[SOLVED] PC brutal image freeze while playing intensive games

[aivaras.mickus]

Hello,

The problem - image freezes while playing intensive graphic games, nothing but brutal restart helps.

So I've built myself a computer and for a year it was perfect. After a while I bought racing simulator - OSW, because of it I had to relocate my computer to basement (under a private house), then the freezing started. I must mention that basement was a little humid and cold. After some time I realized that humidity in basement might be doing something with my hardware, then i brought PC back to the room. The freezing went on. When playing Assetto Corsa freezing is not so frequent, it happens once or twice a week in random occasions for few times in a row, after some brutal restarts it runs normal for hours.
I have not played other intensive graphics game for a long time after that, let's say half a year, but yesterday I tried new Assassin's Creed, Fallout 4, both crash after some playing time, randomly. At first I played for few hours straight, then the game crashed for a few times, but later it started freezing my image on screen and it intensified after each restart. Now I can play a game for few minutes only before it freezes my screen. I must mention that Assassin's Creed freezes the image, but I can enter the task manager and end the process, but Fallout 4 does the total freeze where the only option is to restart computer brutally.
Interesting thing, that while playing Assetto Corsa, after the screen freezes I can feel feedback on my wheel and hear the sound as if game was running perfectly normal, but the image is frozen. Only option is to restart PC brutally.


spec.
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 1600, Hexa Core, 3.20GHz, 19MB, AM4, 65W, 14nm,
Motherboard ASRock Fatal1ty X370 Gaming-ITX/ac, DDR4 3466+, SATA3, USB 3.0
RAM Corsair Vengeance LED 2x8GB DDR4 3000MHz C15 - Red LED
CPU cooler stock
Video Card ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce® GTX 1080 TI 11GB VR Ready, 11GB GDDR5X, HDMI/DVI/DP
Power Supply LEPA. (I believe it is Gold series 650w or 750w.) This item was bought separately for my old PC.
Hard drive(s) Crucial SSD MX300 525GB SATA3, 2.5'' read/write: 530/510 MB/s (+Old HDD 1TB from old PC. It was attached recently, long after the freezing began)
Operating System Win10.
Case Corsair GRAPHITE 380T PORTABLE MINI ITX CASE with 200mm fan in the front and 120mm fan in the back.

List all the steps you have taken to resolve this yourself.
1. I've renewed bios to the last upgrade possible.
2. No heating problems for sure.
3. As I tried to find solution when it appeared, I tried to run FurMark, and sometimes it had same effect, freezed the image.

 

[Ramlethal]

Looks like a driver issue to me. I would DDU and then try a less updated driver version some of the oldest ones of the 1080 TI drivers. You can Download them from the Nvidia official website.

 

[aivaras.mickus]

I've discovered it is related to Nvidia settings "Prefer maximum power". If it is on optimal setting, no crashes are happening, but when I put it on Maximum Performance it likes to freeze. Any advice?

 

[Rexer]

Did you try the 'Reset', 'Reset Game' or set the game to 'Default', 'Default Settings'? Steam games as a courtesy to gamers remembers your game settings. This is a good thing. Great for transferring the game to another computer, repairing, uninstalling/reinstalling games. But sometimes it remembers a crash like a game setting. Make sure you write down your game setting as they will be gone, too.

 

[aivaras.mickus]

Hello, long time no see.

So I've done some testing and research.

I've figured out that my PC crashes when GPU hits LOAD 100%. Also I found thread in GeForce forums regarding my problem. One of the suggestions from random person was to RMA the GPU because it is the "hardware fault", second suggestion was to use old 387.92 driver. I've downloaded this driver and while testing with FurMark the GPU did not hit load above 99%, it did not crash. But there is one problem - this driver is not VR ready, I cannot use my Oculus CV1.

Do you think local hardware dealer should accept RMA of card with this 'glitch' after a year of usage? What are other options? Maybe this glitch happens only with my setup?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Rexer]

Hello, long time no see.

So I've done some testing and research.

I've figured out that my PC crashes when GPU hits LOAD 100%. Also I found thread in GeForce forums regarding my problem. One of the suggestions from random person was to RMA the GPU because it is the "hardware fault", second suggestion was to use old 387.92 driver. I've downloaded this driver and while testing with FurMark the GPU did not hit load above 99%, it did not crash. But there is one problem - this driver is not VR ready, I cannot use my Oculus CV1.

Do you think local hardware dealer should accept RMA of card with this 'glitch' after a year of usage? What are other options? Maybe this glitch happens only with my setup?

Thank you in advance.

Course, I'd want to RMA my card 3 years after I owned it. Unfortunately, that's just not so. Retailers and email order houses are at best 90 days but the manufacturer such as Asus will usually warranty it a year or two. You can RMA it if it falls into the graphic card's warranty period. Asus is usually good about repairs and would replace it if it's defective. It could also be a recall so you might want to look at their recall list of serial numbers. I've sent motherboards to them as defective and they've repaired or replaced them. Have a serial number ready.