OS?

[NatalieL]

Quick first check: confirm your CPU is on Microsoft's Windows 11 compatibility list. Some older Ryzen 1st/2nd gen chips aren’t officially supported, which can show up as install/hang issues even if the system boots. If you want, share your exact CPU model and motherboard and I’ll sanity-check compatibility.

[PatrickL]

Do a clean BIOS reset and update. Boot into BIOS, load defaults, disable any overclock (including XMP), set boot mode to UEFI with Secure Boot enabled, and make sure the NVMe/SSD is set as the primary boot device. If you can’t enable Secure Boot, you may need to set up the drive differently, but for Windows 11 you’ll likely want Secure Boot on.

[StephenM]

Rebuild the Windows installer to be sure the media isn’t the problem: download fresh ISO, use Windows Media Creation Tool or Rufus to make a GPT/UEFI USB, and try a different USB port (preferably USB-C or USB 3.0). Also verify the target drive shows up in the BIOS before you start—if not, you’ve got a drive/connection issue.

[Savannah_B]

Rule out hardware with a live-OS test. Create a Linux live USB (or try a Windows To Go/distro) and boot to see if the system gets into an OS environment at all. If Linux runs, the problem is likely Windows-specific; if it doesn’t, you’ve got hardware or BIOS settings to revisit.

[Kenneth_R]

RAM sanity check: run memory tests (memtest86+) for at least a couple passes, and try booting with a single stick in different slots. Sometimes even a small mis-seat or a bad channel will crash the installer long before you ever get to setup. Keep XMP off during testing to avoid timing issues.

[Paul_T]

Check the boot drive health and controller mode. If your NVMe drive is older or has subtle corruption, Windows might fail to boot from USB install or fail to install properly. Try a different drive if you have one, or wipe and reformat the target drive with GPT in DiskPart before starting the install.

[Grace69]

If you want, share your full hardware list (CPU, motherboard, RAM, SSD/HDD, PSU) and I’ll tailor a targeted, step-by-step troubleshooting checklist and a quick plan for next weekend’s install.