Keeps crashing on startup. Running the game 7-10 times before it will actually load.

[Raistlin]

This is the rig:
i9 14900kf
64gb DDR5 6400hz
RTX 4080

Here are some of the errors I get when trying to run the game:
• Black screen
• Crash to desktop
• UE5 error message
• Windows BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH!!
• Out of video memory

I have to run this game so many times before it will actually load, and the funny thing is, once it runs, there are no crashes.
Has anyone else encountered SO many crashes frequency and different types?
I tried all the DLSS and setting the video memory tricks, nothing works.
This is such a bummer, it's such a fantastic game.

[Draxuss]

Bsod is on you, you may have an unstable ram oc, try disabling xmp profile. Drivers up to date? I had a similar issue with crashing on a 4080 Super after I updated my driver. Verifying the files found nothing wrong, I ended up reinstalling the game and it fixed it.

[Raistlin]

Thanks! I took your advice and disabled XMP (even though for the last 6 monthsd I only saw BSOD when I ran Banishers). I don't see too much harm there. All drivers are up to date. I'll just try to reinstall it as you did, see if this solves it. Thanks!

[Raistlin]

Yeah, didn't work :)
I think it has something to do with the latest update of the game, I've seen many others suffer from crashes.

[plumspice]

I haven't been able to play in over a month thanks to the same issue....really bummed. Funny thing is it worked perfectly fine for weeks after I bought it. Thought this recent update might fix it, but alas.

[Raistlin]

I think I found the solution:
Right click on the game in Steam library -> Properties -> Under "Launch options" add:
-dx11.
This has significantly reduced the startup crashes! now it crashes during gameplay, but I only had one crash so far, so the trade off is well worth it.

[Arc]

Originally posted by Raistlin:

This is the rig:
i9 14900kf
....

There's an ongoing drama surrounding Intel CPUs being overclocked by default, you can read this article for potential solutions:
https://www.radgametools.com/oodleintel.htm

The Out Of Video Memory and BSOD crashes are a dead giveaway of unstable CPU under these conditions.

[Draxuss]

Originally posted by Arc:

Originally posted by Raistlin:

This is the rig:
i9 14900kf
....

There's an ongoing drama surrounding Intel CPUs being overclocked by default, you can read this article for potential solutions:
https://www.radgametools.com/oodleintel.htm

The Out Of Video Memory and BSOD crashes are a dead giveaway of unstable CPU under these conditions.

I run a high bios oc that is very stable. It took me over a month to get my OC right on my cpu and I have no bsod ever. I recently upgraded from a 3090 to a 4080 Super and played 75hrs w/o a single crash on the 3090. After upgrading I now have crashing, When I first tried to load the game with my 4080 it would crash before opening, reinstalling the game cured that. I can play for hours w/o a crash but it crashes none the less.

[RadixB]

All your game stability problems are caused by CPU overclocking or too high and unstable RAM clock speeds.

* Set the default parameters for the processor in the BIOS
* Set lower RAM clock in BIOS and test the stability of MemTest86, QuickMemoryTestOK and AIDA64 Extreme
* Additionally, do not OC the graphics card

That's all. The game will then run stably

[Draxuss]

Originally posted by RadixB:

All your game stability problems are caused by CPU overclocking or too high and unstable RAM clock speeds.

* Set the default parameters for the processor in the BIOS
* Set lower RAM clock in BIOS and test the stability of MemTest86, QuickMemoryTestOK and AIDA64 Extreme
* Additionally, do not OC the graphics card

That's all. The game will then run stably

Yeah ok

[Draxuss]

My next step is to roll back my gpu driver and see if nvidia is the issue, wouldn't be the first time..

[Raistlin]

I just played 100+ hours of Horizon forbidden west, 0 crashes. I don't need to change my entire setup just because one game crashes, but I appreciate your help, I do. Anyways, seems the -dx11 in the launch options has solved this, as I have 0 crashes on startup now.

[Arc]

Originally posted by Raistlin:

...I don't need to change my entire setup just because one game crashes...

Note that "but it's only in THIS game" is a death spiral of dismissing evidence based on your own lack of experience.

If the CPU runs in OC mode per the info I posted above, You will see the exact same subset of problems in most UE5 titles and titles that stress the system in similar way on other engines (for example Horizon Forbidden West), as this issue is not in any way related to the engine or middleware it's using.

[Raistlin]

I am always happy to learn. I think the reason I wrote it is because I just finished Lords of the fallen which is also a UE5 game, and experienced no crashes on the same setup. I didn't know CPUs are OC by default, and will take a look at the article. Thanks!

[Draxuss]

Originally posted by Draxuss:

Originally posted by Arc:

There's an ongoing drama surrounding Intel CPUs being overclocked by default, you can read this article for potential solutions:
https://www.radgametools.com/oodleintel.htm

The Out Of Video Memory and BSOD crashes are a dead giveaway of unstable CPU under these conditions.

I run a high bios oc that is very stable. It took me over a month to get my OC right on my cpu and I have no bsod ever. I recently upgraded from a 3090 to a 4080 Super and played 75hrs w/o a single crash on the 3090. After upgrading I now have crashing, When I first tried to load the game with my 4080 it would crash before opening, reinstalling the game cured that. I can play for hours w/o a crash but it crashes none the less.

The crashes became more frequent, I ended up disabling the factory OC on my GPU, no more crashing. I forgot about that little switch...

[Raistlin]

OK, so taking all feedback to heart - what happened here, is that my ASUS motherboard default is OCing my CPU.
After watching this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s43Auv8ub7w&t=12s&ab_channel=JayzTwoCents

I changed the BIOS setting he mentioned, and lo and behold, a few things happened - first, 0 crashes with Banishers. Second, my PC is so much more quieter :) So thanks everyone for your help!