Graphics Driver Crash.

[Tinkickef]

A very odd one. Unfortunately due to not using PC during the week, it is one of those scenarios where the PC went through multiple updates by DCS, Steam and windoze at the same time.

 

Since these updates when using the F14, cold start on the apron at AlDhafra, I can start her up, get Taxy permission and move out of the slot to the main taxiway, maybe about five mins into the mission. Then the GPU driver crashes to black screen on both Reverb and monitor.

 

I thought it was my 2080TI failing yet again, but on reboot everything was fine. Started mission again, driver crashed within a few metres of taxiway as before.

 

Tried a different mission with the Huey, no crash after 30 mins of zipping around the Khasab rooftops looking for insurgents.

 

Went back to the original mission (PG, AlDhafra, nightime, full moon) and substituted F14 for Hornet. No crash, was able to Taxy to runway.

 

Back to mission editor, put Tomcat back in mission, fired her up and taxied away from stand. Instant black screen again as the driver crashed. Still hear audio but nothing else working, cutting the throttles does not shut down the engines.

 

This is a well used mission without any previous problems until the recent updates. Of course fxo and metashader files were deleted straight after the update, the Nvidia driver was updated last week. Asus GPU tweak 2 in standard gaming mode preset as always.

 

Anyone else had this or have any ideas?

 

System specs in Sig.

Edited December 2, 2019 by Tinkickef

[IronMike]

Can you try the following please: click on new mission in the mission editor. just leave everything in default, set a Tomcat to cold start, fly and see if it happens again.

 

In general, unfortunately, it is very unlikely that this has something to do with the Tomcat really, since it is a single report, or if you like: an isolated issue only you experience. This usually points towards something being wrong on your end. If you say you had problems with your GPU previously, the Tomcat might just serve as a litmus test here to bring these up again. Could be that the mission in general is too heavy or a plethora of other things.

 

Did you monitor your GPU temps while or before it happens? CPU temps as well...

[Tinkickef]

Can you try the following please: click on new mission in the mission editor. just leave everything in default, set a Tomcat to cold start, fly and see if it happens again.

 

In general, unfortunately, it is very unlikely that this has something to do with the Tomcat really, since it is a single report, or if you like: an isolated issue only you experience. This usually points towards something being wrong on your end. If you say you had problems with your GPU previously, the Tomcat might just serve as a litmus test here to bring these up again. Could be that the mission in general is too heavy or a plethora of other things.

 

Did you monitor your GPU temps while or before it happens? CPU temps as well...

 

Thanks Mike. Nothing changed in the mission which has so far been fine. I do monitor GPU temps normally (usually runs around 75 degrees). Unfortunately due to the driver crash I have to reboot to see the screen and by the time I get to see the temp monitor the GPU has cooled down.

 

In event viewer all there is is the usual "kernel power" issue that is a very regular event logged on this PC and also just as regular on my previous one.

It does not seem to ever have affected anything and there is no commonality in hardware between each PC other than the GPU which I removed from my old rig and put in the new one.

 

The GPU failures (VRAM crapping out) all happened on my old rig, no probs with it since it came back from ASUS repair shop and got installed into my new rig. Historically, the symptoms of failure were seeing hundreds of diamond shaped artefacts appearing on screen before going BSOD during the boot process.

 

Not seeing any of that here.

 

As you say, I do not think it is the F14 as it stands, but as a result of one of the updates that is affecting the F14 only.

Can't think of any mission parameters have been changed. I will try removing some of the parked aircraft on the ramp as I do tend to heavily populate my air bases with static objects for realism.

Edited December 2, 2019 by Tinkickef

[IronMike]

Thanks Mike. Nothing changed in the mission which has so far been fine. I do monitor GPU temps normally (usually runs around 75 degrees). Unfortunately due to the driver crash I have to reboot to see the screen and by the time I get to see the temp monitor the GPU has cooled down.

 

In event viewer all there is is the usual "kernel power" issue that is a very regular event logged on this PC and also just as regular on my previous one.

It does not seem to ever have affected anything and there is no commonality in hardware between each PC other than the GPU which I removed from my old rig and put in the new one.

 

The GPU failures (VRAM crapping out) all happened on my old rig, no probs with it since it came back from ASUS repair shop and got installed into my new rig. Historically, the symptoms of failure were seeing hundreds of diamond shaped artefacts appearing on screen before going BSOD during the boot process.

 

Not seeing any of that here.

 

As you say, I do not think it is the F14 as it stands, but as a result of one of the updates that is affecting the F14 only.

Can't think of any mission parameters have been changed. I will try removing some of the parked aircraft on the ramp as I do tend to heavily populate my air bases with static objects for realism.

 

 

It is important that you rebuild the mission from scratch, put only the Tomcat in it, and if that fixes it, then only add everything else back 1 by 1. This will then help you troubleshoot what in the mission caused it. But I doubt it is the mission (although they can break cross updates), rather that something in your PC is getting pushed in its knees by a combination of unknown + F14 on top. But it is all very speculative.

 

Just when you test, make sure the new mission is build from scratch and only contains the F14.

[Tinkickef]

It is important that you rebuild the mission from scratch, put only the Tomcat in it, and if that fixes it, then only add everything else back 1 by 1. This will then help you troubleshoot what in the mission caused it. But I doubt it is the mission (although they can break cross updates), rather that something in your PC is getting pushed in its knees by a combination of unknown + F14 on top. But it is all very speculative.

 

Just when you test, make sure the new mission is build from scratch and only contains the F14.

 

 

Will do. Thanks Mike.

[Tinkickef]

Had the time to have a good look at what is happening. I believe it is a hardware problem as the time before crash to black screen is getting less and less and is also now affecting other aircraft and maps.

The new mission with the F14 alone made no difference.

 

I started watching the gpu temps more carefully and noted that where it would idle at ambient temperature before, now it idles at 45C. Just putting on Reverb and firing up WMR into cliff house brings the temp up to between 56 and 60C very quickly even with fans at 100% and both definitely running. No dust as intake air is filtered and it happens even with the side door open.

 

A new odd symptom that sometimes happens on loading the original mission is that the lighting is "upside down". That is that the moonlight appears to be shining up from the ground, illuminating the underside of the aircraft instead of the top... Not always, but very often.. maybe 50% of the time.

 

I have repaired DCS, done clean reinstalls of the latest Nvidia driver, all to no avail. Only conclusion is GPU failing.

 

I have started the RMA process so it looks like no DCS over Xmas.....

Edited December 2, 2019 by Tinkickef

[IronMike]

Had the time to have a good look at what is happening. I believe it is a hardware problem as the time before crash to black screen is getting less and less and is also now affecting other aircraft and maps.

The new mission with the F14 alone made no difference.

 

I started watching the gpu temps more carefully and noted that where it would idle at ambient temperature before, now it idles at 45C. Just putting on Reverb and firing up WMR into cliff house brings the temp up to between 56 and 60C very quickly even with fans at 100% and both definitely running. No dust as intake air is filtered and it happens even with the side door open.

 

A new odd symptom that sometimes happens on loading the original mission is that the lighting is "upside down". That is that the moonlight appears to be shining up from the ground, illuminating the underside of the aircraft instead of the top... Not always, but very often.. maybe 50% of the time.

 

I have repaired DCS, done clean reinstalls of the latest Nvidia driver, all to no avail. Only conclusion is GPU failing.

 

I have started the RMA process so it looks like no DCS over Xmas.....

 

 

Very sorry to hear that. BTW personally I would recommend an EVGA card. I never had any issues with them, and if you register, you get 5 years warranty, and if the card breaks down 5 years minus 1 minute, they will replace it no questions asked. They are known to have quality builds.

[Tinkickef]

Card failed POST today. Struggled getting past code 61 and ground to a halt at code 62.

 

61 = VRAM initialization.

62 = pch runtime error.

 

Looks like the VRAM is toast.

 

Removed card and tried internal graphics, PC booted up normally.

 

RMA approved. Now for the long wait.