Symptoms
- Screen flickers or goes black briefly, then recovers with a notification about the display driver
- Happens more during gaming or graphically intensive tasks
- Problem started after a driver update or a new game/app
- Crashes are frequent enough to be disruptive but the PC doesn't fully restart
Likely causes
- CommonCorrupted or buggy graphics driverThis is the single most common cause of TDR (driver recovery) errors.
- PossibleGPU overheating causing the driver to time out under loadSustained high heat can trigger the same recovery behavior as a software bug.
- PossibleUnstable GPU overclockEven a small overclock can cause exactly this symptom under specific games or workloads.
- PossibleInsufficient power delivery to the GPU under load spikesA borderline power supply can cause momentary instability that looks like a driver crash.
What to do
- Use the manufacturer's driver removal tool to fully uninstall the current graphics driver, then install the latest stable version fresh.
- Reset any GPU overclock to default settings and see if crashes stop.
- Monitor GPU temperature during a game or task known to trigger the crash, checking for spikes near thermal limits.
- Check that the power supply is adequately rated for the GPU, especially with newer, more power-hungry cards.
- Try an older, previously stable driver version if the problem started right after a specific update.
- If crashes continue after a clean driver install, normal temperatures, and stock clocks, the GPU itself may have a hardware issue.
Tools and parts
- GPU driver removal tool (e.g., DDU)
When to call a pro
If a clean driver reinstall and checking temperatures and power don't resolve repeated TDR crashes, a technician can test the GPU on a separate system to isolate a possible hardware fault.
Safety
Generally low risk
Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.