Valorant is an exhilarating game, but it can be frustrating when your graphics driver crashes. Here’s how I resolved the issue and got back to enjoying seamless gameplay.
Ensure Minimum System Requirements Are Met
To fix Valorant graphics driver crashes, it is essential to ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements. This will help prevent any compatibility issues and ensure smooth gameplay. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Check your system specifications: Verify that your computer meets the minimum system requirements for Valorant. These typically include a compatible operating system (such as Windows 7 or newer), an Intel Core 2 Duo processor or equivalent, at least 4GB of RAM, and a DirectX 11 compatible graphics card.
2. Update your graphics drivers: Outdated or incompatible graphics drivers can cause crashes in Valorant. To fix this, update your graphics drivers to the latest version. You can do this by visiting the website of your graphics card manufacturer (such as Intel) and downloading the appropriate drivers for your specific model.
3. Use the Task Manager: If your graphics driver crashes frequently, it may be helpful to monitor your system’s performance using the Task Manager. Open the Task Manager by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting “Task Manager” from the context menu. Check the performance tab for any spikes or abnormalities that could indicate an issue.
4. Keep your system up to date: Regularly update your operating system and other software to ensure that you have the latest security patches and bug fixes. This can help prevent compatibility issues that may lead to graphics driver crashes in Valorant. Use Windows Update to download and install the latest updates.
5. Check for conflicting programs: Some programs running in the background may conflict with Valorant and cause graphics driver crashes. Close any unnecessary programs or applications before launching the game to minimize the chances of encountering crashes.
Update or Rollback Your Graphics Driver
1. Open the Device Manager by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting “Device Manager” from the context menu.
2. Expand the “Display adapters” category to see the graphics driver installed on your computer.
3. Right-click on your graphics driver and select “Update driver” to check for any available updates. If updates are found, follow the on-screen instructions to install them.
4. If updating the driver doesn’t resolve the issue, you can try rolling back the driver to a previous version. Right-click on your graphics driver and select “Properties.”
5. In the Properties window, go to the “Driver” tab and click on the “Roll Back Driver” button.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the rollback process.
7. After updating or rolling back the driver, restart your computer to apply the changes.
Install Latest Windows and DirectX Updates
To fix Valorant graphics driver crashes, it is important to ensure that you have the latest Windows and DirectX updates installed on your computer. These updates often include important bug fixes and performance improvements that can help resolve graphics driver issues.
To install the latest Windows updates, follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard and type “Windows Update” in the search bar.
2. Click on “Windows Update settings” from the search results.
3. In the Windows Update settings window, click on “Check for updates” to see if there are any available updates for your system.
4. If updates are found, click on “Download and install” to start the installation process.
Similarly, to install the latest DirectX updates, follow these steps:
1. Open your web browser and search for “DirectX download”.
2. Click on the official Microsoft website link for DirectX downloads.
3. On the DirectX download page, click on the latest version of DirectX that is compatible with your Windows operating system.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install DirectX.
Once you have installed the latest Windows and DirectX updates, restart your computer to apply the changes. This should help resolve any graphics driver crashes you were experiencing in Valorant.
Adjust Graphics Card Settings and In-game Options
Adjusting the graphics card settings and in-game options can help fix Valorant graphics driver crashes. Here’s how to do it:
1. Open Valorant and go to the in-game settings menu.
2. Look for the graphics settings and adjust them to lower values. Reduce the resolution, lower the graphics quality, and disable any unnecessary visual effects. This can help reduce the strain on your graphics card and prevent crashes.
3. If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, you can also adjust the settings in the NVIDIA Control Panel. Right-click on your desktop and select “NVIDIA Control Panel” from the menu. From there, go to “Manage 3D settings” and adjust the settings for Valorant. Set the power management mode to “Prefer maximum performance” and enable triple buffering.
4. For AMD graphics card users, open the AMD Radeon Software by right-clicking on your desktop and selecting “AMD Radeon Settings”. Go to “Gaming” and find Valorant in the list of games. Adjust the graphics settings to lower values and enable anti-lag.
5. Make sure your graphics card drivers are up to date. Visit the website of your graphics card manufacturer (NVIDIA or AMD) and download the latest drivers for your specific graphics card model. Install them and restart your computer if necessary.
6. If you’re using a gaming laptop, make sure it’s plugged in and not running on battery power. Some laptops automatically switch to power-saving mode when not plugged in, which can affect performance and cause crashes.
7. Close any unnecessary background programs and processes. Open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc and go to the “Processes” tab. End any processes that are using a lot of CPU or memory resources.
8. Restart your computer. Sometimes a simple restart can fix issues with graphics drivers.
9. If the crashes persist, you may need to update your operating system. Make sure you’re running the latest version of Microsoft Windows and install any available updates.
10. Finally, if none of the above solutions work, you can try reinstalling Valorant. Uninstall the game from your computer and then download and install it again from the official website.
Disable Overclocking and Close Resource-Intensive Apps
To fix the Valorant graphics driver crash issue, there are a couple of steps you can take to optimize your system. First, disable overclocking on your gaming computer or laptop. Overclocking can put extra strain on your hardware, which may lead to crashes.
To disable overclocking, follow these steps:
1. Open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard.
2. Click on the “Performance” tab.
3. In the left sidebar, click on “CPU.”
4. Look for any overclocking options or settings and disable them.
Next, close any resource-intensive apps that might be running in the background. These apps can consume a significant amount of system resources, causing conflicts with Valorant and resulting in graphics driver crashes.
To close resource-intensive apps:
1. Right-click on the taskbar at the bottom of your screen.
2. Click on “Task Manager.”
3. In the “Processes” tab, look for any apps that are using a high amount of CPU or memory.
4. Right-click on the app and select “End task” to close it.
Play in Windowed Mode with VSync Off
To fix Valorant graphics driver crashed, you can try playing the game in Windowed Mode with VSync Off. This can help alleviate any issues caused by graphics driver crashes. Here’s how to do it:
1. Open Valorant and go to the settings menu.
2. Look for the display or graphics settings.
3. Find the option to switch to Windowed Mode and enable it. This will allow the game to run in a window instead of full screen.
4. Look for the VSync option and disable it. VSync can sometimes cause conflicts with the graphics driver, so turning it off may help prevent crashes.
Playing in Windowed Mode with VSync Off can provide a more stable gaming experience and reduce the chances of experiencing graphics driver crashes. Remember to save your settings and restart the game for the changes to take effect.
If you continue to experience graphics driver crashes, you may want to consider updating your graphics driver to the latest version. You can do this by visiting the website of your graphics card manufacturer and downloading the latest driver for your specific model.
Sometimes, other programs running in the background can also cause conflicts with the graphics driver. Use the Task Manager (Windows) to close any unnecessary programs before launching Valorant. This can help free up system resources and potentially resolve any conflicts.
Additionally, make sure your gaming computer meets the minimum system requirements for Valorant. Check that you have the latest updates for Microsoft Windows installed, as outdated software can sometimes lead to compatibility issues.
If you’re using a laptop or a desktop computer with an integrated graphics card, you may experience more frequent graphics driver crashes. Consider upgrading to a dedicated graphics card for better performance and stability.
Temporarily Turn Off Antivirus Software
Temporarily turning off your antivirus software can help fix Valorant graphics driver crashes. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard.
2. Look for your antivirus software in the list of processes. It may have a name like “AVG,” “Avast,” or “Norton.”
3. Right-click on the antivirus process and select End Task or End Process.
4. Confirm that you want to end the process if prompted.
5. Once the antivirus software is closed, launch Valorant again to see if the graphics driver crash issue is resolved.
6. If the game runs smoothly without any crashes, it’s likely that your antivirus software was causing the problem.
7. Remember to enable your antivirus software again after you finish playing Valorant by reopening the program or restarting your computer.
Turning off your antivirus software temporarily can help identify if it’s the cause of the graphics driver crashes.
Perform a Clean Boot or Reinstall Game and Vanguard
To fix Valorant graphics driver crashes, you can try performing a clean boot or reinstalling the game and Vanguard. Here’s how:
1. Clean Boot:
– Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
– Type “msconfig” and press Enter to open the System Configuration window.
– Go to the “Services” tab and check the box next to “Hide all Microsoft services.”
– Click on “Disable all” to disable non-Microsoft services.
– Go to the “Startup” tab and click on “Open Task Manager.”
– In the Task Manager, disable all the startup programs by right-clicking on each program and selecting “Disable.”
– Close the Task Manager and go back to the System Configuration window.
– Click on “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.
– Restart your computer and launch Valorant to see if the graphics driver crashes are resolved.
2. Reinstall Game and Vanguard:
– Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
– Click on “Apps” and then “Apps & features” in the left sidebar.
– Scroll down and find Valorant in the list of installed apps.
– Click on Valorant and then click on “Uninstall” to remove the game from your computer.
– After uninstalling Valorant, open a web browser and visit the official Valorant website.
– Download the latest version of the game and follow the installation instructions.
– Once the game is installed, make sure to also reinstall Vanguard, the anti-cheat software used by Valorant.
– Launch the game and check if the graphics driver crashes persist.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I fix my graphics driver?
To fix your graphics driver, you can start by opening the Device Manager. Search for it in the Start menu and click on it to open. Once in the Device Manager, locate and click on Display adapters. From there, select your graphics card and open the Driver tab. Click on Update Driver and choose either to search automatically for updated driver software or browse your computer for driver software that you’ve already downloaded.
Why does my Nvidia GPU keep crashing?
Your Nvidia GPU might keep crashing due to various reasons, including outdated graphics driver, outdated DirectX, or incompatible in-game settings.
Why does my graphics card keep crashing when I play Valorant?
Your graphics card may be crashing when playing Valorant due to an outdated or corrupted graphics card driver. Updating your graphics card driver to the latest version can help resolve the issue.
Why does my graphic driver keep crashing?
Your graphic driver may keep crashing due to various reasons. These include outdated or corrupted drivers, excessive system load, overheating, incompatible game launch options, and issues with the GPU’s processing time. To resolve this issue, consider updating your drivers and optimizing your system settings.