Game crashes to a black screen during playtime.
Game crashes to a black screen during playtime.
I've been facing frequent crashes on my computer. It shuts down abruptly to a black screen, and various programs cease functioning. Audio suddenly produces persistent static noise, while the fans continue running. I first noticed this about a month ago during a playthrough of GTA V. The game experienced significant and random drops in frame rate, eventually leading to a crash after roughly an hour. This issue also appeared more frequently when testing technical scenarios for Rainbow Six Extraction.
I later discovered that the main menu of Halo Infinite causes crashes under certain settings—specifically at ultra settings with a resolution close to 1440p. It doesn’t fail at lower resolutions like 1920x1080 or 3840x2160, but only around 1440p. I purchased this new machine in the spring, though I still use my older SSD with an old Windows 10 installation.
Here are the specifications:
- CPU: Intel Core i5 11400F
- Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING B560-PLUS WIFI (BIOS 1203)
- GPU: ASUS TUF GAMING Radeon RX 6800 XT (bought via VAG, possibly relevant)
- Driver: 21.12.1
- RAM: Kingston HX432C16FB3K2/16 16GB DDR4
- SSD: Sandisk Extreme Pro 240GB SATA
- PSU: BitFenix Whisper M 750W
- OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit (latest available via update)
I've tried numerous troubleshooting steps, but none resolved the problem. I’ve shared a log file and a diagnostic image for others to review.
Could anyone with a similar setup help identify what might be causing this issue? Would it be useful if someone with a comparable PC shares their experience?
To the best of my understanding, yes. The Halo menu no longer crashed at 1440p. It seems the repair technician didn’t perform any further extensive tests.
I'm not familiar with GPU problems here, but I can share what I've experienced. Over the years I've used nVidia, mainly because AMD/ATI drivers aren't reliable. Recently I moved to a workstation GPU from AMD, and the drivers are still problematic. It's frustrating when the same issues keep happening on what should be a high-quality card.
Based on recent trends—chip shortages, new defective units, or early failures—I think there might be a hardware issue or problems with cooling/power delivery. My concern is that manufacturers might be prioritizing speed over quality, using components that haven't passed thorough testing before release. Reducing the card's operating frequency could indicate a chip defect. This assumes your system isn't overheating and your power supply is solid.
I know it isn't fake, but I was wondering if some of the components the creator used weren't up to standard. If cooling and power delivery work well, then I have to say it seems like AMD's usual driver issues. There’s another approach you could try, though—depending on your skill level: install a LiveUSB version of Linux Mint (it looks quite similar to Windows) and see if Halo is available. Play several games natively at your usual settings. If the system freezes, the problem is hardware. If it runs smoothly, it’s likely software-related, especially since Linux is very strict about hardware quality. You could also wait for more people to comment or adjust things like XMP/OC settings and voltages until the crashes stop.
The testing primarily used XMP and Asus Performance Enhancement disabled, without any overclocking on the card. The physical switch was set to Q mode, which should be less demanding than P mode. I plan to explore the Linux approach, though I’ll need a stable game that crashes reliably on it or work through Proton—Halo seems problematic. I’ll experiment further with voltage adjustments; one troubleshooting step involved turning off CPU cores via BIOS and reducing power consumption in Windows, but it didn’t resolve the issue.
Be cautious while diagnosing; avoid rushing multiple changes simultaneously. Our goal is to pinpoint the problem without adding confusion. Begin with Linux Mint using factory settings (XMP, etc.), then if it functions, gradually adjust performance settings one at a time, testing after each change. Share your findings and let me know—this will also be useful for others reviewing this thread.
Gathering more feedback and updating the situation: I haven’t been able to release any games on Linux for this crash yet—demos of Shadow of Tomb Raider, Dying Light, and GTA5 didn’t help. I’ll keep searching but so far it’s nothing. AMD provided a few troubleshooting tips, none resolved the problem. They suggested submitting a driver bug via Radeon Software, which I did, though they haven’t replied to my tickets. Halo Support also gave me a report, but they only promised to track it without a fix or details. It seems some users are experiencing the same issue with this card, so it makes sense that Asus might be shipping defective GPUs. I reached out to them to see if we can reproduce the crashes together. If this points to a batch problem, what should I do to get a resolution? How can I contact Asus to admit this isn’t a driver issue?
EDIT: Played RDR2 at 1440p Ultra and quickly encountered the same black screen crash. Attempted to run it in Mint but still couldn’t get it working. — siim2200, Jan 5, 2022
Hi there, welcome! I checked the Verified Actual Gamer discussion after seeing my post. It looks like several winners have already shared about the same problems. I found a few threads with relevant info: @mactipiak’s issue with shutdowns while playing Cyberpunk, @BeeMan3 and RX 6800XT’s GPU/PSU concerns, @Xyst-Patterns’ motherboard/ASUS GPU troubles, and @Magewood115’s low system stability report. Also, @bitcomputer64, @SuperMrBlob, and others have mentioned similar challenges with the VAG 6800XT. Have you noticed any comparable problems while gaming?