[Solution Found] PoE2 Shutdown Bug with RX 7800 XT

Update the crashes are back.

⚠️ Resolution Found – Power Cable Configuration:
After switching from a daisy-chained PCIe cable to two separate PCIe power cables, no crashes or shutdowns have occurred under the same test conditions, including Cyberpunk and PoE2.

Overview:
This post details a persistent and reproducible issue with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT graphics card causing complete system shutdowns (not just crashes) while playing Path of Exile 2. The problem has been narrowed down through extensive hardware replacements, targeted stress testing, undervolting, and GPU driver adjustments. Multiple logs and testing scenarios are included to support developer investigation.

System Background:
- Original System (Windows 10): Experienced sudden shutdowns exclusively while playing Path of Exile 2.
- New System (Windows 11): Built from scratch using all-new parts except the GPU (RX 7800 XT reused). Issue still occurs.

Current System Specs:
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT (16GB GDDR6, 263W TBP)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600
Motherboard: MSI B650 (UEFI BIOS)
RAM: 32GB DDR5
PSU: 750W Gold-rated (sufficient headroom, confirmed stable under other loads)
OS: Windows 11 Pro

Symptoms:
- Complete, sudden system shutdowns while playing Path of Exile 2.
- No BSOD, crash dialog, or thermal throttling indicators.
- Occurs even in low-demand areas (e.g., hideout) and not during heavy combat.
- The issue affects both Vulkan and DirectX 12 APIs, with slightly different results:
> Vulkan: Causes full system shutdown.
> DirectX 12: Typically causes game crash or, at times, full shutdown.
> DirectX 11: More stable so far, not yet tested extensively.

What Has Been Tried:
1. Built Entirely New PC: Only reused the RX 7800 XT. Problem persisted on a fresh OS, new PSU, CPU, motherboard, RAM.
2. Switched Between APIs:
- Vulkan: Shutdowns.
- DX12: Game crash and occasional shutdown.
- DX11: Testing in progress.
3. Driver Changes:
- Problem observed under AMD driver version 25.3.1.
- Considered rolling back to stable 2023 drivers.
- Noted other users with similar issues in online discussions.
4. Undervolting and Power Limiting via AMD Adrenalin:
- Max Frequency capped at 2400 MHz
- Voltage limited to 1025 mV
- Power Limit set to -10% to -15%
- This significantly reduced crash frequency, especially on Vulkan
- Occasionally reverted after bug report submission or updates
5. Stress Testing Performed:
- AMD Stress Test: No shutdown
- FurMark: No shutdown
- 3DMark Time Spy: No shutdown
- OCCT Power Test: No shutdown
- Superposition Benchmark (looped): No shutdown
- Combined Load Stress Test:
> YouTube 4K in background + Superposition + OCCT + HWiNFO logging
> No system instability observed
6. HWiNFO64 Logging:
- During PoE2 crash: TBP spikes >250W, voltage spikes to 1.32V
- Confirmed undervolt not active during one crash (reset silently)
- No spikes or shutdowns during any synthetic stress test
7. Submitted AMD Bug Report:
- Included logs and reproduction steps
- Identified that tuning settings may be reset by the bug report tool

Conclusion:
- The system is otherwise stable.
- RX 7800 XT behaves normally under all other real-world and synthetic loads.
- PoE2, under Vulkan or DX12, triggers a very specific failure mode — possibly due to power boost behaviour, load transitions, or driver-level issues on RDNA 3 architecture.

When the System Shut Down (PoE2 Vulkan/DX12):
- GPU Total Board Power (TBP) spiked to ~252–260W, momentarily exceeding spec (263W max) during scene transitions — even in low-demand areas like the hideout.
- GPU Core Voltage (VDDCR_GFX) spiked to ~1.32V, well above the undervolted target (1025 mV), suggesting tuning reset or boost overshoot.
- GPU Shader Clock reached 2433 MHz, above the manual 2400 MHz cap set via AMD Adrenalin.
- No thermal event or overheating occurred at time of shutdown (temps ~65–70°C).

When Running Stress Tests (Time Spy, OCCT, FurMark, Superposition):
- No crashes or shutdowns occurred, even at 100% GPU load.
- TBP stayed well below 250W, typically 200–220W under load.
- GPU voltage remained below 1.2V, with clocks staying within the undervolted range.
- All other system components (CPU, RAM, PSU) showed normal, stable behavior.

Only Path of Exile 2, under Vulkan or DX12, can replicate the shutdown — no other games or benchmarks reproduce it.

Final Notes:
- I am happy to share raw logs and assist with reproduction tests.
- The goal is to help both AMD and GGG address what appears to be an edge-case but serious issue affecting RDNA3 users in PoE2.
- Thank you to both teams in advance for reviewing this case thoroughly.