Video DXGNRL Fatal Error when playing games.

Question

Video DXGNRL Fatal Error when playing games.

mecwithadot 0

Hello. For the past month or so I have been getting this screen frequently whilst playing games. My screen blinks and the audio buzzes for a few seconds, then the game just crashes. After a few seconds the laptop itself gets the fatal error and crashes. This happens more frequently in certain games like Assasin's Creed Valhalla or Shift At Midnight, making it impossible to play the game. But rarely or even none at all in other games like Overwatch, Sons of The Forest, Ready or Not.

So far I have tried resetting my pc, updating my display drivers, uninstalling then reinstalling the latest display drivers, uninstalling then reinstalling all the games, installing the latest Microsoft updates. I have researched the problem but was unable to find a solution to my problem.

Laptop: MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13VF
OS: Windows 11 Home
GPU: 4060 RTX Laptop

ApexNáV 360 Reputation points

2026-09-14T16:03:33.0433333+00:00

Did you check if GPU/CPU temperatures are going high while gaming? Is your laptop still under warrenty?
mecwithadot 0 Reputation points

2026-09-14T19:41:09.65+00:00

The warranty unfortunately expired in 2025. I haven't had time to test the tempratures of my GPU or CPU while gaming, although when the GPU is idle it's around 50 degrees Celsius. And the CPU is around 55 to 60 degrees celsius. There's one notable problem with my laptop though, I had removed the battery when I first got it so it doesn't die out when I need it as I use my laptop plugged in for now, but 7-8 months back the laptop started misfunctioning, I had to plug it and unplug it and press the power button repeatedly for up to 3 minutes for it to power on. I still have the battery and the parts, I can put the battery back in if that might be related to my problems.

3 answers

Your answer

ApexNáV 360 Reputation points

2026-09-14T16:03:33.0433333+00:00

Did you check if GPU/CPU temperatures are going high while gaming? Is your laptop still under warrenty?
mecwithadot 0 Reputation points

2026-09-14T19:41:09.65+00:00

The warranty unfortunately expired in 2025. I haven't had time to test the tempratures of my GPU or CPU while gaming, although when the GPU is idle it's around 50 degrees Celsius. And the CPU is around 55 to 60 degrees celsius. There's one notable problem with my laptop though, I had removed the battery when I first got it so it doesn't die out when I need it as I use my laptop plugged in for now, but 7-8 months back the laptop started misfunctioning, I had to plug it and unplug it and press the power button repeatedly for up to 3 minutes for it to power on. I still have the battery and the parts, I can put the battery back in if that might be related to my problems.

Answer 1

VIDEO_DXGKRNL_FATAL_ERROR indicates that the Microsoft DirectX graphics kernel subsystem detected a violation. Given that this happens mainly during games, with screen blinking, audio buzzing, and then a crash, the most relevant path is graphics-driver and graphics-stack troubleshooting.

Since resetting Windows, reinstalling games, and reinstalling the latest display drivers were already tried, focus on these steps:

If a driver name appears on the blue screen or in the stop message, disable that driver or get an updated version from the laptop manufacturer.
Make sure all graphics-related software is current, including DirectX and OpenGL components, and ensure the affected games are fully patched.
Check whether any recently added hardware or peripherals are involved, and confirm they are compatible with the installed Windows version.
Use Safe Mode to isolate whether the issue is tied to a full graphics driver stack:
- Open Settings → Update and Security → Recovery
- Select Advanced startup
- Go to Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Startup Settings → Restart
- After restart, choose option 4, 5, or 6 for Safe Mode If the system is stable there, that points more strongly to a driver or related software issue.
Run Windows Memory Diagnostics:
- In Control Panel search, type Memory
- Select Diagnose your computer's memory problems
- After the test, open Event Viewer → System log
- Look for MemoryDiagnostics-Results
Run the hardware diagnostics provided by MSI for the laptop.

Relevant background: Windows uses Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR) for GPU hangs. During heavy graphics workloads, the system can appear frozen while the GPU is busy. If recovery succeeds, Windows can show that the display driver stopped responding and recovered; if recovery fails, bug checks such as video TDR failures can occur.

If the crashes are limited to only a few specific games, also check whether those games have known issues or patches. There is also a documented Windows known issue where certain games crash or restart systems because of RGB-related drivers with names similar to inpoutx64, not because of Windows itself. If RGB control software or related device drivers are installed on the laptop, that is worth checking.

Answer 2

David-M 126.1K Independent Advisor

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

This behavior can occur for a few reasons. It is necessary to investigate.

Please see if your computer created minidump files.

These files are in C:\Windows\Minidump.

(If you don't have a Minidump folder, check if it is in the plural Minidumps.)

Copy any files you have to your desktop and store them in a ZIP file. Then, upload the ZIP file to the cloud (OneDrive), choose to share it, and get the link.

Then, post the link to the ZIP file here so I can have a look.

Looking forward to your reply.

0 comments

Answer 3

mecwithadot 0

https://1drv.ms/u/c/897757c3b2b0cafe/IQBZfUTvZoaBQILKq8pvHvwAAXQu6O3NgX5ZGOhAnEBX8Ok?e=4smDjA
Here's the link.

David-M 126.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-14T15:43:27.1066667+00:00

Thanks.

The minidumps indicate the driver "nvlddmkm.sys" as the cause of the crashes. This driver belongs to your laptop's Nvidia graphics card.

When you uninstalled the Nvidia driver, did you use the free DDU tool? Then, you installed the latest driver provided on the Nvidia website or the laptop manufacturer website?

Using DDU ensures a clean driver installation and may fix some issues.

Looking forward to your reply.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.
mecwithadot 0 Reputation points

2026-09-14T19:45:57.8066667+00:00

I have indeed used a DDU in safe mode to ensure a clean uninstall of the drivers. Then I reinstalled them back from the drivers I got from Nvidia's website. All of this was done whilst my wifi was turned off. When that didn't work I then reupdated game ready drivers from the Nvidia App. That didn't work either.
David-M 126.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-14T19:54:50.13+00:00

Thanks for the clarifications.

I've seen many laptops experience issues with the drivers provided by Nvidia. I suggest using DDU to uninstall the current driver, then installing the latest Nvidia driver provided by MSI (link below) to see if the system runs stably.

https://www.msi.com/Laptop/Stealth-14-Studio-A13VX/support?sub_product=Stealth-14Studio-A13VF#driver

Driver name: NVIDIA Graphics Driver

Version: 528.92

(You will need to select the Graphics category to find the mentioned driver.)

(Extract the ZIP file and double-click the file install to run it. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.)

If the crash occurs again after doing this, please share the minidump it created.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Standard Disclaimer: There is a link to a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.
mecwithadot 0 Reputation points

2026-09-16T12:55:21.9166667+00:00

https://1drv.ms/u/c/897757c3b2b0cafe/IQALnz906mcUQowZAUclSjJKAf4YFDXlrBgdwi3IA_P9LPU?e=fU5e9w
After uninstalling and then reinstalling my drivers, It didn't work. Then I redownloaded my drivers again from the MSI official website. Then it crashed again. Here is the link to the minidump again.
David-M 126.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-16T13:21:55.6766667+00:00

Thanks for the update.

This minidump also mentions only the Nvidia driver as the cause of the crash.

I suggest doing the following:

Go to the MSI website using the link below, download the latest Chipset driver, and install it.

https://www.msi.com/Laptop/Stealth-14-Studio-A13VX/support?sub_product=Stealth-14Studio-A13VF#driver

Driver name: Intel Chipset Driver

Version: 10.1.36.7

(You will need to select the Chipset category to find the mentioned driver.)

(Extract the ZIP file and double-click the file install to run it. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.)

Then, restart (no shutdown) your PC and see if the system works stably.

If the crash occurs again after doing this, please share the minidump it created.

I will explain why I suggested this:

The chipset is a vital component responsible for managing communication between the processor and other components.

A compatibility issue with chipset drivers can make the system unstable, leading to BSODs (Blue/Black Screen of Death) or abrupt shutdowns.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Standard Disclaimer: There is a link to a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.