A frantic effort to identify the offender (AMD video drivers failing repeatedly)
A frantic effort to identify the offender (AMD video drivers failing repeatedly)
Hey there, so I've been facing problems with my AMD drivers since switching from the GTX 1060 to a 6900 XT two years back. I still recall launching Cyberpunk and experiencing a crash right away, and since then, nothing has changed much for me—especially in GPU-heavy titles, which often freeze unexpectedly, making every session less enjoyable. Crashes also pop up during idle or with small apps like browsers, Discord, or League of Legends, though they’re rare.
As far as now stands, I still own my 6900 XT and upgraded to a 7900 XTX. The issues persist. I’ve updated my BeQuiet Pure Power 850w to the 1200w version, tried BIOS settings multiple times (my BIOS is still at version 3002), ran sfc /scannow, used SAM, enabled/disabled PBO, activated Eco Mode, adjusted CPU overclocking, and changed XMP values. I’ve also swapped out my RAM, reinstalled Windows 10 several times, updated chipset drivers, and even reinstalled the graphics card drivers countless times.
I double-checked cables, RAM placement (the GPU has three power lanes), unplugged all USB ports except the mouse (since my motherboard had resource issues), and changed settings like 80+ Platinum, 60Hz monitor, and various overclocking options. I’ve tried Windows default drivers, professional versions, and even attempted to use only the card drivers.
I’ve also made sure everything is seated correctly—GPU has three separate power lanes—and only reinstalled drivers when necessary. Still, I keep running into crashes, especially with demanding games, and sometimes they vanish on the next boot but return quickly afterward.
I’ve tested many games: Cyberpunk, Unreal Engine, DX12 titles, Atomic Heart, Dead Space, Dead Island 2, Metro Exodus Enhanced, Dying Light 2, League of Legends. Each has its quirks—some freeze early, others crash only after a few tries. I’ve noticed that UE and DX12 games tend to be more unstable, and sometimes the lag spikes right after a crash.
I’ve found that my RAM supports the GPU model, but the motherboard’s QVL doesn’t list it. I’ve checked G.Skill’s guide and OCCT logs, but the data is inconsistent. The main takeaways are:
- Random errors happen often, sometimes disappearing on the next boot.
- Rebooting helps briefly, but clearing the shader cache can make a difference.
- Certain games (like Cyberpunk) are more prone to crashes than others.
- Some titles (Unreal Engine, DX12) seem to cause more issues than expected.
It’s been about two and a half years now, and I’m still troubleshooting. Feel free to ask any questions you have!
Execute a LiveUSB of Linux Mint to evaluate performance with Steam and games. Monitor stability—crash indicates hardware issues, normal behavior suggests software problems. Reset BIOS to factory settings, disable XMP/DOCP, skip OC settings, and use default values. Follow the advice from @Zomeguy regarding gSkill compatibility with AMD.
In your situation, you should consider replacing the 7900XT with a 4070Ti. The AMD fanboism should have boundaries. I've experienced driver crashes on my 7900XTX in AOW4 after playing for more than 5 hours, though it's a new game that will receive updates. It surprises me because I didn't face these issues with the 3080.
Unfortunately so. I could opt for a blind pick and purchase Corsair Vengeance or Dominator, but sadly Crucial (Ballistix) isn't available in Germany anymore. The reason I didn't immediately buy new RAM was because my CPU cooler was blocking the slots, plus I had to remove the MB from the case and the cooler to install the RAM. The QVL list for B550-E is really poor. There are around 10 RAM sticks that are officially supported, with only four from G.Skill. Would all those RAM tests still work if the problem was RAM? Well, I don't have many options, but I still see the MB or the CPU as possible causes. Right now I'm back to default settings. I'll give it a try, but just in case, is there a better way to troubleshoot this in Linux? I had a lock on AMD Devtools, but they're too complicated for me. Edit: I tried the LiveUSB version of Mint, Unigine Heaven ran at 2 FPS, so maybe I need drivers—I read I shouldn't use AMD—and honestly I'm just starting out with Linux. It's an XTX, so I'd probably go with a 4080. But now I can't really think the GPU is the issue anymore, especially after the first RMA. I'd agree with you that AMD drivers tend to crash more than NVIDIAs, but this behavior is still unacceptable. If it were more common, AMD would have to fix it. It seems more likely my system is the problem.
Don't worry, the AMD drivers should load automatically by default. If they don't, I'll check the documentation for instructions on how to proceed.
Thank you, I'll wait for your response. Regarding the LiveUSB version, did saving Unigine on your NVMe cause any problems? Also, how does the LiveUSB version utilize RAM? Might it be using the persistent space on your USB instead? My main concern is confirming that the GPU drivers didn't load and that this isn't related to the live version.
I changed my RAM and never faced problems with the 5700xt or the 7900xtx I swapped in. If the motherboard isn't compatible, it's likely you could run Memtest86 but still wouldn't be stable. Crucial stopped selling their Ballistix line and now concentrates on SSDs and NVMe drives. That’s a loss because Ballistix was reliable and produced solid products. I’ve used Crucial RAM since the Pentium 3 era without any issues. I’m hoping Linux will help, or else you’re running out of ways to test.
It might have been better to save it to the USB stick instead. Running it off the nVME drive shouldn’t cause issues, and testing it should be straightforward. Could you confirm which version of Linux Mint you received? I’d like to recreate your setup since AMD drivers should have installed automatically at boot.
It's been a long time trying to fix this problem, but yesterday I finally bought new RAM—Corsair Vengeance LPX. Right now I can run Jedi Survivor for about two hours without any crashes, which is better than before. I’ll keep playing and check if it really solved the issue.