Occasionally, certain games unexpectedly shut down or crash on Windows systems.
Occasionally, certain games unexpectedly shut down or crash on Windows systems.
Hello, I'm dealing with a persistent issue that's been happening for a while. Random crashes to desktop occur in certain games like Cyberpunk and War Thunder. It seems to improve slightly over time, though I'm not sure. I managed to play Cyberpunk for nearly an hour without a crash before it stopped working. Other games run smoothly, but I've tried updating drivers, using DDU to remove/reinstall them, and even installed Windows 11 with various specs. I also used a graphics card from Seasonic, but I'm not sure if that's the cause. I was thinking about upgrading my graphics card, but I want to hold off until the 5000 series is available. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Your GPU might be defective, but the card's generation shouldn't be the problem. If that were true, the warranty would likely still apply—don’t purchase a replacement yet. This isn’t the most probable cause. What kind of power supply are you using? Can you perform a stress test or run benchmarks without issues? Try 3D Mark time spy (available on Steam) and then a 30-minute furmark session. If nothing fails, it’s probably a software issue—consider reinstalling Windows, but only install drivers and games, not the OS itself, to verify. You might also try slightly reducing your GPU's clock speed.
Powersupply: Seasonic SS-760KM Active PFC F3 has been around for about 12 years, though real usage might be closer to 7. Intending to swap it out once Seasonic introduces a new Prime model with ATX 3.0. So far, I've used time spy and stress tests—both passed, achieving 97.9% on the stress test. Ran Furmark for an hour without issues. Warranty concerns remain since I replaced the thermal pads due to hot VAM, even though there was no sticker indicating warranty coverage. Just planning to upgrade before the next generation.
If you manage to run FurMark for an hour smoothly, it’s unlikely the problem is GPU-related (unless driver issues exist). It might point to a failing power supply unit, given its age and insufficient capacity for the 3080. Attempt FurMark again this time with Prime95 enabled simultaneously (to also test CPU and RAM performance), as successful handling should rule out the PSU and most likely the CPU/RAM. Review your SSD specifications via CrystalDiskInfo to see if any drive is malfunctioning. Driver concerns could be addressed by using a version from a few months prior to the issue. If you haven’t taken these steps, consider installing Windows fresh without additional software or leaving only one empty SSD during setup.
I tested Furmark and Prime 95 together for an hour and twenty minutes. In the last thirty minutes I raised the GPU power limit to support up to 450W, and everything functioned properly. I’m unsure what to check in the crystal disk information, but all drives performed well.
So then it appears the problem isn't hardware-related at all (though still possible, hard to confirm definitively). Just swapping each component one by one wouldn’t seem to help much. If your PSU can manage it, War Thunder shouldn’t be affecting it more. Assuming the 95 test passed (indicating a core issue), CPU and RAM likely look fine. Drives that show up okay also signal normal operation, with alerts warning you about issues or bad drives.
I’m starting to think the cause is software or driver-related—perhaps a malware attack targeting specific games. I haven’t mentioned it before, but if you have any overclocking features enabled, turn them off (besides XMP). Temporarily disabling them could help. You might also try flashing your BIOS; this usually resets settings and is safe to do.
My previous suggestion was a fresh Windows install on an empty SSD with only the GPU driver and games running. If that doesn’t resolve it, I’m uncertain.
Ensure your UEFI/BIOS is up to date (as of 18 July 2023, especially for X3D chips). Refresh your chipset drivers. Share your progress here.
I previously owned a Ryzen 3700X, but this January I switched to the 5800X3D. The issue remains on both processors; I just updated the BIOS now. It seems the chipset driver is listed under AMD rather than my motherboard maker, and their manufacturer has an outdated version. Are they simply not updating it? Should I always check AMD for the chipset driver? Also, my only overclock attempt was XMP, which I tested before. Can I try it again?
They (manufacturers) fall significantly behind AMD's chipset driver updates for several reasons. Typically, using the newest version on desktops is preferable. Laptops offer manufacturers opportunities to implement custom adjustments, making official drivers from production more prone to problems. Such issues are uncommon in both scenarios but do occur.
Great to hear! It seems the updated bios and chipset driver still cause issues. You might want to consider an undervolt as suggested, and if that doesn’t work, a fresh Windows install could help. Make sure you keep the game, drivers, Steam, and any other software ready. Check for additional troubleshooting steps if needed.