I just built a new PC two days ago and it's been working great for all games, except for Grand Theft Auto V. Whenever I start playing GTA 5, I always get a BSOD with the error DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION, and it seems linked to nvlddmkm.sys. The error occurs consistently shortly after launching the game.
Here are my specs:
- GPU: RTX 4080
- CPU: Ryzen 7 9800x3D
- RAM: 32GB DDR5 6000MHz
- Motherboard: GIGABYTE X870E AORUS ELITE WIFI7
- Power Supply: Gigabyte 1000 W
- OS: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
- NVIDIA Driver Version: 576.02
- SSD: Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB
I've already attempted the following troubleshooting steps:
- Reinstalled GPU drivers using DDU in safe mode.
- Tried various driver versions, currently on an older one.
- Changed the Power Management Mode in the NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Reinstalled other device drivers (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi).
- Played multiple other games without any issues.
I've checked the Minidumps using WinDbg and they point to nvlddmkm.sys. I'm looking for advice on potential fixes before I might need to take the PC back to the shop. I even tried a clean Windows reinstall, but the BSOD still occurs. I'm getting worried that the GPU might be faulty. Any thoughts?
4 Answers
Make sure you have some dump files from the crashes to analyze. Check your C:WindowsMinidump folder for any logs. If you can access them, uploading can really help diagnose the issue further. Sometimes just switching crash dump settings to smaller memory dumps helps too!
A lot of the crashes this year have been related to NVIDIA drivers, so you might want to give the driver from December a shot. Again, ensure you’re using DDU before switching out drivers to prevent leftovers from the previous version. It's good to try multiple versions and pinpoint which one works best for you. Hopefully, this helps with the crashing!
It sounds like a driver conflict, especially since other games are working fine. Definitely check if your motherboard BIOS is up to date. The latest version might resolve compatibility issues. You can get the BIOS update from the Gigabyte website. Also, if you have both RGB Fusion and iCUE software installed, consider uninstalling RGB Fusion because they sometimes clash and can cause issues like this. If all else fails, try disabling XMP/EXPO settings; sometimes high-speed memory can be unstable with certain chipsets.
Thanks for the tips! I’ll do that and keep an eye on performance to see if it makes a difference.
Since you already mentioned trying a clean Windows install, it might indicate a hardware issue. If the BSOD points primarily to nvlddmkm.sys consistently, it's possible your graphics card might really be faulty. I would suggest returning it to the shop and asking them to check it out. It’s better to get another card than deal with repeated crashes!
I’m really bummed it’s coming to this. Thanks for the advice. I'll take it back and see what they say!
Just tried that and unfortunately, it’s still crashing. Now I’m having the same issue in STALKER 2. Guess I’ll have to look into returning my GPU.