Black screen/Driver Crash on AMD Radeon

[Krushak]

It didn't start crashing till the leaf cutter challenge modes but now even playing fire ant ever so often the AMD driver will crash or lag up causing a black screen and I can't pull up task manager or anything.

Here are my specs:

Processor AMD Ryzen 5 7600 6-Core Processor
Video Card AMD Radeon RX 7600
Operating System Windows 11
RAM 48 GB

All I am doing is playing the game and it just crashes, usually around the time the narrator calls something out. He'll keep talking and the music will keep playing but I can't do anything. Is it because I turned off the frame limiter and let it run unlimited? Would it be better if I turned it down to say 120ish? Cause it crashes so bad I can't send error logs though it makes em.

I tried limiting the frames to about 160, cause I have a 165hz monitor...still black screen and I had just finished the bullfrog level for fire ants.

[Mike]

The engine should be able to handle 160fps on a modern-ish card without overheating, so I doubt it's that (it'd be thermal throttled before that anyway).

It is most likely driver related in some way - can you try rolling back to an earlier version to see if that helps?

You might also want to try moving onto the current optional beta branch if you haven't already - it upgrades the UE4 version number to its final one and we've found it fixes lots of little lingering problems people have had. Instructions in the post below:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/463530/view/4566175748883077954

[Zephyr]

Is this happening in specific situations in game? I play on a RX 7900XT and I have seen no issues so far (driver 24.9.1). I only played the first few story misions, though.

Generally I have, for the most part, no problems with any game, except I cause them myself with undervolting or overclocking :).

New game versions, new drivers or Windows updates ( I have Windows 10 profesional still) can introduce such issues in pocipal, though. Do you have issues in other game as well suddenly?

Generally, you can try to clean install the newest driver or if the newest driver is causing issues install an older version that is stable.

You can also try to limit GPU frequency easily in the driver, if you think that is a problem (this may or may not limit FPS also).

FPS settings should not be the problem by itself, but a game like this does not need to run at 100+ FPS. It makes hardly any difference if it is set to 75 or 120 for the experience (in my opinion), since it is not a shooter, but a top down RTS-type game.

[Zephyr]

Originally posted by Mike:

The engine should be able to handle 160fps on a modern-ish card without overheating, so I doubt it's that (it'd be thermal throttled before that anyway).

Nope, at least higher tier cards could in theory support much higher FPS than 160 in this game :). My RX 7900 XT is sleeping, even at 4K highest settings 120 FPS. I guess I could support 160 FPS at 4K, will try :). Good modern GPUs are designed to work within their power envelope without much of an heat issue. My GPU can draw more than 300 W and will not reach much more than 80 °C hot spot, air cooled at that with only 40-50 % fan rpm, so... . Just saying :). For 120 FPS it needs roughly 200-220 W, so there is still a lot headroom, without increasing power liimts :).

Edit: Quick test revealed in the early underground story levels I can push to 200-240 FPS within the normal power envelop of 330 W for my GPU, 4k resolution, highest settings, haha :). Just a side note. Not that it makes any sense to do so, lol.

[Krushak]

Originally posted by Zephyr:

Is this happening in specific situations in game? I play on a RX 7900XT and I have seen no issues so far (driver 24.9.1). I only played the first few story misions, though.

Generally I have, for the most part, no problems with any game, except I cause them myself with undervolting or overclocking :).

New game versions, new drivers or Windows updates ( I have Windows 10 profesional still) can introduce such issues in pocipal, though. Do you have issues in other game as well suddenly?

Generally, you can try to clean install the newest driver or if the newest driver is causing issues install an older version that is stable.

You can also try to limit GPU frequency easily in the driver, if you think that is a problem (this may or may not limit FPS also).

FPS settings should not be the problem by itself, but a game like this does not need to run at 100+ FPS. It makes hardly any difference if it is set to 75 or 120 for the experience (in my opinion), since it is not a shooter, but a top down RTS-type game.

Usually this time was when all the amphibians, were attacking and the narrator was talking. I have the latest drivers for my card, I don't over or under clock my card.

Originally posted by Zephyr:

Originally posted by Mike:

The engine should be able to handle 160fps on a modern-ish card without overheating, so I doubt it's that (it'd be thermal throttled before that anyway).

Nope, at least higher tier cards could in theory support much higher FPS than 160 in this game :). My RX 7900 XT is sleeping, even at 4K highest settings 120 FPS. I guess I could support 160 FPS at 4K, will try :). Good modern GPUs are designed to work within their power envelope without much of an heat issue. My GPU can draw more than 300 W and will not reach much more than 80 °C hot spot, air cooled at that with only 40-50 % fan rpm, so... . Just saying :). For 120 FPS it needs roughly 200-220 W, so there is still a lot headroom, without increasing power liimts :).

Edit: Quick test revealed in the early underground story levels I can push to 200-240 FPS within the normal power envelop of 330 W for my GPU, 4k resolution, highest settings, haha :). Just a side note. Not that it makes any sense to do so, lol.

Yeah I limited it to close to one 160.... i mean the game made logs still for the error.

Originally posted by Mike:

The engine should be able to handle 160fps on a modern-ish card without overheating, so I doubt it's that (it'd be thermal throttled before that anyway).

It is most likely driver related in some way - can you try rolling back to an earlier version to see if that helps?

You might also want to try moving onto the current optional beta branch if you haven't already - it upgrades the UE4 version number to its final one and we've found it fixes lots of little lingering problems people have had. Instructions in the post below:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/463530/view/4566175748883077954

Sorry was sleeping and at work. I know its probably a driver issue. I'll check my adrenline cause I make windows 11 not update my drivers. I'll have to give it a shot to what you said and see. Like I said the game still has error logs it makes but it's all gobbly crap.

To be honest now that you mention it.... AMD did just update. Cause its only this game that has an issue. I can play RE4 remake maxed out and be just fine.

[Zephyr]

If I run into issues at some point I can post here again. Will take a while, though :).

What you can try in the meantime: Make a CLEAN manual install. When drivers automatically update without clean deinstall/install this can sometimes introduce partial corruption that manifests in weird things. No matter if AMD or Nvidia for such issues.

For a clean install you can use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) for example, follow the instructions of the software closely, a Windows safe mode start is recommended for DDU.

https://www.wagnardsoft.com/display-driver-uninstaller-DDU-

Download the recent Adrenaline setup before deinstalling the current installation as an install setup package

In my opinion this has the greatest chance of success.

Alternatively limit clock speeds or FPS limit the GPU further (will automatically limit clocks as well). RDNA3 GPUs have a fixed voltage/frequency curve with a certain frequency being assigned to a certain voltage. It may be that your specific model is factory OCed and reaches unstable clocks (for the given voltage) in certain circumstances. It should not, but it cannot be excluded. Try perhaps a drastic measure and limit to 75 FPS in the game settings, test, if ok go to 120 FPS... and so on. It will not even diminish the experience much. Perhaps it is just me, but in such a game I really do not see a difference between 120 and 75 FPS (in shooters I do). For my GPU we talk then about 60-70 W power savings without any loss of quality for me :).

I always limit any game to what is comfortable for me and makes sense for a game genre, not to what my monitor could do. If you have a monitor with FreeSync that is a great way to get optimal results for any game type.

[Krushak]

Originally posted by Zephyr:

If I run into issues at some point I can post here again. Will take a while, though :).

What you can try in the meantime: Make a CLEAN manual install. When drivers autoimatically update without clean deinstall/install this can sometimes introduce partial corruption that manifests in weird things. No matter if AMD or Nvidia for such issues.

For a clean install you can use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) for example, follow the instructions of the software closely, a Windows safe mode start is recommended for DDU.

https://www.wagnardsoft.com/display-driver-uninstaller-DDU-

Download the recent Adrenaline setup before deinstalling the current installation as an install setup package

In my opinion this has the greatest chance of success.

Alternatively limit clock speeds or FPS limit the GPU further (will automatically limit clocks as well). RDNA3 GPUs have a fixed voltage/frequency curve with a certain frequency being assigned to a certain voltage. It may be that your specific model is factory OCed and reaches unstable clocks (for the given voltage) in certain circumstances. It should not, but it cannot be excluded. Try perhaps a drastic measure and limit to 75 FPS in the game settings, test, if ok go to 120 FPS... and so on. It will not even diminish the experience much. Perhaps it is just me, but in such a game I really do not see a difference between 120 and 75 FPS (in shooters I do). For my GPU we talk then about 60-70 W power savings without any loss of quality for me :).

I always limit any game to what is comfortable for me and makes sense for a game genre, not to what my monitor could do. If you have a monitor with FreeSync that is a great way to get optimal results for any game type.

This is the cleanest install I have since I had redone my windows 11 since I upgraded my SSD. I have freesync on and I am not going to go in and toy with my video card settings, that's a good way to damage it. I have a better feeling it is because of drivers since they updated earlier this month and I didn't have issues till now so I think what Mike said is to be true.

Especially since I don't over/under clock my CPU/GPU and my card stays relevently cool even in higher demand games than EoTUG. It's only EOTUG that I have issues with and no other game.

[Zephyr]

Originally posted by Krushak:

This is the cleanest install I have since I had redone my windows 11 since I upgraded my SSD. I have freesync on and I am not going to go in and toy with my video card settings, that's a good way to damage it. I have a better feeling it is because of drivers since they updated earlier this month and I didn't have issues till now so I think what Mike said is to be true.

Just setting FPS limits or clock limits below the GPUs maximum capability cannot damage the GPU. There is no way at all :). Btw. I meant setting more severe FPS limits in the game as the easiest solution you can try.

It is possible that the dev is right, but trying a little more on your side would not hurt. If the driver install is clean (first install with windows without any updates) the only thing you would need to do is to go to the game settings and chose 75 FPS limit. That would have limited GPU clocks and voltages as an automatic consequence, all vanilla manufacture and driver settings, just much less demanding for the GPU.

If this is also not stable, then a feshly introduced driver issue is the problem (at least 99.9 % probability).

[Krushak]

Originally posted by Mike:

The engine should be able to handle 160fps on a modern-ish card without overheating, so I doubt it's that (it'd be thermal throttled before that anyway).

It is most likely driver related in some way - can you try rolling back to an earlier version to see if that helps?

You might also want to try moving onto the current optional beta branch if you haven't already - it upgrades the UE4 version number to its final one and we've found it fixes lots of little lingering problems people have had. Instructions in the post below:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/463530/view/4566175748883077954

I tried the openbeta, still did it but I rolled my AMD back three versions(Since it updated today I guess), it's on AMD side which I sent in a report since I got over the black screen some how by repeating CTRL + ALT + Delete, locking my PC and then unlocking it to clear it. So it's up to AMD.... which is odd that I have to roll back drivers to just play but it is what it is. Not your fault. It's even more weird that it's just EOTUG, no other game and I mean even more intensive games.