Computer freezing during gameplay

I have been racking my brain and spent a decent amount of cash trying to fix the issue just to narrow it down to FFXIV being the only game that freezes my computer. By freeze I mean that nothing will work, keyboard shortcuts don't work, mouse won't move, music stops playing, complete and total freeze and I have to hard boot the machine. Over time I've replaced every part on the computer (hey at least I have great stuff now) trying to single an issue out.

Software side, I've ensured all drivers are up to date, and even re-installed windows with FFXIV being the only thing installed. I'm not overheating at all, not even close even. there's no memory leak. and I can't find any registry errors. The only errors I can find is critical errors in the event viewer such as;
Critical 6/28/2018 11:38:17 PM Kernel-Power 41 (63)
which just says that the system was not shut down properly.

Tested turning firewalls off during gameplay, no effect.
Automatic updates turned off. no effect

there's no ryme or reason, I havn't froze in any specific place or time.


system specs as follows
Graphics Card Manufacturer - Powered by AMD
Graphics Chipset - Radeon RX 580 Series
Device ID - 67DF
Vendor ID - 1002
SubSystem ID - 3418
SubSystem Vendor ID - 1462
Revision ID - E7
Bus Type - PCI Express 3.0
Current Bus Settings - PCI Express 2.0 x16
BIOS Version - 015.050.002.001
BIOS Part Number - 113V34114-F1
BIOS Date - 2018/01/11 04:51
Memory Size - 8192 MB
Memory Type - GDDR5
Memory Clock - 2000 MHz
Core Clock - 1366 MHz
Total Memory Bandwidth - 256 GByte/s
Memory Bit Rate - 8.00 Gbps

Radeon Software Version - 17.1.1
Radeon Software Edition - Crimson ReLive
Graphics Chipset - Radeon RX 580 Series
Memory Size - 8192 MB
Memory Type - GDDR5
Core Clock - 1366 MHz
Windows Version - Windows 10 (64 bit)
Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-990FX-Gaming AM3+ AMD 990FX
System Memory - 16 GB CORSAIR Dominator Platinum DDR3
CPU Type - AMD FX(tm)-9590 Eight-Core Processor
power supply - EVGA 850 T2

Have you replaced your power supply?

Could be a bad hard drive or bad or loose cable. Once my pc froze up and found out it was just a bad usb port that was causing it to freeze up. Another time it was just a sata cable that wasn't plugin all the way. Have same cpu and psu in my pc works well.

Good afternoon and thank you for posting on the Final Fantasy XIV Technical Support Forums.

When did this start happening? Has anything changed or updated on your PC that coincides with this?

Are you running the game in Fullscreen, Borderless or Windowed? If fullscreen, try running in Borderless or Windowed. Your computer may be locking up because you have it in Fullscreen mode which might make other things inaccessible if the drivers crash.

Try disabling any overlays you may have active. Also, try a clean boot. Simply open the task manager and select the 'Start up' Tab. Disable everything here and restart the PC. This will make sure that no background processes are interfering with the game.

Lastly, can you submit a Final Fantasy XIV system report? Simply go to the 'Config' option on the Final Fantasy XIV launcher and to the right of 'System Information' click on 'Display.'

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!

I run the game in Fullscreen, I can try windowed I just don't like it. I've already disabled all overlays so that isn't the issue. I more or less disabled everything on the start-up but I'll try everything just to see what's up.

As for when it started, it was back on 11/11/2016, this is when i first started replacing all the hardware as I had the money. This was also the same time my old cooling system took a dump and almost fried my old processor.

system report below. I hope this helps!



-=-=-=-=-=-=- FFXIV Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

MyDocument C:\Users\xzano\Documents
ProxyEnable 0
ProxyServer unspecified
ProxyOverride unspecified


-=-=-=-=-=-=- System Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

SYSTEM_OS Windows 10 Home 64-bit (6.2, Build 9200) (17134.rs4_release.180410-1804)
SYSTEM_CPU AMD FX(tm)-9590 Eight-Core Processor (8 CPUs), ~4.7GHz
SYSTEM_CORE_NUM SYSTEM_CORE_LOGIC 8 SYSTEM_CORE_PHYSICS 4
SYSTEM_BIOS F1
SYSTEM_LANGUAGE English (Regional Setting: English)
SYSTEM_MEMORY 16347.117MB
SYSTEM_VIRTUAL_MEMORY 134217727.875MB
SYSTEM_PAGE_FILE 18779.117MB
SYSTEM_STORAGE C:\ SYSTEM_HARDDISK_DRIVE SYSTEM_TOTALDISC_SPACE 930.911GB SYSTEM_FREEDISC_SPACE 758.505GB
SYSTEM_STORAGE D:\ SYSTEM_HARDDISK_DRIVE SYSTEM_TOTALDISC_SPACE 930.958GB SYSTEM_FREEDISC_SPACE 844.041GB
SYSTEM_DIRECTX_VERSION DirectX 12
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS Radeon RX 580 Series
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DEVICE \\.\DISPLAY1
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_CHIP AMD Radeon Graphics Processor (0x67DF)
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_MAKER Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_VRAM 8140.094 MB
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_SHARED_VRAM 8173.559 MB
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DAC Internal DAC(400MHz)
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DISPLAY_MODE 2560 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DRIVER C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\c0313676.inf_amd64_96bbc33bec5c7fae\aticfx64.dll,C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\c0313676.inf_amd64_96bbc33bec5c7fae\aticfx64.dll,C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\c0313676.inf_amd64_96bbc33bec5c7fae\aticfx64.dll,C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\c0313676.inf_amd64_96bbc33bec5c7fae\amdxc64.dll
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DRIVER_VERSION 22.19.0162.0004
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DRIVER_DATE 4/23/2017 20:00:00
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DRIVER_LANGUAGE English
3.0
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_PIXEL_SHADER 3.0
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_VERTEX_TEXTURE SYSTEM_SUPPORT
SYSTEM_SOUND Headset Earphone (Razer ManO'War)
SYSTEM_SOUND_DEVICE_ID {220E9994-185E-4AEC-9E41-361B9E504FCC}
SYSTEM_SOUND_DEVICE_NAME USBAUDIO.sys
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_VERSION 6.02.17134.0001
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_LANGUAGE English
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_DATE 4/11/2018 00:00:00
SYSTEM_SOUND Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High Definition Audio Device)
SYSTEM_SOUND_DEVICE_ID {6A720AF1-4EC1-4341-BB2C-E6FA5579D07E}
SYSTEM_SOUND_DEVICE_NAME HdAudio.sys
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_VERSION 6.02.17134.0001
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_LANGUAGE English
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_DATE 6/8/2018 00:00:00
SYSTEM_SOUND 1 - Z35 (AMD High Definition Audio Device)
SYSTEM_SOUND_DEVICE_ID {8CD6572D-0B68-4F11-94FC-0439D422B8D1}
SYSTEM_SOUND_DEVICE_NAME AtihdWT6.sys
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_VERSION 10.00.0001.0006
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_LANGUAGE English
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_DATE 11/16/2017 00:00:00
SYSTEM_SOUND Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High Definition Audio Device)
SYSTEM_SOUND_DEVICE_ID {C2DC69EF-F272-4D2A-BC31-9F2272E02FA6}
SYSTEM_SOUND_DEVICE_NAME HdAudio.sys
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_VERSION 6.02.17134.0001
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_LANGUAGE English
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_DATE 6/8/2018 00:00:00
SYSTEM_INPUT {6F1D2B60-D5A0-11CF-BFC7444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Mouse
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 3 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 5 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {6F1D2B61-D5A0-11CF-BFC7444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Keyboard
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 128 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {8F5E1090-7747-11E8-8001444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Razer Taipan
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 573 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {8F603370-7747-11E8-8002444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Razer Taipan
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 3 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {8F603370-7747-11E8-8003444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Hid Interface
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 6 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {8F603370-7747-11E8-8004444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Razer Taipan
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 1 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {8F603370-7747-11E8-8005444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Hid Interface
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {8F603370-7747-11E8-8007444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Razer Taipan
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 1 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {8F603370-7747-11E8-8006444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2016
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 573 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {8F603370-7747-11E8-8008444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2016
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 3 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {8F603370-7747-11E8-8009444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2016
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 1 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {8F6144E0-7747-11E8-800B444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2016
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 1 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0


-=-=-=-=-=-=- Application Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

FFXIVLauncher
Computer freezing during gameplay - Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Store
Microsoft Store


-=-=-=-=-=-=- Install Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

Google Chrome
Steam
Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x64) - 12.0.30501
Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 x86 Minimum Runtime - 12.0.21005
Google Update Helper
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 x86 Additional Runtime - 14.0.24215
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable - x86 9.0.30729.17
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 x86 Minimum Runtime - 14.0.24215
AMD Settings
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable (x64) - 14.0.24215
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable (x86) - 14.0.24215
Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x86) - 12.0.30501
Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 x86 Additional Runtime - 12.0.21005
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
F.E.A.R. 3
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION
VLC media player
AMD Radeon Settings
AMD Settings
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization KO
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization HU
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization FI
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization FR
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization TH
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization CS
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization DA
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization RU
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 x64 Minimum Runtime - 14.0.24215
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization TR
Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 x64 Additional Runtime - 12.0.21005
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization ES
Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 x64 Minimum Runtime - 12.0.21005
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization SV
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization IT
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization CHT
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization DE
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization EL
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization NO
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization NL
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization BR
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization CHS
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization JA
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 x64 Additional Runtime - 14.0.24215
Catalyst Control Center Next Localization PL


-=-=-=-=-=-=- Proccess Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe 0000054C
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe 00001014
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\cef\cef.win7\steamwebhelper.exe 00001E44
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FINAL FANTASY XIV Online\boot\ffxivlauncher.exe 00000B5C
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FINAL FANTASY XIV Online\boot\ffxivsysinfo64.exe 000014D4
C:\Program Files\AMD\CNext\CNext\RadeonSettings.exe 000012CC
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Windows.Photos_2018.18041.15913.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\Microsoft.Photos.exe 00001378
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsStore_11805.1001.42.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\WinStore.App.exe 00001DCC
C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE 00001394
C:\Windows\System32\RuntimeBroker.exe 00001D60
C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge.exe 00000980
C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe 000020B0
C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\SearchUI.exe 000015A8
C:\Windows\SystemApps\ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\ShellExperienceHost.exe 000014A4
C:\Windows\explorer.exe 000016EC
C:\Windows\system32\ApplicationFrameHost.exe 00001B64
C:\Windows\system32\DllHost.exe 00001F50
C:\Windows\system32\SettingSyncHost.exe 00001924
C:\Windows\system32\browser_broker.exe 00001F2C
c:\windows\system32\sihost.exe 000011B4
c:\windows\system32\svchost.exe 00001314
c:\windows\system32\taskhostw.exe 00001244

Thank you for the update xXanosx.

You've mentioned that you "replaced every part on the computer", does this include the hard drive and motherboard? It looks like you have more than one hard drive, have you tried installing the game on another one?

Did you get a chance to try the clean boot?

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!

Yes the replacement includes the hard drive and motherboard. I have tried 3 different hard drives in total, SSD boot drive (original) HDD boot drive, HDD storage drive. All three veriations had the same results. I have not had the chance to try the clean boot yet due to work, however I will be able to do that tonight and will update. When I do that I will use the boot file bypassing steam to ensure no "contaminations" for lack of a better term right now.

Update
Ok so I finally got around to testing playing with a clean boot. First time was in fullscreen, no background processes running just FFXIV, and it froze in about an hour. I restarted the computer to try again in windowed mode *no borders* and it froze in about 5 minutes. The first freeze happened while in a raid, the other while sitting still in limsa.

I havent heard anything out of this for a while and wanted to ask a question for the it guys. Could this game have issues with AMD hardware or gigabyte Mobo? I mean I'm not going to go out and switch everything to Intel just for ffxiv I'd rather just cancel the subscription. Or is there something else that it could be?

Thank you for the reply xXanosx. We apologize for the delay in our response.

There is no correlation between the kind of hardware you are using and the error you are getting. If you switched your hardware, you may still run into the same issue.

When you reinstalled the game, did you delete the files in the My Documents folder (My Documents > My Games > Final Fantasy XIV)? If not, try deleting this folder then relaunching the game.

Does this same thing occur if you switch to DirectX 9 mode from the Launcher?

You can also try updating your graphics card drivers or even roll back to an earlier version if you have the most up to date version.

Make sure any anti-virus/firewall you have has the appropriate exceptions for FFXIV

Try setting the compatibility mode to Windows 7 (right click on the exe file and select ‘Properties.’ Then select the ‘Compatibility’ tab and choose Windows 7)

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!

When I re-installed the game it was on a freshly formatted HDD with a fresh windows install. I tried everything on your list except changing the compatibility mode. I will do that now and I'll get back with you with another post.

Also, don't worry too much about the delay in your response, I figured you were just buried in other technical issues and may have just forgotten about mine.

UPDATE: as promised.

Tried running in windows 7 compatibility and started running the game immediately after the last post, and within 1-2 minutes of this post it has froze the computer and I had to hard reset it. Any other suggestions? I'm willing to try just about anything haha.

Thank you for the update xXanosx.

In an earlier post, I asked if you've tried the game in windowed mode and and you said you tried it in borderless windowed to no avail. Can you try windowed mode? I know it seems like you will get a similar result to borderless windowed, but I think it's worth a try. Can you also try lowering some of the graphics settings as well as the resolution if you have not already. See if this has any effect.

I'm starting to think it may a hardware issue, exactly which part, I'm not sure though. You can try removing then reinserting the graphics card or RAM just to be sure. If you have more than one stick of RAM, try taking one out and starting the game. Try the other by itself if you are getting the same problem.

Do you have a way of monitoring the temperature of your GPU and CPU? Can you get the temperatures of those when the system freezes?

Are you overclocking any part of your computer?

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!

It was worth the try to do windowed, a new thing happened even though eventually it still did the same thing (complete system freeze). The new thing was it started to freeze for a split second but didn't affect anything. Not sure how else to explain it. No idea if that could help narrow anything down or not. It can't be a hardware issue as I have stated before I have replaced every piece of hardware sense this started, partly because hardware was my first thought, and I needed to upgrade everything.

as for temps, with my old graphics card I was able to run duel monitors (my second monitor is ancient) but with the 580 I just bought I don't have an adapter for my old secondary monitor. anyway nothing was ever overheating during the freezes, which is something I had been looking for. Also no spikes in CPU usage or memory usage using the task manager to monitor that.

I am not overclocking anything, no need with current hardware and current games I play.

For shits and giggles I decided to go ahead and run some memtests and stress tests. memtests didn't come up with any issues on either of my 4 sticks.
https://i.imgur.com/aZADt8X.jpg - Stress test - for almost 30 minutes without any issues.

Thank you for the reply xXanosx.

Unfortunately, there is a limit to the amount of support we can provide. Since we don't have access to you specific computer, we can only suggest what we have above. I'd suggest filling out a bug report in the following forum: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/f...2-In-Game-Bugs

Make sure to follow the template outlined in the sticky thread.

Thank you for visiting the Final Fantasy XIV Technical Support Forums.

Might be amd hardware. I have amp cpu and sometimes game will freeze up and give me a texture error.

*UPDATE*

Ok I think I found the issue and did some testing to confirm. So far all tests have been successful in reproducing the freezes.

No idea if this has anything to do with anything, but when I ran the stress tests it made me turn on something called "windows viewer" or some crap. After that I went ahead and tried running the game again, worked fine the entire time I played it. I figured it was a fluke, or that fixed it. Though I don't think it had anything to do with it.

Went in my graphics settings in-game and decided to turn up my graphics from where I had turned them down previously. This gave me an idea, put everything on max settings and turn off 1 thing at a time to see if it crashed, if it did, turn the one thing back on and go to the next. I did this till I got down to the Shadow Quality section. I re-checked the "Use low-detail models on shadows. (LOD) applied, and restarted the game. I played for a few hours and nothing happened. So i went and unchecked it again, restarted the game, got my freeze. I played with doing that two more times and it froze every time it was not using (LOD) but never froze while (LOD) was turned on. At this time I wholly believe whatever the system is rendering without (LOD) is what is causing the freeze. And is it bad enough where it will not produce a system error other than that the system was forced to be shut down (when I hard restart). If this conclusion turns out to be false I will make a new post in this thread, so please do not lock haha.

Thank you for your help, and maybe this can either help fix something with FFXIV, My computer, or someone else's issue!


EDIT:

Scratch all that. after a few hours of the game running it finally froze. seems My search continues!

Thank you for the update xXanosx.

You may be on to something with the shadow settings. Try lowering some of the shadow settings as well as disabling shadows on NPCs and other players. You may also want to check 'Use low detail models on distant object' if it is not already. You can also change individual settings for NPCs and other players in the 'Character Configuration' settings menu. Try disabling some effects in in that menu.

Were you able to submit a bug report? It may be something you want to try even if you are still trying to solve it on your end.

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!

I ended up downloading FF XV for windows and Elder Scrolls Online for more recent games with similar set-ups, or more hardcore settings. At this time it turns out it's not just FFXIV causing my issues. I'll necro this thread later when I finally find out what is causing my issues and give the answer.