Question New PC Freezing Up With Fortnite

[ascendant]

I built a new PC just a few months ago. While I don't have much time these days to play Fortnite, my twin boys love it, so I do play online with them at times. On my old PC, the only issue I'd have would be the fps getting bad at times (because it was outdated). Never any issues with it freezing up though.

The new PC has MUCH newer and MUCH better components, yet for some reason, it keeps freezing up on my PC, and I can't figure out why.

- I had the Epic Games Launcher check the files, and everything is fine. I even uninstalled and reinstalled just in case, still happens.

- It doesn't happen all the time, somewhere about every 2-4hrs of gameplay, maybe slightly more, but it seems my PC just really doesn't like something about Fortnite, most likely a graphic setting, but no clue which one.

- It's not an overheating issue, as there are times where simply opening the game up causes my PC to freeze and stop responding.

Here are my specs:

Power Supply - Corsair RM850x (2021) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Motherboard - MSI B650 GAMING PLUS WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard
CPU - AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 4.7 GHz 6-Core Processor
CPU Cooler - Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler
Memory - G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory
Video Card - XFX Speedster SWFT 319 Radeon RX 6800 16 GB Video Card
Storage - Western Digital WD_Black SN850X 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive

- Someone had already told me a while back to turn off ray tracing because I have an AMD. That's off, and I'm not running the graphics at max. I limit the max frame rate to 120fps, so that doesn't get too crazy high.

- I am assuming it's an issue with the graphics card, as I don't see what else could be going on. When it happens, usually my monitors will go completely black, even though the tower itself is still running. I shut it off and back on, and it's working again.

- The only other game I play is one with far less intense graphics, Watcher of Realms, but no issues there. I've played Baldur's Gate 3 a bit here and there, but maybe a couple hours total so far, but again no issues there.

- I can play it for a few hours with them no problem, but then other times, it just locks up out of nowhere, which is another reason I don't feel it's an overheating issue.

- I am considering it's a possibility of a conflict with some graphics setting I have turned on in the AMD Software: Adrenaline Edition settings, but again just like with the game settings, I have no clue which one could be the culprit. I looked around online, and tried all the basic stuff they already suggested to no avail. So, if any of you have any other suggestions, specific settings in anything that are known to conflict, anything that might help me, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[In2Photos]

Is your BIOS up to date? If not start there. My son had a similar issue on his Zen3 system a few years back. BIOS update fixed it completely.

Have you set up any overclocking in the adrenaline software? Or an undervolt perhaps? It's been a little while since I played Fortnite but the system in my signature never had a problem with it (7700, RX6800XT, MSI B650).

 

[ascendant]

Is your BIOS up to date? If not start there. My son had a similar issue on his Zen3 system a few years back. BIOS update fixed it completely.

Have you set up any overclocking in the adrenaline software? Or an undervolt perhaps? It's been a little while since I played Fortnite but the system in my signature never had a problem with it (7700, RX6800XT, MSI B650).

No overclocking set up, no. I will try flashing the bios. I thought i did it, but not 100%. I'll double check and see if it's the latest version. I appreciate the suggestions, thank you.

 

[ascendant]

Ok, so I checked the BIOS, and I believe they are up to date.

My bios version in the BIOS was version E7E26AMS.1F1. For some reason, they don't have them written the same on their site, but I did see this one in the image below, which has all the same numbers, just no E at the beginning and no AMS in the middle. But, there was nothing else like my number, so I'm assuming that's just how they do it?

Anyway, my version in my BIOS said 7/8/2024, theirs says 7/9/2024, which is most likely just because of a time zone difference. So, that shouldn't be the problem.

I did try something else I saw online, where you remove some of the temp files for Fortnite, and change a few settings. Not sure if it will help, but figured I might as well, as it's nothing that would do any harm.

From searching around online, seems like there are a LOT of people who complain about issues with Fortnite with AMD GPUs. If I knew, I'd have gone with another NVIDIA like I had in my last one. Never had any problems like this, just low fps because it was old.

 

[ascendant]

UPDATE: I am now thinking this could be my PSU. For the first time just now, out of nowhere while just playing Pandora and reading a PDF, my computer shut down and restarted. I have auto restart turned off already, so it wasn't that. My first thought is a faulty PSU. Unfortunately, I have way too busy of a schedule to take the time to pull it out and have diagnostics run on it. I don't have the money either

I had my other PC for over 10yrs (at least some of the components). Not once in that entire time did mine ever just restart itself like that.

I did see online that some people have had that issue in the "high performance" power plan in Windows 10, and I literally just changed that from balanced to high performance earlier to see if it might help. So, I saw one that I never even saw on my old PC, "ultimate performance." So, I switched it to that one. Hopefully, it was just that power setting that was the issue for the restart. If it happens again, I'll go back to balanced. If it happens again after that...

 

[biostud]

Do you have any AV installed?

 

[igor_kavinski]

Check the Windows Event Log for any entries that may give a clue about what error the system encounters when it restarts.

My thoughts on probable causes:

Some mobo power delivery issue.

Maybe the GPU isn't seated properly.

The PCIe power connectors to the GPU are loose.

GPU may be overheating (how loud does it get when the screen goes black?)

RAM and memory controller voltage could be set too high by default.

Does the mobo have the latest BIOS version installed?

Try swapping the 8-pin power cables at the top left of the mobo or just use one at a time. I don't think your CPU needs both unless you are doing PBO.

Set the CPU max temperature limit in BIOS to 85C.

Is your RAM installed in slots A2 and B2?

 

[biostud]

My colleague's son had a similar problem, once he uninstalled Norton AV everything became stable.

 

[igor_kavinski]

My colleague's son had a similar problem, once he uninstalled Norton AV everything became stable.

I actually had that issue long back with my Sandy Bridge i3 Z77 PC. PC would randomly reboot. I had some crappy free AV installed (probably Avira). I don't know what made me uninstall it (probably noticed some pattern or saw something in the event log) and immediately afterwards my system was almost 95% stable. That remaining 5% instability was due to Corsair RAM.

 

[zebrax2]

I suggest removing the gpu and using 1 stick of ram at a time. Test for a few hours if there is no issue then add the gpu back. Also try using the second bios for the gpu

 

[SK10H]

Since you complain about fortnite, try 24.3.1,it's the only driver this year that I don't get driver timeout crashing back to desktop. Just turning on global illumination and other ue5 stuff is enough to bring the fps down, no need for hardware raytracing that barely did anything relatively speaking. Avging just 100fps at 1440p tsr low to 4k.
I think 24.5.1 has crazy stuttering issue for me, while every driver afterward, some of them it crashes back to desktop simply at the join game menu right away. The recent 24.8.1 live slightly longer, but still timeout occasionally midgame, haven't try the September one yet.
All those drivers are fine playing Alan Wake 2. On a 7900xtx so not 6800, ymmv.

 

[ascendant]

Do you have any AV installed?

I'm just using the Windows Defender default. I have seen some people say that some antivirus software can cause problems, but I ran it on my old PC and it never caused an issue. Unless there's something about difference hardware that could change something about it? I don't know, I haven't tried turning it off because of that

 

[ascendant]

Check the Windows Event Log for any entries that may give a clue about what error the system encounters when it restarts.

My thoughts on probable causes:

Some mobo power delivery issue.

Maybe the GPU isn't seated properly.

The PCIe power connectors to the GPU are loose.

GPU may be overheating (how loud does it get when the screen goes black?)

RAM and memory controller voltage could be set too high by default.

Does the mobo have the latest BIOS version installed?

Try swapping the 8-pin power cables at the top left of the mobo or just use one at a time. I don't think your CPU needs both unless you are doing PBO.

Set the CPU max temperature limit in BIOS to 85C.

Is your RAM installed in slots A2 and B2?

View attachment 108707

Thank you for all of that. Some of that I'm going to have to check tomorrow. I have homework I need to get done tonight since I'm seeing my kids tomorrow, but I am going to check all of that out as I'm able to either tomorrow night or Monday

I'm certain it isn't an overheating issue. During one of the times it locked up, I was monitoring the temps of everything, including the GPU in the AMD software. When it started freezing up when I was only in the main window of Fortnite, my GPU was only at 39c

And yes, I do have the latest bios installed. I did check that yesterday thanks to In2Photos.

As far as the ram, I believe I put them into slots 2 and 4. I believe that's the A2 and B2, right? I'm not 100% sure on that one, but I can check when I open it up to check and do your other suggestions.

With the ram and memory controller voltage, do you know how much they should be, or does that depend on the particular ram you have? Also, I assume I will find those settings in the bios, right? Is that the exact name it should be listed under in bios?

I will be checking all of this, and greatly appreciate the help. I really do feel it's something related to Fortnite and some configuration in it, or some configuration I have in the AMD software, that isn't getting along. Like I said, that is the only thing I have the problem with, and even when sitting idle, it would still lock up at times. But, I could be wrong

To add, since I changed the power settings again, I haven't had it reset like it did that one time yesterday. The more I looked into it online, I am fairly certain the problem was the power plan I switched to. So, I believe that it is still isolated to Fortnite.

I will update once I get a chance to try all your suggestions, and I appreciate the help, thank you

 

[ascendant]

I suggest removing the gpu and using 1 stick of ram at a time. Test for a few hours if there is no issue then add the gpu back. Also try using the second bios for the gpu

My old gpu from my other pc is somewhere in the way back of my closet. But, I can try fishing that out when I have time to try the other suggestions mentioned here as well. I can pop that one in and the one ram stick. Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[ascendant]

Since you complain about fortnite, try 24.3.1,it's the only driver this year that I don't get driver timeout crashing back to desktop. Just turning on global illumination and other ue5 stuff is enough to bring the fps down, no need for hardware raytracing that barely did anything relatively speaking. Avging just 100fps at 1440p tsr low to 4k.
I think 24.5.1 has crazy stuttering issue for me, while every driver afterward, some of them it crashes back to desktop simply at the join game menu right away. The recent 24.8.1 live slightly longer, but still timeout occasionally midgame, haven't try the September one yet.
All those drivers are fine playing Alan Wake 2. On a 7900xtx so not 6800, ymmv.

When you're talking about the driver, what driver are you referring to?

 

[ascendant]

Also, I just realized that the MSI center shows voltages of various components, so I attached it here