Fix: GPU Keeps Crashing / Freezing on Windows 10 & 11

Make sure graphics drivers are up to date

How to

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by Vladimir Popescu 

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Key notes

  • If you own a gaming PC or laptop, you must understand how important and complex hardware GPU is.
  • GPU can crash for various reasons, including outdated drivers, overclocking, overheating, or faulty power supply.
  • To fix it, you need to update graphics drivers to the latest version and reduce the load on GPU.
GPU keeps crashing

GPU crashing on Windows 10/11 can ruin your gaming experience and slow down other operations depending on GPU. 

Here, in this guide, we will discuss the methods to fix the video card that keeps crashing right after talking about the causes of its occurrence. 

What causes the graphics card keeps crashing on Windows 10/11?

There are various reasons behind the graphics card keeps freezing issue; some of the popular ones are: 

  • Outdated DirectX – The DirectX, if outdated, can cause issues with your GPU, causing it to crash. To fix it, you need to update it.
  • Obsolete graphics driver – If the graphics driver on your computer is old or outdated, then the GPU might crash while playing games.
  • Incompatible game settings – If some of the settings on your game are misconfigured or not aligned with the GPU, your GPU might crash randomly.
  • Overclocking – If you have overclocked your GPU, then with the excessive load, the GPU might crash.
  • Overheating – Excessive load and dust can cause overheating, another popular reason for the GPU crashing.

How do I fix the graphics card that keeps crashing on the PC?

Before moving to the detailed troubleshooting steps, follow these quick fixes first:

  • Disable background apps.
  • Make changes to in-game settings.
  • Finally, check for the power supply unit.
  • Clean the GPU if it is externally placed, or open the cabinet of your PC and clean it.

1. Update DirectX

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run console.DXDIAG run -gpu keeps crashing
  2. Type dxdiag, and press Enter to open DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
  3. Check the DirectX Version and if it is outdated, then proceed.DXDIAG WINDOWS
  4. Press Windows + I to open Security.
  5. Go to Windows Update and click Check for updates.
  6. If there is an update available, download and install it. Windows will install the latest version of DirectX for you.

2. Update the graphics driver

2.1 Update the driver manually

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window.DEVICE MANAGER - GPU crashing
  2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open Device Manager.
  3. Locate and click on Display adapters. Go to graphics driver and right-click it. Select Update driver.Graphics Driver update -gpu keeps crashing
  4. On the next window, select Search automatically for drivers. Now, follow the on-screen prompts to complete.Search automatically for drivers

2.2  Use a third-party tool

It is essential to keep drivers up to date for a smooth, functioning PC. You can do it manually, but it is a time-consuming process.

Using a third-party driver updater is advised to help you update the drivers without hassle. One such driver updater is Outbyte Driver Updater. Here are the steps to update the driver using this tool: 

  1. Download and install Outbyte Driver Updater.
  2. Click Scan, and the tool will scan for outdated drivers.
  3. Select the drivers that you want to update and click Update.
  4. Now, the latest version of drivers will be downloaded.
  5. Follow the instructions to complete the installation.

3. Stop overclocking

If your GPU is crashing, it could be overclocking the settings that you have modified. To stop overclocking, you need to revert the core clock, voltage, and memory clock settings to default.

You can use GPU overclocking software such as MSI Afterburner to do that. For demonstration purposes, we have used the steps to Reset settings using MSI Afterburner:

  1. Launch the MSI Afterburner app.RESET -gpu keeps crashing
  2. Locate the Reset button from the bottom of its user interface.

4. Run the SFC scan

  1. Press the Windows key, type CMD and click Run as administrator.DOS COmmand Prompt -GPU crashing
  2. Copy and paste the following command and press Enter: sfc/scannow
  3. Once the scan is complete, restart your PC.

So, these steps must be followed to fix GPU crashing on Windows 10/11. Besides that, we recommend using a bottleneck calculator to see if your PC components are compatible. If nothing worked for you and your GPU is old, you can consider replacing it with a new one.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to mention them in the comments section below. We will be happy to help! 

More about the topics: GPU, windows 10, Windows 11

Vladimir Popescu

Vladimir Popescu Shield

Being an artist his entire life while also playing handball at a professional level, Vladimir has also developed a passion for all things computer-related. With an innate fascination for research and analysis, and realizing many other people share his passion for this subject, he delved into writing Windows-related articles, so other people can also benefit from the acquired information. When not writing kick-ass articles, Vladimir likes to spend his time doing Crossfit and creating art.