The Game suffers from Multiple Crash Bugs Yet GGG Is Silent

These are some of the possible events that can occur due to hard crashes like PoE2 causes:

Incompleteness of shutdown process interrupts system operations, which can interrupt critical tasks leading to data corruption. Even with modern file systems, an abrupt shutdown may leave temporary files or critical system configurations in an inconsistent state, requiring repairs during the next boot.

In mechanical drives, a forced shutdown could interrupt the normal parking of the read/write head, potentially causing minor wear. While rare, repeated occurrences could increase the risk of a catastrophic "head crash", a severe mechanical failure in a HDDs that occurs when the read/write head, which hovers right above the spinning platters, comes into direct physical contact with the platter surface. Since the platters are coated with a thin magnetic material used to store data, any contact with the head can cause permanent physical damage and data loss.

For SSDs, which lack moving parts, and rely on firmware to manage data, if a forced shutdown interrupts critical internal operations (like garbage collection or wear leveling), it could result in data loss or even firmware corruption.

There is also electrostatic and capacitive effects. The key here is "Charge Imbalance". Capacitors in power circuitry store charge. A sudden shutdown might not allow for controlled discharge, which could affect components over time due to uneven stress cycles.

Another problem you might encounter is with all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooling systems. In these the pump is responsible for circulating coolant through the loop. An abrupt power cut halts the pump's operation instantly, which can leave coolant stagnant in the system. Stagnant coolant may allow air bubbles that were previously suspended in the liquid to collect in the pump or tubing. When the system restarts, these bubbles can disrupt the normal flow of the coolant, causing cavitation (tiny air pockets in the pump), which manifests as unusual sounds like gurgling, grinding, or rattling.

In some other cases where the cooler was already on its last legs, if the liquid cooler contains any sediment or impurities, sudden stops could lead to clogging in the radiator or pump, potentially resulting in noise or reduced performance. I am mentioning this because there is a person in this very thread that was talking about "weird sounds" from his cooler so when I read that I thought about what might have caused it.

There is also how this crash is (supposedly) happening in the first place: 100% CPU utilization. This happens in a spike format. A sudden spike to 100% CPU utilization generates significant heat in a short period. If the system crashes at this point, the CPU may remain hot while cooling mechanisms (fans or pumps) that should have been dissipating heat are not functioning because forcing a shutdown stops cooling systems immediately. The residual heat can cause localized overheating, particularly in the CPU die (and Voltage Regulator Modules on the motherboard). Repeated instances increase the risk of thermal degradation.

The sudden power-off may induce transient voltage fluctuations, which can harm sensitive components like the CPU, GPU, or motherboard power circuitry. These components are especially vulnerable during high load conditions.

There is also the capacitor strain: The power delivery systems on the motherboard and power supply unit (PSU) experience increased strain during peak utilization. Abrupt shutdowns can exacerbate this strain, leading to shortened component lifespan.

For air-cooled systems, fans running at high speeds during 100% CPU utilization experience mechanical stress when stopped abruptly. Over time, this can degrade fan bearings or motors.

For any component that is already on its last legs, an event that would lead to shortened component lifespan might be the finishing blow.

And remember, this is not once in a while event, these crashes happen frequently, with short intervals(if one keeps playing the game after the crash and crashes again and again and again).

OP, here is another thread with substantial views and comments about the crash:
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3603803

BREAKING NEWS Shroud on poe2 loading freeze!!

his VOD: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2326778593

time 5:56:33 and he says more later about it being unaddressed and other games not crashing 5:58:45.

the clips:

https://www.twitch.tv/shroud/clip/AcceptableHelplessToothPipeHype-dsVn3w7gj56to03c

https://www.twitch.tv/shroud/clip/CourageousProtectiveSeahorsePicoMause-SFHYX724-RY-e18A

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godimpulse#1516 wrote:

BREAKING NEWS Shroud on poe2 loading freeze!!

his VOD: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2326778593

time 5:56:33 and he says more later about it being unaddressed and other games not crashing 5:58:45.

the clips:

https://www.twitch.tv/shroud/clip/AcceptableHelplessToothPipeHype-dsVn3w7gj56to03c

https://www.twitch.tv/shroud/clip/CourageousProtectiveSeahorsePicoMause-SFHYX724-RY-e18A

Thanks for this.

Yeah this will go on until Asmongold or someone at that level runs it.

I don't believe they could miss this type of error on earlier tests.

Looking at the number of bugs and crashes, my theory is that this game needed a longer delay period than 3 weeks. They just consulted with the marketing team and chose 3 weeks as the optimal sales point.

Buddy they have tens of thousands of crash logs and hundreds of people giving their specs and whatnot. They likely know the issue without reading yours.

I just want to play this game but after the 3rd hard lock up I've been monitoring patch notes every day. In my thread and the others people have suggested work arounds that ultimately don't resolve the issue. Crashes on W10, W11 23h2 and 24h2. Disabling hyperthreading didnt stop the crashes for some. Lasso and affinity can prevent the pc from fully crashing but from one patch to the next hotfix I've found that to be unable to load the game at all. Toggling multi thread on and off after every portal can work but watching my 9800x3d spike to 96c during shader compilation when it doesn't do this in any other game stresses me out. It's on their known issues list but the radio silence is upsetting. I'm glad I didn't buy the $480 pack instantly this time. wait and see. Can't even play the game I upgraded my whole pc to play. Ironic and tragic.

"

Crayonsnacha#7378 wrote:

Buddy they have tens of thousands of crash logs and hundreds of people giving their specs and whatnot. They likely know the issue without reading yours.

There are reports that state the sent DxDiags have not been checked.

The new players cannot send DMs.

This causes "cherry picking" concerns.

Also the real problem is the lack of communication. Let us not kid ourselves, if this game was not PoE2 Steam would have already forced the developers to start refunding the game. The crashes damage customer hardware.

Example communication:
A pinned STEAM and Forum post stating that if you crash more than once you should stop playing the game as you are risking your PC.

Small daily updates on which possible causes they have checked and eliminated.

Some sort of explanation on how they missed this in previous tests.

Thank you OP for consolidating this information. It's been very frustrating trying to play this game. Given the fact that the game has enormous potential, some sort of acknowledgement beyond the small (and uninformed) note in the Known Issues post would go a LONG way towards reassuring the player base. It's clear we as players would gladly cooperate with GGG.

Yes, it is Early Access, but the potential damage that a game can do to a player's system, even if it's rare, is worth taking seriously.

The silence is deafening.

Contacts to media, GamersNexus, Jayz2cents, Hardware unboxed, Paul’s hardware.
team@gamersnexus.net
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paulshardwareorders@gmail.com

I still don't understand how they could release POE2 with such a serious bug that happens to so many people. And not to say or do anything about it. I really don't understand.