DirectX Graphics Kernel (dxgkrnl.sys) (dxgkrnl.sys)
What is this error?
Windows DirectX Graphics Kernel subsystem. Crashes here indicate a problem between the GPU driver and DirectX.
Common causes
- GPU driver bug
- DirectX runtime corruption
- graphics driver timeout
- VRAM overcommit
How to fix it
- Update GPU driver with DDU clean install
- If persistent
- reinstall DirectX runtime
- Check for VRAM overcommit in game settings
Too many steps? Crashless can diagnose this automatically — checks your drivers, temps, VRAM, and 400+ known error patterns.
Get free AI diagnosis Detailed analysis
dxgkrnl.sys is the DirectX Graphics Kernel — it's the middleman between GPU drivers and Windows. When it crashes, the issue is usually the GPU driver not responding to DirectX commands correctly. Common in gaming crashes where the game pushes VRAM to the limit. Also occurs when switching between fullscreen and windowed mode in some games. Fixes:
- DDU clean install of GPU driver,
- Lower in-game texture quality to reduce VRAM usage (check Task Manager → Performance → GPU for VRAM usage),
- Run 'DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth' to fix DirectX runtime,
- Set the game to 'Borderless Windowed' instead of 'Fullscreen Exclusive',
- Disable NVIDIA ShadowPlay/AMD ReLive recording.
When to seek help
If this error keeps happening after trying the fixes above, it may point to a deeper hardware or system issue. Consider professional help if:
- The crash occurs across multiple games or applications
- You see the same error after a clean Windows install
- Your PC is less than a year old (could be a warranty issue)
- You smell burning or hear unusual sounds from your PC
Or let Crashless do the deep analysis for you -- our AI checks drivers, temps, event logs, and 400+ known patterns automatically.
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