Is your gaming laptop freezing during game startup?
Is your gaming laptop freezing during game startup?
I just created an account here since I couldn't find any solutions online for my problem. Please forgive if this isn't in the right forum or if I misunderstood anything.
More than a year ago, I purchased a new Acer Nitro AN16-41 Gaming Laptop. Over the past year or so, I've begun experiencing issues where my laptop freezes briefly and emits a Windows startup/shutdown noise when launching games. Recently, when attempting to run more demanding titles—such as Need for Speed: Unbound, Horizon Forbidden West, and Assassin's Creed Shadows—the screen would freeze, followed by disconnect and reconnect sounds, then another disconnect, after which the display remained stuck frozen. Despite these problems, audio continued to play.
Eventually, the laptop would restart on its own or I would have to power it down manually by pressing the power button. I've tried rolling back drivers, performing a clean driver installation with DDU, updating the BIOS, but nothing has resolved the issue. I'm running out of options and would really appreciate any assistance.
Specs:
- OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Home
- Version: 10.0.26100 Build 26100
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU
- Driver: 566.36
- CPU/Graphics: AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS w/ Radeon 760M Graphics
- CPU Driver: 25.3.1
- RAM: 16GB
I also have an external Samsung 5TB SSD, and the Nividia app indicates no GPU is connected, though the Nividia control panel lists the Nividia graphics card as preferred.
Edit: I've reinstalled Windows 11 just in case that helps.
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
For DDU, it's recommended to uninstall all GPU drivers (Intel, AMD and Nvidia) in Safe Mode, then manually install the newest version from Nvidia's support site.
Check if the laptop vents are blocked or dirty by disassembling the device. Consider replacing the thermal paste and pads with better quality options. After that, reinstall the OS using offline mode. During this process, install all necessary drivers with the latest versions through an elevated command prompt—right-click the installer and select Run as Administrator.
Moved thread to Laptop Tech Support section from Systems section.
Thank you for responding! Sorry for the late response, it was getting pretty late and I don't like to mess important stuff after dark.
I have checked the vents and there was nothing clogging them, and I will have to replace the thermal past and pads at a later date. I have reinstalled my OS and reinstalled my drivers in offline mode and I still seem to be having some issues. Assassin's Creed Shadows had multiple performance issues, despite having none before hand, and my GPU driver crashed when trying to load into a game in Need for Speed Unbound.
Edit: I am starting to think this may be a hardware issue with my Nvidia GPU.
It's not a hardware problem; I just made an account to help you. The newest Nvidia driver seems problematic, causing issues when switching between the iGPU and GPU. Downgrading to the December version by following @Lutfij's advice should resolve it. It's rare to see many reports about this.
I reinstalled just the driver without the Nvidia app and it seems to be functioning now. It's only been a few hours, so I'm not sure if everything is fully resolved yet. I'll come back in a few days to update.
After some time, I'm still experiencing problems with my GPU, and simply reinstalling the drivers without using the Nvidia app didn't fully resolve the issue.
Hey. I just registered to confirm this (I have nitro an16-41). The issue from Nvidia drivers keeps happening, needing a reinstall as a temporary fix. It recurs every time I reinstall the driver and reopen the laptop after playing games and shutting it down.
After several weeks of testing, I discovered that reinstalling the Nvidia driver using DDU allows me to run games smoothly until I power off my laptop. When I turn it back on, more graphically demanding games cause the display to freeze during GPU switching. I'm unsure what to do next.