Warframe Keeps Crashing on PC? The Fixes Digital Extremes Lists

Warframe keeps crashing on PC most often because of damaged game cache files, an out-of-date graphics driver, or the DirectX 12 (Beta) renderer. Verify and optimize the cache in the Warframe launcher, update your GPU driver, then switch between DirectX 11 and 12 in the launcher settings. Those are the first steps on Digital Extremes’ own support page for crashing, and every fix below comes from DE’s support articles or forum staff. If Warframe crashes at the login screen with no crash report, skip to the Razer Chroma fix.

Start with the launcher. Most Warframe crash fixes take a few minutes.

Match your Warframe crash to the fix

When Warframe crashes	Most likely cause	Fix
Anywhere, after an update	Damaged or outdated cache files	Verify and optimize the cache
In missions or busy scenes	GPU driver, graphics settings or DirectX 12	Update drivers, switch DirectX
At login, with no crash report window	Razer Chroma SDK	Razer Chroma fix
Crash in nvgpucomp64.dll on an Intel 13th/14th gen CPU	CPU instability, fixed by BIOS	Update the BIOS
At random, with other software running	Overlays, monitoring or security tools	Clean boot
With a controller or extra USB device connected	Out-of-date device drivers	Unplug extra hardware
”Update failed!” in the launcher	Network or cache problem during an update	Update failed

Fix 1 — Verify and optimize the cache

Verifying compares your Warframe files with the current version on DE’s content servers and repairs or replaces any that are corrupt or missing. It’s the first thing DE support asks you to do for any crash.

1. Open the Warframe launcher.
2. Click the gear icon in the upper right.
3. Click Verify and wait for it to finish.
4. Click Optimize once verification completes.

Run it again after any crash that started right after an update. Warframe’s 2026 hotfixes for Update 43 also improved how the game handles corrupt shader caches, so make sure the launcher has finished updating before you test.

Fix 2 — Update Windows and every driver

DE calls a graphics driver update “the most important step for any performance or stability issue”. Install the latest driver from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel. On a laptop, check the laptop maker’s site first, because some ship drivers tuned for that model.

• Not sure which GPU you have? Type dxdiag in the Windows search bar, press Enter, and open the first Display tab.
• Driver already current? Do a clean driver install with DDU to remove leftovers from older versions.
• Update Windows and your other drivers too. DE names audio, network and Wi-Fi drivers as other causes of game crashes.

Fix 3 — Switch between DirectX 11 and DirectX 12

Warframe supports DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, and DE still labels DirectX 12 as Beta, so if Warframe keeps crashing on one API, switch to the other in the launcher settings (gear icon).

	DirectX 11	DirectX 12 (Beta)
Windows needed	Windows 7 64-bit or newer (Steam minimum)	Windows 10 20H2 or Windows 11
Status	Fully supported	Beta
When to pick it	DirectX 12 crashes, or older AMD cards	DirectX 11 crashes on a modern GPU

When DE investigated DirectX 12 crashes on AMD Radeon cards with RDNA 2 or older architecture in 2023, its workaround was to switch back to DirectX 11. A later launcher update falls back to DirectX 11 automatically if your Windows version can’t run DirectX 12.

Lower your graphics settings while you test. DE notes that high settings cost stability as well as performance, even on a strong PC. Open Settings → Video in game, drop the Quality Preset, and raise settings one at a time to find the one that triggers the crash.

Fix 4 — Crash at login with no crash report (Razer Chroma SDK)

If Warframe closes while you log in and the Evolution crash report window never appears, DE says the cause is most often a specific version of the Razer Chroma SDK, even one you’ve uninstalled.

1. If you use Razer devices, update Razer Synapse to the latest version.
2. If you no longer use Razer software, check that these leftover files are gone:
   • C:\Windows\System32\RzChromaSDK64.dll
   • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\RzChromaSDK.dll
3. If they’re still there and you can’t delete them yourself, DE’s advice is to contact Razer for help.

Fix 5 — Intel 13th and 14th gen crashes in nvgpucomp64.dll

Digital Extremes traced a series of Warframe crashes in nvgpucomp64.dll, a component of the NVIDIA driver, to PCs with 13th and 14th generation Intel processors, and a BIOS update fixed them. The crashes happened when the graphics driver was working hard across every CPU core, a power-hungry state for the processor. A staff member’s home PC, running a 2022 BIOS that was missing over a dozen updates, stopped crashing after he updated it.

Intel later found the root cause of the instability on these CPUs and released a microcode fix, which reaches your PC through a motherboard BIOS update. DE’s advice is to consider it only if you have one of these CPUs, are crashing in Warframe and other games, and have already updated everything else. Follow how to update your BIOS safely and your motherboard maker’s instructions.

Fix 6 — Clean boot and unplug extra hardware

DE warns that any software that modifies or monitors system, disk or network activity can make Warframe crash, and that faulty or out-of-date external hardware can too.

• Clean boot Windows. Press Windows + R, run msconfig, tick Hide all Microsoft services on the Services tab and click Disable all. Then disable every startup app in Task Manager and restart. If Warframe stops crashing, turn things back on a few at a time to find the conflict, then undo the clean boot.
• Unplug non-essential hardware. DE gives the example that Warframe may crash when loading out-of-date controller drivers. Unplug controllers, wheels, capture cards and other extras, test, and reinstall the driver for whichever device brings the crash back.

Fix 7 — Repair Windows files and check your drive

If Warframe still crashes, DE’s last two checks are Windows’ System File Checker and a disk error check. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:

sfc /scannow

Then check the drive Warframe is installed on for errors. Our guide to fixing DLL errors with DISM and SFC covers both tools step by step.

Update failed! in the Warframe launcher

“Update failed!” means the launcher couldn’t finish downloading or installing an update. DE’s fixes, in order:

1. Check the Warframe forums for server or update issues. Right after a big update, the servers can be busy, so wait and retry.
2. Restart your PC, then power-cycle your modem and router (off for 30 seconds).
3. Stop other downloads and streams on your network, and use a wired connection if you can.
4. Run Verify from the launcher’s gear menu.

If Warframe still crashes: send a crash report

When the Warframe client crashes, the Evolution Engine Crash Reporter usually opens. Fill it in and keep the WAR-###### number it shows at the end.

1. Click Next on the first screen.
2. Describe what you were doing: the mission, your Warframe and weapons.
3. Click Next until the report finishes, then note the WAR number.

If you open a ticket at support.warframe.com, include that number and your EE.log. DE staff have pointed players to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Warframe for it. Copy it straight after the crash, because relaunching the game replaces it. Don’t post your EE.log publicly; DE moderators advise sending it only to support.

Warframe PC requirements

Warframe’s Steam page lists these minimums. On a PC below them, the fixes above won’t make Warframe run reliably.

Component	Minimum
OS	Windows 7 64-bit (DirectX 12 needs Windows 10 20H2 or Windows 11)
CPU	Intel Core i7 860, Core i5 750 or AMD FX-4100 (SSE 4.2 required)
GPU	DirectX 11+ capable graphics card
RAM	4 GB
Storage	75 GB

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