Valorant: How To Fix Graphics Driver Crash Error

Valorant is a Riot Games tactical shooter video game which has sold countless copies globally because of its intense gameplay and gorgeous visuals. But some players will run into a “Graphics Driver Crashed” error – which can prevent them from enjoying the action.

This error usually means something is wrong with the graphics card driver causing instability, crashes, and even freezes during gameplay. Fear not, there are plenty of fixes to keep you gaming smoothly.

Solutions

• Install DirectX – Run the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag) and go to the System tab to confirm the installed DirectX version.
  • In case the version listed is outdated, update your Windows to the latest version – this will upgrade DirectX to the newest build.
  • Keeping DirectX up to date gives you access to the latest bug fixes, performance tweaks and support for newer features that games such as Valorant may use – potentially preventing crashes and improving overall game stability.

• Reset Your graphics card settings – Valorant can clash with Custom Graphics Card Settings or overclocking configurations – resulting in crashes, instability, or performance issues.
  • For NVIDIA users: right-click the desktop, click the NVIDIA Control Panel, click “Manage 3D Settings,” then click “Restore Defaults” to bring all graphics configurations to default values.
  • For AMD users: right click on your computer, select “AMD Radeon Software,” go to “Preferences,” then “Restore Factory Defaults” to bring all graphics configurations to default.

• Update Your graphics Driver – Old or broken Graphics drivers are often the cause of the ” Graphics Driver Crashed ” error in Valorant.
  • In the Device Manager, click “Display adapters,” right click your graphics driver and click “Update driver.” This will let Windows find and install the latest driver version by default.
  • Alternately, visit your graphics card maker’s site (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) and get the most recent driver from their support sites. As soon as installed, reboot the system to implement the changes.

• Roll back the graphics driver – If the issues started after a recent Graphics Driver update, then rolling Back to a previous stable build may fix the issue.
  • Use the Device Manager to restore the graphics driver version if it is available. If not, head over to your computer manufacturer’s website and also download an older driver.

• Play Valorant in windowed mode – Playing Valorant in windowed mode may lower your system’s graphical requirements than full-screen Play.
  • Start Valorant and hold Alt + Enter on the loading screen to enter windowed mode. This could reduce the stress on your graphics card and avoid crashes.

• Stop Overclocking – Overclocking forces your hardware components – such as the GPU and CPU – for their factory preset functionality limits, leading to instability, overheating, and energy usage.
  • Restoring your components to their native clock speeds puts less stress on them and may eliminate crash issues related to overclocking.

• Close background Apps – Running multiple applications or programs in the Background can eat into system resources such as memory and CPU power that Valorant needs to run smoothly.
  • Close down unnecessary background apps to free up resources and minimize the chance of conflicts or software interactions that could cause the game to crash.
  • Also add the Valorant executable file to your antivirus software’s exclusion list or temporarily disable antivirus software as some antivirus programs may falsely flag Valorant as a threat.

• Off VSync – VSync (Vertical Sync) tries to match the frame rate of the game to the display refresh rate but may result in performance problems in case your GPU can’t take care of the set frame rate continuously.
  • Turning off VSync disables this synchronization limit, potentially improving performance and reducing the risk of frame rate-related crashes.
  • If turning off VSync does not fix it, try lowering your in-game graphics settings to lower presets or manually tweaking individual settings to lower the GPU load.

• Riot Vanguard – Riot Vanguard is a core part of Valorant, and corruption or conflicts in this software may cause crashes or other problems.
  • Remove Riot Vanguard from the Programs and Features control panel, then reinstall Valorant from the official website to ensure a new, clean installation of Vanguard.

• Check for Unverified Drivers – Drivers not certified by the Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) may be old, incompatible, or not optimized for your system – causing instability and crashes.
  • Run the DirectX Diagnostic Tool to verify that all installed drivers are WHQL certified. Make sure the “WHQL Logo’d” status for each component is set to “Yes.”

• Reinstall Drivers using DDU – If nothing else works, a full Driver reinstallation Using the Display driver Uninstaller (DDU) utility can fix persistent Driver issues.
  • DDU completely uninstalls the current graphics driver from your system, preventing conflicts with old or corrupt driver installations.
  • After cleaning up the old driver with DDU, install the latest graphics driver version from your manufacturer’s site for a clean slate – this often fixes crashes or performance issues.

Following these tips will help players troubleshoot and fix the “Graphics Driver Crashed” error in Valorant for a smooth and uninterrupted gaming session packed with tactical firefighting and stunning graphics.