Multiple Game Crashes due to NVidia and Potential Game Bug

Hoping someone can help me out.


Next option is to start rolling back Windows to 23H2 but ... bleh

Based on the DxDiag report you provided and the context from the Path of Exile forums, here’s a concise recap of your situation, focusing on your technical specifications and the steps you’ve likely taken to address issues with Path of Exile (PoE) or Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2) crashing. I’ll ensure there’s no overlap in the specs and keep the information factual, drawing from the DxDiag and relevant forum insights.

### Technical Specifications Recap
- **Machine Name:** ZERO
- **Operating System:** Windows 11 Home 64-bit (10.0, Build 26100) (26100.ge_release.240331-1435)
- **System Manufacturer:** ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
- **System Model:** ASUS TUF Gaming F15 FX507VI_FX507VI
- **BIOS:** FX507VI.329 (type: UEFI)
- **Processor:** 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-13620H, ~2.4GHz (16 CPUs)
- **Memory:** 65536MB RAM (64GB)
- **Available OS Memory:** 65162MB RAM
- **Page File:** 11273MB used, 57985MB available
- **DirectX Version:** DirectX 12
- **Primary GPU:** NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
- **Dedicated GPU Memory:** 7948MB (8GB)
- **Shared GPU Memory:** 32581MB
- **Total Display Memory:** 40529MB
- **Driver Version:** 32.0.15.7283 (dated 3/13/2025)
- **Feature Levels:** 12_2, 12_1, 12_0, 11_1, 11_0, 10_1, 10_0, 9_3, 9_2, 9_1, 1_0_CORE
- **Driver Model:** WDDM 3.2
- **Hardware Scheduling:** Enabled, stable
- **Secondary GPU:** Intel(R) UHD Graphics
- **Dedicated GPU Memory:** 128MB
- **Shared GPU Memory:** 32581MB
- **Total Display Memory:** 32709MB
- **Driver Version:** 32.0.101.6314 (dated 11/25/2024)
- **Feature Levels:** 12_1, 12_0, 11_1, 11_0, 10_1, 10_0, 9_3, 9_2, 9_1, 1_0_CORE
- **Hardware Scheduling:** Disabled
- **Hybrid Graphics GPU:** Discrete (NVIDIA) and Integrated (Intel)
- **GPU Mux Support:** Development, None - Unknown Error
- **Display:**
- **Monitor Model:** NE156FHM-NX6 (BOE0B70)
- **Resolution:** 1920 x 1080 (32-bit) at 144Hz
- **HDR Support:** Not Supported
- **Color Space:** DXGI_COLOR_SPACE_RGB_FULL_G22_NONE_P709
- **Output Type:** DisplayPort Embedded
- **DxDiag Version:** 10.00.26100.3624 64bit Unicode
- **System DPI Setting:** 120 DPI (125 percent)
- **User DPI Setting:** 96 DPI (100 percent)
- **DWM DPI Scaling:** Disabled
- **Miracast:** Available, no HDCP (NVIDIA: Not Supported by Graphics driver)

### Steps Likely Taken (Based on Forum Context and Common Troubleshooting)
While your DxDiag report doesn’t directly indicate the steps you’ve taken, the Path of Exile forums and Reddit threads highlight common troubleshooting steps for crashes, especially those involving `PathOfExileSteam.exe` and errors like `c0000005` (access violation). Given your system’s specs and the nature of the issues reported on the forums, here’s a factual reconstruction of the steps you might have taken:

1. **Initial Crash Encounter:** You likely experienced crashes while playing Path of Exile or Path of Exile 2, possibly with an access violation error (`c0000005`) related to `PathOfExileSteam.exe`, as seen in forum reports [web:7].

2. **Checked System Compatibility:** Your system exceeds the typical requirements for PoE/PoE 2 (i7-13620H, RTX 4070, 64GB RAM, DirectX 12), so hardware limitations are unlikely the cause.

3. **Driver Updates:**
- NVIDIA GPU drivers are up to date (version 32.0.15.7283, dated 3/13/2025).
- Intel UHD Graphics drivers are also recent (version 32.0.101.6314, dated 11/25/2024).

4. **Graphics API Adjustments:** Forum users with similar setups (e.g., RTX 4070) reported switching from DirectX 12 to Vulkan to resolve crashes [web:3][web:20]. You might have tried this, given your DirectX 12 setup and the reported issues with DX12 on the forums.

5. **Graphics Settings Tweaks:** You may have adjusted in-game graphics settings, such as lowering settings or disabling features like DLSS, multithreading, or engine multithreading, as suggested in forum threads [web:20].

6. **CPU Optimization Attempts:** Some users reported crashes due to high CPU usage (e.g., >100% CPU usage on Windows 11 24H2) [web:15]. You might have tried limiting CPU usage by:
- Disabling the first two CPU cores via Task Manager affinities [web:7][web:20].
- Disabling engine multithreading in PoE’s advanced graphics options to reduce CPU spikes [web:20].

7. **Other System Tweaks:** Based on forum suggestions, you might have:
- Turned off GPU hardware scheduling in Windows settings [web:7].
- Run the game as administrator or in Windows 8 compatibility mode [web:7].
- Checked for network lag spikes using PoE’s in-game performance graph (F1 key), as stuttering and crashes can be linked to server issues [web:20].

8. **Checked Known Issues:** You likely visited the Path of Exile Early Access Bug Reports forum to see if your issue was a known bug, as recommended in Reddit threads [web:3]. Threads mention frequent crashes, freezes, and high CPU usage [web:1][web:4][web:6][web:8][web:14][web:15][web:19].

9. **No Hardware Issues Found:** Your DxDiag report shows no problems in the display, sound, or input tabs, and both GPUs are functioning (status: DN_DRIVER_LOADED|DN_STARTED).

### Additional Notes
- The `c0000005` access violation error is a common issue with PoE/PoE 2, often linked to memory access issues, CPU overutilization, or graphics API conflicts [web:7].
- Your system’s hybrid GPU setup (NVIDIA + Intel) might require ensuring the game runs on the discrete NVIDIA GPU, as the Intel UHD Graphics has hardware scheduling disabled, which could affect performance if mistakenly used.
- Windows 11 Build 26100 aligns with the 24H2 update mentioned in forums, which some users reported as problematic for PoE 2 due to high CPU usage and crashes [web:15]. Downgrading to 23H2 was suggested as a potential fix [web:3].

If you’re still experiencing crashes, you might consider posting on the Path of Exile Bug Report Forums with your DxDiag details, as suggested by the community [web:3], or trying Vulkan if you haven’t already. Let me know if you’d like to explore specific troubleshooting steps further!

Anyone got anything :( ...