(2/2)

Here is a list of things I have tried in an attempt to fix the problem:
  • switching out the HDMI cable for a different one.
  • Unplugging the HDMI and plugging it back in.
  • Doing a hard boot on the computer, waiting a few seconds, and then restarting it.
  • adding additional RAM to my computer so that I had a total of 16GB of DDR3 RAM (the other two sticks were Team Vulcan 2x4GB DDR3-1600.)
  • When I kept having the same issue I ran a memory check and my computer found nothing wrong with my RAM.
  • I removed the additional RAM b/c FFXIV is fine with 8GB.
  • I checked the windows event log to see if there was something that was happening consistently right before the crash. The only thing I found was that the last thing that windows logged before the crashes was Bonjour Service having a critical error. But that might have been because of the thing that was making me lose my display, not the cause of it.
  • contacting AMD support about which driver I should use since they no longer make drivers for Windows 8.1, and their response was “upgrade to windows 10”. -_-
  • Trying different AMD driver versions (17.1, 17.7, 17.11, and 17.12)
  • Installing MSI Afterburner, and changing the settings for the display to “force constant voltage”.
  • Using MSI Afterburner to tell my computer not to allow the CPU to get over 120 degrees F. (This one actually seemed to have the most impact. I was able to log into the game and play it for a few hours without losing my display. However, not allowing the CPU to get very hot made it so the graphics card couldn’t function as well as it normally would and I got fairly significant lag in some spots.)
  • Adjusting the temp settings to allow for a PSU temp of 153 degrees F so that I could play without lag (I tried this on Friday night, and the last reading I saw on the MSI Afterburner HUD was 136 degrees F. Shortly after that, I tried to run the benchmark and I lost my display again and couldn’t get it back, even after letting the computer sit for a few minutes.)

What I am wondering, is, if temp seems to be the primary cause of losing my display, and if I have to let the computer cool ALL THE WAY back to room temp before I can restart it and have my display come back on, does that mean that all of these problems are most likely related to the fact that my CPU is from 2013 and it is old? I don’t want to spend money on a new CPU if it isn’t going to fix the problem, but I don’t know how to diagnose the issue to determine if it really is the CPU.

Plus, I don’t know if it is possible for me to get a new CPU and have it work with my old motherboard. I also don’t know if it is possible to find a CPU/motherboard combo for under $300.

I’m hoping someone on here might be able to help me fix this so that I can play the damn game without worrying that my computer is going to crash on me. Ask questions if you need more information; I’ll try to answer them as best as I can.