Question BSOD on my laptop, probably a GPU issue

[gggnz2016]

Hi there, in the last 2 days I'm having some issues with my Asus N552VW FI056T laptop. Dedicated GPU is a nVidia 960m.
Not my main machine now , but a laptop that I've been using fulltime in 2016-2019 and part time (1-2 months a year) during away-from-home time after that (2019-2022).
To the trouble: it started freezing 2 days ago while I was gaming (at minimum details). Prior to that, I would notice some slow rendering here and there, but wouldn't worry me too much cause I just thought it was old hardware for new games issues.

The issue is reproducible by launching any game or by overloading the laptop with many apps or with a GPU stress test (used Furmark for that). Sometimes it freezes completely, forcing me to shut down the laptop via the power button; other times it gave me BSOD with alternatively these error messages: VIDEO_SCHEDULER_INTERNAL_ERROR and IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. Recently it gives me DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION.

List of troubleshooting I did to no success. Probably some would look useless to the issue for an expert eye, but I'm not expert so pardon me. Went through with what I could think of plus some google help.

• update GPU drivers, Intel drivers and Windows
• change in game settings (DirectX11 to Vulcan, and back)
• unistall-reinstall the game
• restore Windows
• partially disassemble the laptop to clean dust, remove old thermal paste and apply some new one. Temperature down a good 15-20 degrees.

Then I had a kinda "eureka" moment.
Unistalled the dedicated GPU and run the laptop and the games on the integrated graphics (Intel (R) HD Graphics 530). Launched the games for testing. Though obviously taking some time to render them, it went through with it with no freeze/crash/BSOD.
So now I'm 99.99% sure that the issue is caused by the 960m.
What I did after was reinstalling the 960m drivers; once I started using it as GPU, the previous issues came back.
Repeated the unistalling-reinstalling of the GPU drivers 3 more times. Last time I unistalled with DDU (Display Driver Unistaller) in Windows' safe mode with no connection to internet, so that I could remove any possible trace of the drivers. Nothing worked, the freeze/BSOD comes back every time when using the 960m.

I executed an analysis of the latest minidump file via WinDbg (cause I've seen that suggested in other topics) but have no idea of what to look for in it. I'll post the dump files and the dxdiag in the spoiler, in case someone could take a look.

As I'm writing this, the laptop is running for over an hour with no issues while the dedicated GPU is disabled.
I'm kinda out of ideas on how to move next right now, so any input would be appreciated.
Thanks

Spoiler

dump files
dxdiag

 

[Lutfij]

Just an FYI, that laptop isn't exactly meant for gaming, more like a laptop for photographers or people who need some sort of discrete GPU power while on the go, for a short period of time. If you're overloading your laptop, that's the primary problem.

With that said, do you have any BIOS updates pending on your laptop? Have you tried also disassembled the laptop to inspect and clean out any dirt or debris clogging the venting in the laptop's cooling solution?

 

[gggnz2016]

Just an FYI, that laptop isn't exactly meant for gaming, more like a laptop for photographers or people who need some sort of discrete GPU power while on the go, for a short period of time. If you're overloading your laptop, that's the primary problem.

With that said, do you have any BIOS updates pending on your laptop? Have you tried also disassembled the laptop to inspect and clean out any dirt or debris clogging the venting in the laptop's cooling solution?

To be honest, it was ok for gaming at medium details back when I bought it in 2016.
In the last three years or so, I used it at minimum details instead.
I understand what you mean though, in fact as I wrote, that's not my main machine. I use it only during vacation/holidays time or when I'm not at home for a while for other reasons.

I have disassembled it , cleaned it and applied new thermal paste that brought temps down by 15-20 degrees.
Not sure about the BIOS update, how can I check that?

Some people analyzed the minidump file created generated by the computer during the BDOS and it appears to be a GPU issue.
Unistalled and reinstalled the drivers a few times in the best way possible (safe mode + no internet + DDU) but nothing worked. Makes sense that the GPU is dying after 6.5 years , sadly.