Fix FiveM has stopped responding (DirectX query): GPU timed out, game freezes and closes

The game freezes for a few seconds, then this window appears and FiveM closes:

FiveM has stopped responding (DirectX query)
The game stopped responding for too long and needs to be restarted. ...
Game code was waiting for the GPU to complete the last frame, but this timed out
(the GPU got stuck?) - this could be caused by bad assets or graphics mods.

For some players it happens 2-5 minutes after joining, for others only in one part of the city or on one server. The cause is either your graphics card, driver or a graphics mod, or a bad asset the server sends you. The steps below start with the easiest.

What the error means

FiveM sends drawing work to the GPU and waits for it to say the frame is done. If the GPU does not answer within the time Windows allows, FiveM gives up and shows this window. The message itself names the two usual suspects: bad assets and graphics mods. A third group is plain hardware and driver trouble: an unstable overclock, an overheating card, a damaged driver, or video memory that is full.

Quick way to tell the two sides apart:

Quick checklist

• Remove ReShade, ENB and any visual pack from FiveM
• Close overlays (Discord, GeForce or Radeon overlay, Steam, Xbox Game Bar, recording software)
• Return the GPU to stock speed (no overclock, no undervolt)
• Lower texture quality and the extended texture budget
• Clear the FiveM cache
• Clean-install the graphics driver
• Try another server to see which side the problem is on

Fixes for players, easiest first

1. Remove graphics mods (ReShade, ENB, visual packs)

FiveM loads graphics mods from the plugins folder in %localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app, and the message above names graphics mods directly. A dxgi.dll or d3d11.dll in there usually belongs to ReShade or a similar tool.

1. Close FiveM
2. Open %localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\plugins and move everything out to a backup folder on the Desktop
3. Also check mods in the same folder if you installed visual replacements there
4. Verify GTA V's files from your launcher (Steam: right-click GTA V, Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity of game files), then start FiveM

If the crash disappears, add the mods back one at a time to find the culprit. For the broader picture of mod problems see FiveM stuck on the loading screen.

2. Close overlays and tuning tools

Anything that draws on top of the game or hooks into it can stall a frame: the Discord overlay, the GeForce or Radeon in-game overlay, the Steam overlay, Xbox Game Bar, FPS counters, recording software, MSI Afterburner or RivaTuner. Close them, or turn their in-game overlay off, then test.

3. Undo overclocks and undervolts

A card that is slightly unstable can run a benchmark fine and still hang in a heavy streaming game like FiveM. Return the GPU, and if you changed them the CPU and RAM (XMP/EXPO profile), to stock settings in MSI Afterburner or the BIOS. If the crash stops, bring the settings back gently or leave them at stock.

4. Lower the graphics load

When video memory is nearly full, the GPU swaps data around and frames take longer.

• In the FiveM and GTA V graphics settings lower Texture Quality, MSAA and Extended Texture Budget (a high budget on a card with little VRAM is a known way to run out of memory)
• Lower the resolution or turn on a frame limit while you test
• Close Chrome and other heavy programs that also use the GPU

5. Clear the FiveM cache

Half-downloaded or damaged cache files make the game re-read broken data. Close FiveM, then in %localappdata%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data clear the contents of cache (leave the priv folder), server-cache, server-cache-priv and nui-storage. Do not delete GTA V's game files. The first join to each server takes longer afterwards.

The easy way is our FiveM cache-clearing script that keeps your keybinds. It does exactly this and backs up fivem.cfg first.

6. Clean-install the graphics driver

A damaged or mismatched driver is a common cause of GPU hangs.

1. Download the latest driver for your card from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel and keep the installer on the Desktop
2. Boot Windows into Safe Mode (Settings, System, Recovery, Advanced startup, Restart now, then Troubleshoot, Advanced options, Startup Settings, Restart)
3. Run Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU), pick your GPU brand and choose Clean and restart
4. Install the driver you downloaded

DDU is a community tool aimed at advanced users, so make a restore point first. If the crash started right after a driver update, try the previous version instead of the newest one.

7. Laptop: make sure FiveM uses the dedicated GPU

On laptops with two graphics chips FiveM may run on the weak integrated one. In Windows Settings, System, Display, Graphics, add the FiveM executable and set it to High performance, or set it in the NVIDIA or AMD control panel. Keep the laptop plugged in and make sure the vents are clear.

8. Check heat and power

Watch the GPU temperature while playing with any monitoring tool. A card that climbs into the high 80s or beyond, or a weak or ageing power supply that cannot hold up under load, can cause hangs that look exactly like this. Clean the dust, check the fans, and if you suspect the PSU, test with a different one.

9. Windows GPU scheduling and the FiveM update channel

Both are low-confidence options, so try them after the steps above, one at a time.

• Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling: in Settings, System, Display, Graphics, open Change default graphics settings and flip the Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling switch (the opposite of how it is now), restart, and test. Some PCs do not show the switch, and on newer Windows 11 builds the menu has moved.
• Update channel: FiveM settings have an update channel option (Release or Latest/Canary). Switching restarts the game and downloads the matching build. Release is the stable one; try the other only if you have no other lead.

10. Last resort, advanced: Windows TDR timeout

Windows gives the GPU a couple of seconds to answer before it resets the driver, and that limit is the TdrDelay registry value. Microsoft documents these keys for driver testing and debugging, not for everyday use, and players on the Cfx.re forum report that adding them did not fix the crash for them. Raising the timeout only hides a hang for a little longer. Try it only after everything else failed, and treat it as a test.

1. Back up the registry: in Registry Editor choose File, Export, and save the whole registry
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers
3. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named TdrDelay and set it to 10 (decimal seconds; Microsoft's default is 2)
4. Restart the PC

To undo it, delete the TdrDelay value and restart.

For server owners: bad assets

If the error appears for many players, on one server only, or at one place on the map, suspect your streamed assets. Cfx.re community staff say this error is often a bad asset, commonly a broken LOD.

What to look for

• Oversized textures: a .ytd texture dictionary that uses far more memory than the usual 16 MiB target. FiveM prints oversized-asset warnings in the server console at startup. Downscale the big textures and remove unused ones, and only resize the ones that are too large
• Broken models: a vehicle or MLO with a damaged .ydr/.yft, missing or broken LODs, or the wrong collision
• Too much at once: dozens of custom vehicles, clothing packs and MLOs streamed into the same area at the same time

How to find the culprit

1. Ask the player to click Save information on the crash window and send the file. It contains a crash dump you can open or pass to Cfx.re for analysis
2. Note where and when it happens. A crash at one location points at the asset there
3. Test on a clean server with no custom assets. If a clean server is fine, the problem is in your resources
4. Remove or stop assets in halves, or one at a time, newest first, until the crash stops
5. Check the server console for oversized-asset warnings and fix those first

You can also cut the load on players' GPUs by reducing what spawns in the world. The free X3D Environment script stops NPC and AI traffic from spawning and clears leftover decals, which means less for the game to draw. It is not a fix for this error, only a way to lighten the load.

More on server-side lag: FiveM map not loading and FiveM low FPS fixes.

FAQ

Can I fix it without reinstalling Windows? Usually you do not need to. Remove graphics mods, clear the cache, undo overclocks and clean-install the driver cover most player-side causes.

It only happens on one server. Is it my PC? Probably not. Tell the server staff and send the file from Save information. Bad assets on the server are the most common cause in that case.

Will a new GPU fix it? Not necessarily. If the crash is caused by a broken asset, it can happen on any card. Rule out the server and mods first.

Is raising TdrDelay safe? It is not harmful when done carefully, but it is a workaround, not a fix, and it can make a real freeze last longer. Back up first and remove it if it does not help.

For other errors see common FiveM errors and fixes and Streamer crashed (productId != ProductID::INVALID).