Crash/Freeze Fortnite

GPU Process Has Crashed - Fortnite Troubleshooting Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-06 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-06 👥 Reports: 2 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Perform a clean installation of your NVIDIA graphics driver using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Windows Safe Mode to resolve the GPU process crash.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The "GPU process has crashed" error is a critical failure where the isolated graphics processing unit component of the Fortnite client terminates unexpectedly. This error primarily affects the Windows PC platform across multiple game versions, including Chapter 5. The error classification is common, with a high severity impact that results in immediate application termination, rendering the game unplayable. The exact error message documented in crash logs is "The GPU process has crashed 'x' times," where 'x' increments with each successive failure. This fault originates in the communication layer between the game engine and the graphics driver, forcing the main process to halt.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application terminates abruptly during gameplay or at the game client launch sequence. A crash reporter dialog appears with the option to send a report to Epic Games. The game window freezes, followed by a black screen or a return to the desktop. System performance monitoring software records a sudden drop in GPU utilization to 0%. The Windows Event Viewer may log an Application Error for the Fortnite process with a faulting module name related to the graphics driver or DirectX runtime. The in-game crash log located in %localappdata%\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs contains the explicit entry "The GPU process has crashed."

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: NVIDIA graphics driver version 531.x or a subsequent version containing a known memory management bug that conflicts with Fortnite's anti-cheat (Easy Anti-Cheat) or DirectX 12 shader compilation. Why this causes the problem: The driver fault causes a memory access violation or timeout within the GPU process, triggering a watchdog timeout that forces a crash. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Fortnite graphics settings configured beyond the hardware capabilities of the GPU, specifically Ray Tracing or Nanite Virtualized Geometry enabled on unsupported or underpowered hardware. Why this causes the problem: The GPU process exhausts its video memory (VRAM) budget or hits a driver-imposed execution time limit, causing a fatal timeout. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: Corrupted or missing game asset files, particularly those related to DirectX 12 shader caching stored in %localappdata%\FortniteGame\Saved\DerivedDataCache. Why this causes the problem: The GPU process attempts to compile or load a corrupted shader, resulting in an unhandled exception and process termination. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Outdated, missing, or corrupted Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables or DirectX End-User Runtime components required by the game engine. Why this causes the problem: The GPU process depends on these system libraries for low-level API calls; their absence causes a failure in the initialization chain. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Windows Power Plan or NVIDIA Control Panel 3D settings configured for maximum performance, causing aggressive clock speeds that lead to instability under load. Why this causes the problem: The GPU undergoes rapid power state transitions that the driver cannot manage synchronously with the game's render calls, inducing a crash. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: GPU overheating due to inadequate cooling or accumulated dust, triggering thermal throttling or a protective shutdown. Why this causes the problem: As the GPU temperature exceeds its operational threshold, voltage instability causes errors in computation, which the driver interprets as a fatal fault. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Background applications with overlay hooks (Discord, Xbox Game Bar, MSI Afterburner, FRAPS) interfering with Fortnite's exclusive full-screen or DirectX 12 presentation mode. Why this causes the problem: The overlay injects code into the GPU process's rendering pipeline, creating a conflict for control of the swap chain and causing a crash.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Clean Graphics Driver Reinstallation

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access, internet connection to download drivers. Steps:

Download the latest NVIDIA Game Ready Driver for the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti from the official NVIDIA website.
Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from Guru3D.
Disconnect your PC from the internet to prevent Windows Update from automatically installing a driver.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode. This can be done via System Configuration (msconfig.exe) under the Boot tab.
Execute DDU. Select "Clean and restart" for NVIDIA graphics drivers.
After the restart, install the previously downloaded NVIDIA driver package. Select "Custom Installation" and check "Perform a clean installation."
Reconnect to the internet.

Technical Explanation: This process removes all remnants of previous driver installations, including registry entries and leftover files that can cause version conflicts and memory leaks, ensuring a stable foundation for the new driver. Verification: Launch Fortnite and monitor for the crash error for a full match. Check the Windows Device Manager to confirm the driver version matches the one installed.

Solution 2: Verify and Repair Game Files

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10-30 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Epic Games Launcher installed. Steps:

Launch the Epic Games Launcher.
Navigate to your Library and locate Fortnite.
Click the three dots (...) below the game title and select "Manage."
Click the "Verify" button. The launcher will compare local files with the server manifest and download any missing or corrupted files.
Additionally, manually delete the local shader cache. Navigate to %localappdata%\FortniteGame\Saved\ and delete the entire DerivedDataCache folder.
Launch Fortnite. The game will rebuild the shader cache upon startup.

Technical Explanation: Corrupted game pak files or shader cache data can cause the GPU process to attempt rendering with invalid instructions. Verification replaces bad files, and cache deletion forces a fresh, optimal compilation. Verification: The Epic Games Launcher will display "Verified" upon completion. The first game launch will show "Compiling Shaders" which should complete without error.

Solution 3: Adjust In-Game Graphics Settings

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Ability to launch the game to the settings menu before a crash occurs. Steps:

Launch Fortnite and navigate to the Settings menu (gear icon).
Go to the Video Settings tab.
Set "Rendering Mode" to DirectX 11.
Disable "Ray Tracing" and "Nanite Virtualized Geometry" if these options are present.
Set "Anti-Aliasing & Super Resolution" to Temporal Super Resolution (TSR) at Performance mode.
Apply a conservative preset like "High" or "Medium" rather than "Epic."
Click "Apply" and restart the game.

Technical Explanation: DirectX 11 has a more mature and stable driver pathway than DirectX 12 for some hardware configurations. Disabling advanced features reduces VRAM consumption and computational load, eliminating timeout triggers. Verification: The game runs without a GPU process crash. Monitor VRAM usage in the game's performance overlay; it should remain consistently below your GPU's maximum (6GB for the GTX 1660 Ti).

Solution 4: Disable Conflicting Overlays and Monitoring Software

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None. Steps:

Close all non-essential applications before launching Fortnite.
Disable the Discord in-game overlay: Open Discord User Settings > Game Overlay > Toggle "Enable in-game overlay" to OFF.
Disable Xbox Game Bar: Press Windows Key + I, go to Gaming > Xbox Game Bar, and toggle it OFF.
Exit GPU monitoring/overclocking utilities like MSI Afterburner, EVGA Precision X1, or FRAPS.
Launch Fortnite in exclusive full-screen mode (Window Mode: Fullscreen in settings).

Technical Explanation: Third-party overlays hook into the DirectX or Vulkan API to draw their interface. This can create a race condition or memory conflict with Fortnite's own renderer, crashing the isolated GPU process. Verification: Launch Fortnite after closing the specified software. Use Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) to confirm these processes are not running in the Background processes section.

Solution 5: Update System Dependencies and Adjust Power Settings

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Administrator access. Steps:

Install the latest system updates via Windows Update.
Download and run the "DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer" from Microsoft.
Install the latest Visual C++ Redistributables. Download the "Latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable" packages for x64 from Microsoft.
Set Windows Power Plan to "High Performance": Open Windows Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Select "High Performance."
In the NVIDIA Control Panel (right-click desktop), under "Manage 3D settings," set "Power management mode" to "Prefer maximum performance" for Fortnite (FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe) or globally.

Technical Explanation: Ensuring all runtime libraries are present prevents missing function calls. The power settings prevent the GPU from downclocking aggressively during less demanding scenes, which can cause instability when load suddenly increases. Verification: System libraries are updated. The GPU core clock, monitored via a tool like GPU-Z, should show stable, higher frequencies under load without significant dips.

Solution 6: Perform a Clean Boot and Stress Test

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 20 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Administrator access. Steps:

Perform a Clean Boot to eliminate software conflicts: Type msconfig in the Windows search bar and run System Configuration.
Under the Services tab, check "Hide all Microsoft services," then click "Disable all."
Go to the Startup tab, click "Open Task Manager," and disable all startup items.
Click OK and restart the PC.
Test Fortnite in this clean state. If stable, re-enable services/startup items in groups to identify the conflict.
If the crash persists, stress-test the GPU with a tool like FurMark to rule out hardware failure. Monitor temperatures; they should remain below 85°C for the GTX 1660 Ti under sustained load.

Technical Explanation: A Clean Boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs, isolating the conflict. A GPU stress test identifies hardware instability by applying a uniform, maximum computational load. Verification: Fortnite runs without crashing in the Clean Boot state. The GPU stress test completes a 10-minute benchmark without artifacts, driver crashes, or thermal throttling.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a regular schedule for graphics driver updates, validating each new version for stability before prolonged gameplay. Configure a system restore point before any major driver or Windows update. In the Epic Games Launcher, enable automatic game updates to ensure all compatibility patches are applied. Periodically use compressed air to clear dust from the GPU heatsink and fans to maintain optimal thermal performance. Monitor GPU temperatures during gameplay using hardware monitoring software; sustained operation above 80°C warrants investigation into cooling solutions. Avoid modifying GPU clock speeds or voltage without thorough stability testing.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all documented solutions fail and the crash log continues to report "The GPU process has crashed" after a clean driver installation and game file verification. Provide the full crash log files from %localappdata%\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs and your DxDiag report (run dxdiag and "Save All Information"). Include your complete system specifications. If the GPU fails stress tests from other applications or exhibits graphical artifacts, contact your GPU manufacturer's support for potential hardware failure. Official Epic Games support channels are accessible via the "Contact Us" section on the Epic Games website.