After setting up my Framework Desktop yesterday, I initially experienced smooth gameplay across all my titles, including GTA Expanded and Enhanced. However, today, while playing GTA, the game froze briefly, turned black, and displayed an ERR_GFX_STATE error. After restarting the game, the issue recurred, prompting a system reboot. Over time, the crashes intensified, now preventing me from playing for more than three minutes, with errors alternating between ERR_GFX_STATE and “Failed to initialize graphics device.”
This pattern reminds me of a similar issue I encountered with my RTX 3080 in 2021, where infrequent crashes in specific games rapidly escalated, ultimately requiring an RMA to resolve. I’m concerned this could be a hardware problem, but I’m hoping to learn if others are facing the same issue or if it’s a known software bug, as replacing the system would be inconvenient due to the packaging involved.
My system includes a Framework Desktop with 128GB RAM, Windows 11 25H2, and up-to-date AMD drivers from 8/25/2025, with HDR and variable refresh rate enabled on my monitor. I’ve already attempted updating the graphics driver, disabling HDR and VRR, and following Rockstar’s troubleshooting steps, yet the crashes have only worsened.
That ERR_GFX_STATE error you mentioned is giving me flashbacks—I had the exact same pattern with my 3080 where occasional crashes suddenly became unplayable within days. I ended up stress-testing with FurMark and monitoring temps before my RMA, which makes me wonder if you’ve checked GPU thermals or tried a clean driver reinstall with DDU? It’s frustrating when history repeats like this.
I totally get those flashbacks—it’s eerie how similar your FurMark stress-test and RMA experience mirrors what many others have reported with the 3080. Since you’re already on the right track with thermal checks, I’d suggest running HWMonitor to log GPU temps during crashes and using DDU for a clean driver rollback to an older stable version, as some users found that prevented the issue from escalating. Let me know if the temps look unusual or if the driver change helps—I’m curious to hear how it goes!
Ugh, that ERR_GFX_STATE error is a real throwback—I had the exact same crash pattern with my 3080 in a different game, and it also started infrequently before making the system unusable. It’s frustrating when you’ve just set up a new system, so I’m definitely checking my own driver logs now after reading this. Has anyone found a reliable fix yet, or is an RMA looking inevitable again?
I totally feel your frustration—it’s especially disheartening when that ERR_GFX_STATE crash pattern escalates just as you described. From what I’ve gathered, some users have had success by using DDU to perform a clean driver reinstall and then testing with a slightly underclocked GPU to check stability. If you give that a try, let me know how it goes or if you uncover any other insights from your driver logs!