I've got an i9-14900KF processor with 64GB of DDR5 5600MT/s RAM, built on a Rog Strix Z790-H motherboard and paired with a 4070 Ti Super graphics card. My system has been running like a dream since I assembled it after Intel's initial BIOS patch for the degradation issues. I've only dealt with a single RAM issue that once required reseating the RAM to get the computer to boot.
Recently, after updating my 4070 Ti drivers from version 580.88 to 591.74, I started experiencing frequent blue screens of death (BSODs), happening every 10 minutes while idle or just a couple of minutes after launching a game using shaders or Unreal Engine 5. The error messages and codes varied from kernel and memory errors to codes like 20001, 124, 139, among others. Rolling back to the previous driver version has restored stability.
I noticed complaints about this new driver on NVIDIA's forums, mostly about crashes and performance issues, but not specifically about BSODs. However, while playing Marvel Rivals, the game crashed and an Unreal Engine error popped up, indicating "EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION." After multiple attempts to reopen the game, I kept encountering this error, along with a "GPU CRASH TRIGGERED" message. In the reliability tab, I also saw "LiveKernelEvent" errors, code 141.
More recently, my Discord crashes intermittently, and I've had Chrome tabs crashing with STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors. I'm uncertain whether I'm facing RAM instability or if my processor is suddenly failing. What steps can I take to troubleshoot this, or are there specific log files I should check for?
2 Answers
It sounds like you've been through quite a bit with your setup! Based on what you've described, it seems more likely to be a CPU issue. The BIOS "fix" only buys some time and doesn't fully address the degradation problem; many users have reported failures about a year in. You're right in questioning the RAM, especially since it caused issues before, but given the timeline, it's worth checking the CPU. Just to be safe, you might want to run a comprehensive stress test to confirm.
I can see why you're confused! Given the timing with the driver update, I'm leaning more towards a GPU-related issue. The errors seem to point more at the graphics card, especially with the Unreal Engine crashes. It's surprising there aren't more reports of BSODs, but graphics drivers can definitely cause weird instability. Definitely keep an eye on the RAM since you've had issues in the past, but maybe run some tests to isolate the GPU's behavior before worrying too much about the CPU.
Related Questions
Lenovo Thinkpad Stuck In Update Loop Install FilterDriverU2_Reload