Hey everyone! I'm dealing with some critical crashes while trying to play Rainbow Six Siege and Ready or Not. Often, the games either crash right during the main menu or just a few minutes after launching. Sometimes I can hang out in the menu for about 5-10 minutes before it closes unexpectedly. I checked Event Viewer and noticed I keep getting this error message:
---
**Error from Event Viewer:**
```
Source: nvlddmkm
Event ID: 153
Device: Device000009D
Error on GPUID: 100
"The description for Event ID 153 from nvlddmkm is not found... The message resource is present but the message was not found in the message table."
```
---
**Here are my specs:**
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
- RAM: 64GB DDR5
- Storage: C: Samsung 990 PRO NVMe (Windows on), D: MLD M300 SSD (wiped)
- OS: Windows 11 Pro x64 (clean install)
- Driver Version: NVIDIA 576.88 WHQL (tested earlier versions too)
- Monitor Refresh Rate: 240Hz
- Power Supply: 750W Gold rated
- Motherboard: MSI B650M-P (BIOS updated)
---
**What I've Tried So Far:**
- Clean installed Windows 11 from ISO
- Used DDU in Safe Mode to remove NVIDIA drivers
- Installed Visual C++ Redistributables
- Disabled XMP profile in BIOS
- Set PCIe mode to Gen3 in BIOS (made sure GPU slot is x16)
- Disabled Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling
- Locked NVIDIA as default GPU via Control Panel
- Turned off Windows automatic driver updates
- Ran `sfc /scannow` and `DISM` — no issues found
- Tested with FurMark — no crashes, temps fine
- Reseated GPU and checked power cables
- Network stack reset (although probably unrelated)
---
**Still Ongoing:**
- R6S, RON, CS:GO, WARFRAME, FORHONOR are still crashing with the same event.
- Getting the nvlddmkm Event ID 153 log but no BSOD, just game closure.
---
**What I Suspect:**
- New NVIDIA drivers might be unstable with certain games.
- Possibly an internal bug in nvlddmkm.sys causing GPU timeout.
- My hardware is validated; it's not faulty under stress.
**What I'm Looking For:**
- Anyone else run into this with similar specs?
- Any registry tweaks, timeout settings, or hotfix drivers to try?
- Should I switch to older NVIDIA Studio Drivers instead of the Game Ready ones?
- Any known issues with Ready or Not and the 4060 Ti?
Thanks for your help! I'm happy to reply to comments and can share logs, dxdiag info, or traces from MSI Afterburner if that's useful.
3 Answers
It sounds like your GPU might just be having communication issues with the driver, which is causing these crashes. These nvlddmkm errors can pop up in certain games, like the ones you're playing. Make sure you check your VRAM usage during gameplay because if that's maxed out, it can lead to crashes. Also, try deleting local files for Ready or Not, they can sometimes be the source of crashes. Don't stress too much about the Event Viewer logs — they can be misleading!
You mentioned that you're already on some older drivers, but I'd suggest sticking with version 566.36 as it seems to be the community's recommendation for stability. As for the difference between Game Ready and Studio Drivers, they’re quite similar, but Studio Drivers tend to be a bit more stable since they go through more testing. No harm in giving them a try!
It sounds like a classic nvlddmkm issue! Have you tried uninstalling MSI Afterburner? Sometimes the low-level drivers it installs can cause problems, especially if you're doing any overclocking or undervolting. I've had similar issues with games like Cyberpunk crashing because of Afterburner. Give that a shot and see if things stabilize after that!
Thanks for the tips! I’ll definitely check the VRAM usage and try deleting the local files for Ready or Not.