Vulkan Lockup Issue on Intel Arc A750

[Jegyzettömb]

I am experiencing a consistent short freeze (~40 seconds) on the first launch of Vulkan-based games on my Intel Arc A750. This freeze occurs randomly during gameplay, most noticeably when the game is loading caches. Once it completes, the issue does not occur again while the system remains powered on. During the freeze:

• The game continues to run in the background.
• Sound output is fine, but my microphone stops working.
• The Caps Lock indicator can initially blink, but keyboard input eventually stops responding.
• No black screen or crash occurs, and after ~40 seconds, everything returns to normal.

I have tested with multiple Vulkan games; the issue only occurs with recent Intel Arc drivers. Using the driver version 32.0.101.6737, the problem disappears completely. Updating to any newer driver reproduces the freeze immediately.

Steps already tried:

• Clean driver reinstall using DDU
• Deleting game/cache folders
• Testing in windowed and fullscreen modes
• Verifying RAM, GPU temperature, and power settings
• Vulkan SDK reinstallation

This appears to be a driver-specific issue with the Vulkan implementation on newer Intel Arc drivers. No errors are logged.

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Jegyzettömb

Thank you for reaching out regarding the consistent freeze issue you're experiencing with Vulkan-based games on your Intel Arc A750. I appreciate the detailed information you've provided about the symptoms and the comprehensive troubleshooting steps you've already taken. Your systematic approach to identifying that this issue is specific to newer Intel Arc drivers and that it resolves with driver version 32.0.101.6737 is very helpful for our investigation.

I acknowledge your thorough testing, including clean driver reinstalls using DDU, deleting game/cache folders, testing in different display modes, and verifying hardware components. The fact that you've isolated this to a driver-specific issue with the Vulkan implementation is valuable information for our engineering teams.

To better assist you with this issue, could you please provide the following information:

1. A short video clip of the freeze occurring if possible? This visual documentation would be extremely helpful for our development teams.
2. The specific Vulkan games that are affected by this issue? Knowing the exact titles will help us understand if this affects all Vulkan games or specific ones.

I recommend trying the latest driver version 32.0.101.7028, which you can download from the following link: Intel Arc & Iris Xe Graphics Driver. Please perform a clean installation using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) if possible, as this can help resolve any potential driver conflicts.

For faster communication and assistance, I am available for a phone call. Please let me know a convenient time for you, and I'll ensure we connect promptly to discuss this issue further and potentially escalate it to our engineering teams for deeper investigation.

Your cooperation in providing this information is greatly appreciated, and it will help us assist you more effectively. Thank you for your detailed report and patience as we work to resolve this matter.

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[Jegyzettömb]

Hello, thank you for your reply.

The issue occurs in at least two Vulkan games I play regularly: PEAK and Baldur’s Gate 3. In both cases the freeze happens only once after the first launch of the game.

(I have also tested with DXVK and with DirectX, and in both cases I did not encounter this problem.)

I tried the latest driver version 32.0.101.7028 as you suggested, but unfortunately the freeze still occurs with it.

I started recording from the game launch and cut out about one minute of unnecessary footage before the freeze. The video shows the freeze occurring and then returning to normal.

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Jegyzettömb

Thank you for the additional information and for testing the latest driver version 32.0.101.7028. I understand how frustrating this must be, especially since you've identified that the issue is specific to newer Intel Arc drivers and have done such thorough troubleshooting on your end. 

Your detailed testing with PEAK and Baldur's Gate 3, along with the confirmation that DXVK and DirectX don't exhibit this problem, provides valuable insight into this being a Vulkan-specific driver issue. The video documentation you've provided will be extremely helpful for our investigation. 

To better assist you with this driver-specific Vulkan issue, could you please provide the following information: 

A System Support Utility (SSU) report? This will give us detailed information about your system configuration. If you're not comfortable generating an SSU report, could you please share: 

• Your CPU model 
• Motherboard model 
• Current BIOS version 

Could you please check and provide any error logs from Event Viewer during the time when the freeze occurs? Even though you mentioned no errors are logged, there might be system-level events that could help us understand what's happening during the freeze. 

This information will help us understand your complete system configuration and assist in our investigation of this Vulkan implementation issue with the newer Arc drivers. 

I appreciate your patience and the comprehensive documentation you've provided. Your systematic approach to isolating this issue has been invaluable, and we'll work to get this resolved for you. 

Best regards, 

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[Jegyzettömb]

Thank you for your response and for your guidance on this issue. I’ve generated the requested System Support Utility (SSU) report, which I’ve attached to this message.

Additionally, I’ve reviewed the Event Viewer and included the logs corresponding to the moment when the Vulkan freeze occurred. While the system did not experience a full crash or Blue Screen, these logs capture the relevant events during the freeze.

Please let me know if any further information or logs would be helpful for your investigation. I hope this helps in diagnosing the Vulkan-specific issue.

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Jegyzettömb,

Thank you for providing the System Support Utility (SSU) report and Event Viewer logs. I truly appreciate your continued cooperation and the comprehensive documentation you've provided throughout this investigation.

Your systematic approach to isolating this Vulkan-specific issue has been exceptional, and the additional system information and event logs you've shared will be crucial for our analysis. The fact that you've confirmed this occurs specifically with PEAK and Baldur's Gate 3 using Vulkan, while DXVK and DirectX work without issues, along with the video documentation showing the exact freeze behavior, provides us with a clear picture of the problem.

Given the driver-specific nature of this issue (working with 32.0.101.6737 but not with newer versions including 32.0.101.7028), and the detailed evidence you've provided, I will be conducting a further investigation into this Vulkan implementation issue with the newer Intel Arc drivers. I'll get back to you with an update once more information becomes available from this investigation. 

Best regards, 

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Jegyzettömb,

Thank you for the comprehensive documentation you've provided for this Vulkan driver regression issue. Your systematic approach and detailed evidence have been invaluable for our investigation.

To help us focus our troubleshooting efforts more effectively, I need to narrow down our investigation scope. Could you please identify which specific game you'd like us to prioritize for our analysis - either PEAK or Baldur's Gate 3? Once you've selected the game, please also provide your current in-game graphics settings for that title, as this will help us replicate the issue more accurately.

Additionally, I reviewed your SSU report and noticed that we need some additional system information. Could you please provide:

System Information:

• Your exact motherboard model and current BIOS version
• Please update to the latest BIOS version if you haven't already done so, as BIOS updates can sometimes resolve compatibility issues with newer drivers.

This focused approach will allow us to conduct a more targeted investigation into the Vulkan implementation changes between driver versions and help us identify the root cause of this regression more efficiently.

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[Jegyzettömb]

Hello,

For your investigation, please use Baldur’s Gate 3. The issue occurs regardless of in-game graphics settings – it happens on both the lowest and the highest (Ultra) presets (I personally play on High settings, with FSR 2 set to Quality).

Regarding my system: I am using a QIYIDA X99-D4 motherboard. The BIOS version shows as 0.01 x64 (no official updates are available for this model, and this BIOS has caused no issues so far).

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[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Jegyzettömb,

Thank you for selecting Baldur's Gate 3 as the priority game for our investigation and for providing the motherboard information. I appreciate you confirming that the issue occurs regardless of graphics settings, from lowest to Ultra presets, which helps us understand that this is a consistent Vulkan driver issue rather than being tied to specific graphics configurations.

Your QIYIDA X99-D4 motherboard information and BIOS version 0.01 x64 have been noted. Since no official BIOS updates are available for this model and it hasn't caused other issues, we'll proceed with the current configuration.

Given the comprehensive documentation you've provided - including the SSU report, Event Viewer logs, video evidence, and confirmation that the issue affects Baldur's Gate 3 consistently across all graphics settings - I will be looking into this Vulkan driver regression issue further internally.

I'll get back to you with an update once more information becomes available from this investigation.

Thank you for your exceptional patience and thorough documentation throughout this process.

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician