What is NVLDDMKM-TMOUT?
View controller timeout and refresh ranks as a high-severity graphics card (GPU) issue in our database. The graphics driver stopped responding for a second and Windows restarted. Common triggers are high temperatures, wear of memory chips and poor quality video cable. Use the steps below to track down and fix the cause.
Common Causes
- High temperatures
- Wear of memory chips
- Faulty driver
- Poor quality video cable
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
-
1
Install the older stable driver using DDU
In our testing, Install the older stable driver using DDU alone clears up NVLDDMKM-TMOUT more often than any other single step.
-
2
Replace the cable with a certified
For the minority of cases that need more work, the later steps dig into less usual gpu instability causes.
-
3
Underclock the memory in MSI Afterburner
This step, "Underclock the memory in MSI Afterburner", specifically rules out wear of memory chips.
Commands & Diagnostics
dxdiag
nvidia-smi
Frequently Asked Questions
High temperatures accounts for the majority of NVLDDMKM-TMOUT reports; wear of memory chips, faulty driver and poor quality video cable come up less often but are documented.
Most NVLDDMKM-TMOUT reports resolve after "Install the older stable driver using DDU". The rest of the guide above is there for the cases that don't.
Rated high severity — NVLDDMKM-TMOUT isn't immediately destructive, but recurring instances are a sign to fix it sooner rather than later.
In most cases, yes — the guide above resolves NVLDDMKM-TMOUT without a clean install. Treat a reinstall as the last resort, not the first move.
Yes — GPU or memory overclocking is one of the most frequent triggers for NVLDDMKM-TMOUT. Try resetting your GPU to stock clocks using MSI Afterburner or your OC software, then test for stability before investigating other causes.
Still Need Help?
Search our full database of 535+ documented PC errors for more solutions and step-by-step repair guides.
Search Error Database