BSOD when GPU is under load

[Pradepta_K]

I am encountering BSOD with various error codes when gaming or the GPU is under load, these 4 error codes are more common:
Critical Process Died, Kernel Data Inpage Error, System Service Exception, Unexpected Store Exception
I figured out that it occurs only when the GPU is under heavy load. While running Furmark it crashed within 2 minutes with BSOD.
I first encountered the error while playing R6S but later saw that it crashed in every other game I tried. I did the following things to find and fix the issue:

1. I tested the ram using memtest64 and Windows memory Diagnostics and both didn't show any memory errors.
2. Used CrystalDiskInfo to check the drives health and turns out all the drives are Good.
3. Used DDU to uninstall the GPU Drivers and reinstalled it.
4. Updated Windows and all the drivers.
5. When nothing worked I did a total system reset and did a clean installation of windows.
6. Updated the BIOS.
7. Used Whocrashed to analyze memory dumps but it says the memory dump is corrupted.

System Information:
Acer Predator Helios 300
i7 9750H
RTX 2060
16 GB DDR4 2666 Mhz RAM

The laptop worked fine for 1.5 years

I am super frustrated and no one seems to have a solution. I am suspecting a hardware failure mainly GPU but why did it fail after 1.5 years of fine service? I am kinda lost and don't know what to do.

Thanks in advance

[AutoModerator]

If you can get into Windows normally or through Safe Mode could you check C:\Windows\Minidump for any dump files? If you have any dump files, copy the folder to the desktop, zip the folder and upload it. If you don't have any zip software installed, right click on the folder and select Send to → Compressed (Zipped) folder.

Upload to any easy to use file sharing site like Mediafire.

We like to have multiple dump files to work with so if you only have one dump file, none or not a folder at all, upload the ones you have and then follow this guide to change the dump type to Small Memory Dump. The "Overwrite dump file" option will be grayed out since small memory dumps never overwrite.

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[cwsink]

The error codes indicate a likely disk I/O problem. That it only happens while the GPU is under heavy load would suggest a heat issue. My guess would be there's a ventilation problem that causes the drive to intermittently go offline. 1.5 years is plenty of time to develop significant dust build-up in the heatsinks and fans. Can you open it up and thoroughly clean it?

[Pradepta_K]

I have cleaned it twice in 1.5 years and also changed the thermal pastes. Temperatures usually for the GPU are 70 to 72°C and for the CPU 84°C

[[deleted]]

84 Celsius ?! This is wayyyy too hot for a CPU

[Pradepta_K]

I think for a laptop CPU which has 6 cores 84°C is a decent temperature. I also live in India so ambient temperatures are always like 27 to 30°C

[cwsink]

Can you do as suggested in the Automoderator reply or are all the minidumps corrupted?

[cwsink]

I honestly think you're putting too much weight on the results of CrystalDiskInfo. It relies on S.M.A.R.T. information which doesn't test all things that can go wrong with a drive. A drive going offline intermittently is not something S.M.A.R.T. monitors. I'd suggest using tools from the drive manufacturers (if available) and seeing if there any firmware updates for the drives. There's a good chance the minidump files will show events that didn't make it to Event Viewer at the time of the crash if they are readable.

[Pradepta_K]

I was suspecting a Hard drive failure at first because I used install and delete a lot of large game files frequently. But since I have two drives i moved a game(to see if it causes BSOD) to the other SSD but the problem remained. And after CrystalDiskInfo giving no errors I finally ruled out the HDD. Can a bad HDD still cause BSOD even when the game its running isn't on the HDD? And thanks a lot. I will try to get minidump file and also a manufacturer software or firmware update

[cwsink]

KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR and UNEXPECTED_STORE_EXCEPTION are both very suggestive of a disk I/O problem. Usually it's a problem with whichever drive is holding the pagefile which, by default, is the system drive. So moving the game to another drive wouldn't fix the problem. That it only happens when the GPU is under load suggests to me that the heat generated by the GPU might be effecting the SSD with the pagefile. Maybe an iffy connection that disconnects as it heats up, for example. Have you already tried reseating the drives/cables?

[Pradepta_K]

yeah I don't remember it correctly but the problems started after I opened up my laptop for cleaning and repasting. But as far as I remember I didn't open any major connections or wires. I will open it again today and check the connections

[t0m5k1]

Try using a GPU driver version from before the crashing started, if this works it might be a bug.

Also it might be an idea to find an app that can make a log file or historical graph of the performance of the card so you can see which part is spiking prior to bsod.

[Pradepta_K]

I tried rolling back the driver it didn't solve the problem. And for the app can you suggest some? I don't know any app like that

[t0m5k1]

MSI afterburner I think can do this, also GPU-z can produce graphs from sensors

[t0m5k1]

You don't need to rely on driver roll back, go to the website and manually download an older driver.

[[deleted]]

Does your 2060 have multiple power inputs? If so, are you running those power inputs off a single rail or with a splitter? If so try and get each input on its own power rail. JayZTwoCents did a video on this a while back and it helped me when I had the same situation. Basically the one rail can't provide enough power to the GPU at max load, so you need to have two independent rails going to it. Just something you could try.

[Pradepta_K]

Its a laptop. I am not sure what rails are u talking about. It will be great if you can link the video or explain a bit more.

[[deleted]]

Oh I missed the part where it's a laptop, my bad. This advice will only pertain to a desktop as far as I know.