My RTX 3060 Ti suddenly started crashing while sitting at the desktop and shows a VIDEO_TDR_ERROR. I'm not very experienced with troubleshooting hardware, so I'm unsure whether the graphics card has actually failed or whether this could be a driver issue. I'm considering buying another 3060 Ti, but I'd also like to know whether there are better upgrade options without spending a huge amount. My system has a Ryzen 5 5600, a 700W power supply, and an AM4 motherboard, so any CPU upgrade would need to remain on AM4. I'm mainly interested in replacing or upgrading the GPU and would appreciate advice on what to test first.
4 Answers
Don’t buy a replacement yet. VIDEO_TDR_ERROR can be caused by corrupted or unstable graphics drivers, not necessarily a dead GPU. Try booting into Safe Mode, use Display Driver Uninstaller to completely remove the NVIDIA driver, and then install a fresh driver normally. Also prevent Windows from automatically installing a display driver during the process. If the card still crashes afterward, then hardware failure becomes much more likely. Your Ryzen 5 5600 is still capable, and a 700W PSU should be enough for many sensible GPU upgrades.
You could look at discounted newer Radeon cards, such as an RX 9070 GRE or RX 9070 XT, if their prices are reasonable where you live. They would be a much larger upgrade, but check the specific power-supply recommendation and available power connectors before buying. For a lower budget, a used RTX 3080 can also make more sense than another used 3060 Ti, provided you verify its condition and your case has enough cooling.
For an AM4 CPU upgrade, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is the strongest gaming-focused option, while a Ryzen 5 5600X3D can be a good value if you can find one locally. However, I wouldn’t upgrade the CPU yet unless you’re playing CPU-heavy games at high refresh rates. Put the money toward the GPU first, since the Ryzen 5 5600 should pair well with the midrange and upper-midrange cards being considered.
If the 3060 Ti is definitely dead, avoid paying nearly the same money for another one unless you find a particularly good deal. A Radeon RX 7700 XT offers a more noticeable improvement and has more VRAM. A 4060 Ti generally isn’t a compelling upgrade because the performance increase over the 3060 Ti is fairly small. Your 700W power supply should be suitable for the 7700 XT, assuming it’s a decent-quality unit.
That’s my concern with the 4060 Ti too—it may be newer, but the real-world performance jump isn’t large enough for the price.
I’ll try the clean driver reinstall first. I didn’t realize Windows could interfere by automatically installing a driver.