I have a secondary PC with a GeForce RTX 3060 that hasn't seen heavy use. It was running well until the PC began to crash randomly. It was sidelined for a bit but I recently set it up for my fiancée's gaming. After about 5 hours of playing Sims 4, the screen started artifacting and then crashed. When I restarted it, the same thing happened. I thought it could be overheating, so I cleaned it thoroughly and checked connections, finding no physical damage. I then tried running a stress test with OCCT, but it resulted in immediate black screens and crashes. I suspect the GPU is damaged, but I'd love some advice before I jump to conclusions. I have a basic understanding of hardware but might be overlooking something obvious. Sorry for the lengthy explanation, just wanted to provide enough detail for assistance!
5 Answers
Make sure you use DDU to completely remove the old drivers, then reinstall the latest ones. This could also resolve the issue.
It might help to test that GPU in your main PC to see if the same issues arise. If it does, then it’s likely dead.
Consider reinstalling the GPU drivers. From what you described, it seems like it could be either the GPU or the power supply causing the problem.
I actually installed version 591.86 last night but it still crashed after a bit. I’ll try reinstalling it again! It could be the PSU as well, but the stress test crashing makes me think it's the GPU.
Definitely try a good known power supply. The artifacting often points to VRAM issues, but a bad power supply can also cause those crashes due to high power draw.
I’m running a stress test with a better PSU now, and it seems like the problem might not be happening. Fingers crossed for the 3060!
From the sounds of it, that GPU is definitely cooked.
Thanks for this! I completely overlooked testing it in my primary PC. I'll definitely give that a shot!