What is PCIE-TDR-116?
PCIe bus timer timeout ranks as a high-severity graphics card (GPU) issue in our database. The graphics card did not respond to the motherboard within the timeout. Reports of PCIe bus timer timeout usually describe a sudden crash, brief unresponsiveness, or a stop-code screen appearing out of nowhere. Typical causes include high temperatures, wear of memory chips, faulty driver and poor quality video cable. Work through the steps below in order.
Common Causes
- High temperatures
- Wear of memory chips
- Faulty driver
- Poor quality video cable
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Install the older stable driver using DDU
As a first move, Install the older stable driver using DDU handles the most common scenario behind PCIE-TDR-116.
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2
Replace the cable with a certified
A second occurrence often means a less common gpu instability cause is at play, which later steps address.
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3
Underclock the memory in MSI Afterburner
"Underclock the memory in MSI Afterburner" is worth trying when wear of memory chips turns out to be the culprit.
Commands & Diagnostics
dxdiag
nvidia-smi
Frequently Asked Questions
High temperatures accounts for the majority of PCIE-TDR-116 reports; wear of memory chips, faulty driver and poor quality video cable come up less often but are documented.
Try "Install the older stable driver using DDU" first — it resolves most PCIE-TDR-116 cases on its own. Only work through the rest of the guide above if it comes back.
Rated high severity — PCIE-TDR-116 isn't immediately destructive, but recurring instances are a sign to fix it sooner rather than later.
Usually. PCIE-TDR-116 is fixable with the steps above; a full Windows reinstall is rarely necessary unless everything else has failed.
Yes — GPU or memory overclocking is one of the most frequent triggers for PCIE-TDR-116. Try resetting your GPU to stock clocks using MSI Afterburner or your OC software, then test for stability before investigating other causes.
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