Baldur’s Gate 3 has had a plethora of players captivated. But problems like DXGI Device Removed or Device Lost Error in BG3 can be a pain, especially when it crashes the whole game. The error occurs randomly while playing and crashes the game completely.
Players with entirely different levels of hardware have been experiencing these errors. The error is most likely a glitch that thinks that your graphic card has disconnected and proceeds to crash the game but it can also be caused due to the players’ graphic drivers not being updated.
- First and foremost, I recommend updating your drivers and restarting your computer to make sure the issue isn’t at your end.
To fix DXGI Device Removed In BG3, try the following solutions in order:
- Slightly Undervolt your GPU.
- Applying a small Downclock to your GPU.
- Applying a small Power limit to your GPU.
- Use DX11 instead of Vulkan, as the API is still a bit unstable.
- Toggling your VSync.
Undervolt Your GPU
Most people think that undervolting their hardware could result in a disaster. This is simply not true if you just follow the very simple rule of doing it in very small chunks. It makes the component work at a lower voltage which can improve life span and temperatures.
It will also ensure that your GPU doesn’t bottleneck during extreme loads like loading screens in games which can result in crashes like the DXGI Device Removed error.
As the Device Removed error is more directly linked to your GPU not functioning right, applying this could fix the problem.
Before applying an undervolt, however, you would need some GPU Load to check for stability. For this, you can run one of the following in the background:
- MSI Kombustor
- Heaven Benchmark
- Furmark
- Any AAA Game (RDR2, TW3, CP2077, MW2)
- Caution: Before going through these steps, it’s recommended that you watch your processor-specific video on YouTube. This is just so you are sure, as it’s more of a feel thing with finding the limit. If uncomfortable, skip this fix.
To do so, go through these steps:
- Firstly, download MSI Afterburner and install it.
- Open Afterburner and click on the Settings button.
- Go to the General tab and into the Compatibility Properties section.
- Check the Unlock Voltage Control box and click on OK.
- Run your chosen GPU Load in the background.
- Once this is done, you want your attention in the Voltage Section.
- Now, repeat these steps:
- Type -25 in the small box next to the slider and click the Apply Button.
- Go into your benchmark and check for any abnormalities. If there are none, repeat but add 25 at each attempt.
For this, you generally want to stay in the -100 to -125mV range. If you can achieve -125, that’s your cue to leave it be. If you encounter any artifacts, you can restart your computer, and it will revert to default. Then, you can choose the previous amount as the final value.
Underclock Your GPU
Another thing I recommend doing is slightly underclocking their clock speeds has also been just as effective in solving the Device Lost Error in BG3.
Underclocking the GPU lowers its clock rate which results in lower power consumption and lower heat generation, ensuring your graphic card runs smoothly even under pressure.
This fix can also be used as an alternative to undervolting if that isn’t your cup of tea. People online also found this fix helpful.
To do so, go through these simple steps:
- Open Afterburner and look for the Clock section in the middle.
- In there, type -50 in the box next to Core Clock and press Enter.
- Do the same for the Memory Clock and press Enter.
- Click on the Save button to save this change.
Do note that if this does fix your issue, you might want to look into talking to your GPU’s vendor for support. This is because your GPU could be having issues, and it’s better to have it sorted out before any major issues start to happen.
Powerlimit Your GPU
Allowing your GPU to draw as much power as it wants can cause it to sometimes exceed the safe limits, causing instability issues which is why I recommend powerlimiting your GPU.
Power limiting your GPU is like FPS capping in games, except that instead of limiting your frames, you limit the power draw of your GPU.
While this would point to an aging Power Supply Unit. It’s better to try it out and then draw conclusions.
Follow these straightforward steps to apply a power limit to your GPU:
- In Afterburner, look for the Power Limit Slider.
- Type in -10 in the box next to it.
- Click on the Save button to apply a 90% Power Limit.
Switch From Vulkan
If none of the above fixes work for you, it’s most likely not a hardware issue causing this problem. Vulkan on BG3 is known to cause various issues. The Device Removed error is one of them. If you are using an older graphics card you should use DX11 as it is more compatible with older cards than Vulkan.
This will lead to more stability in-game compared to Vulkan which is relatively new and less compatible. DX11 is more stable, and switching from Vulkan is a possible fix at least until the developers fix the API.
To switch from Vulkan, perform the following steps:
- Right-click on the Game’s Shortcut on your desktop.
- In the Shortcut tab, click on Open File Location.
- Once opened, you need to create a shortcut for the bg3_dx11.exe.
- Launch the game using the newly created shortcut.
Toggle VSync
While a bit unconventional, toggling your VSync is a known fix for this problem. The exact reason why this works could range from how the game manages its internal ticks to maybe a bug.
Enabling VSync can cap the in-game frame rate and reduce the strain on the GPU, potentially mitigating overheating and the instability that results from it.
At the same time having it on can cause issues too in some cases, in which case toggle the Vsync settings to whatever it isn’t originally set as.
Follow these steps to toggle Vysnc in-game:
- Open Baldur’s Gate 3 and navigate to Options.
- Click on the Video tab on the top right side.
- In here, just toggle your Vsync setting. (Enable it if disabled and vice versa)
My Thoughts on the DXGI Device Removed Error
Baldur’s Gate 3 has a pretty immersive story and having an error pop up randomly certainly does ruin the experience. People can be seen talking on forums like Reddit, Steam and the Larian Forums regarding the error.
The developers have yet to address the error. Also, the error can’t directly be pinned on the developers since sometimes it is caused due to the player not having his graphic drivers updated.
The error can be hard to fix if a simple update of your drivers doesn’t fix it and you have to resort to things like underclocking your GPU.
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