My Gigabyte GAMING OC Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is less than a year old, but it has started crashing unpredictably on CachyOS. While playing Big Walk, my monitors sometimes suddenly lose their display and audio cuts out. Other times the entire computer freezes and requires a forced shutdown. The problem has also happened while I was only browsing in Firefox, so it may not be limited to the game. During one crash, I saw artifacting stretched across one monitor.
Temperatures look normal, and the fans are not unusually loud. I reseated the graphics card and noticed earlier that one section of the power plug was not fully seated, but fixing it did not resolve the crashes. I also lowered the game's rendering settings, reducing GPU usage from around 100% to about 40%.
What logs or tests should I check to determine whether this is a driver, operating system, power connection, game, or failing GPU problem? I am new to troubleshooting Linux hardware and would appreciate step-by-step guidance.
3 Answers
Start with the system journal and look specifically for graphics-driver errors around the exact time of a crash. Commands such as `journalctl -p 3` for serious errors, or filtering for `amdgpu`, can help. Note the crash time first, then inspect only that window instead of trying to read the entire log. Also check the game's and launcher’s logs for entries containing terms like `error`, `fatal`, or `driver`.
Because CachyOS follows a fast-moving, rolling software stack, a recent kernel, Mesa, or driver update could be involved. Record your current versions and consider testing with an older kernel or a more conservative Linux installation on another drive. If the crashes happen there too, that makes a hardware or power problem more likely; if they stop, the software stack becomes the main suspect.
Also verify that the GPU power connector is fully inserted and that the cable is not under tension. Artifacting, black screens, and crashes outside games are worth treating seriously rather than assuming the game is solely responsible. Run a controlled GPU test and memory test while monitoring temperatures and power behavior, but stop if you see severe artifacting or repeated hard crashes.
I had not realized that testing another kernel or installation could help separate a software issue from a hardware issue. I will also recheck the power connection and avoid running demanding games at maximum settings while troubleshooting.
A GPU reaching 100% utilization is not automatically a fault—games commonly use all available GPU capacity—but lowering the settings or capping the frame rate can reduce power draw and make testing safer. Do not assume normal temperatures rule out a problem; unstable drivers, power delivery, VRAM errors, or a defective card can still cause black screens and artifacts. Since the card is relatively new, document the crashes, keep screenshots of the artifacts, and consider a warranty replacement if the issue can be reproduced after checking the software and cabling.
I ran a serious-error journal query for the period when the crashes happened, but I am not sure which specific lines are relevant. I may need help identifying the AMDGPU-related entries.