[Solved] How to Fix Path of Exile Freezing (2025)

You may run into the Path of Exile (PoE) freezing issue for several reasons, such as incompatible hardware, faulty drivers, corrupt game files, software conflicts, low RAM, etc.

The information here is a general guide that has proved useful to many players in fixing this issue. You may not have to try them all, just work your way down the list until you find the one that does the trick for you. (If none of the fixes here helped, at least you’ve ruled out all these simple fixes before contacting the game developer.)

Fixes to try:

1. End unnecessary programs
2. Update your graphics driver
3. Disable dynamic resolution
4. Run your game as an administrator
5. Verify the integrity of your game files
6. Increase virtual memory
7. Check for Windows updates
8. Reinstall Steam
9. Clean the interior of your PC

Fix 1: End unnecessary programs

The game freezing issue commonly occurs when you’re running multiple applications simultaneously on your PC. It’s probable that your computer doesn’t have enough power or memory to support all of the programs you’re opening. So, you should end unnecessary programs while gaming.

Follow the instructions below:

1) Right-click your taskbar and select Task Manager.

2) Check your current CPU and memory usage to see what processes are consuming your resources most.

3) Right-click the resource-consuming process and select End task.

Relaunch your game to see if it runs properly now. If the issue continues to occur, read on and try the next fix.

Fix 2: Update your graphics driver

The PoE freezing issue may occur if you are using the wrong graphics driver or it’s out of date. So you should update your graphics driver to see if it fixes your problem. There are two ways you can do this:

Manual driver update – You can update your graphics driver manually by going to the manufacturer’s website for your graphics product, and searching for the most recent correct driver. Be sure to choose only driver that is compatible with your Windows version.

Automatic driver update – If you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update your graphics driver manually, you can, instead, do it automatically with Driver Easy. Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct driver for your graphics product, and your Windows version, and it will download and install them correctly:

1) Download and install Driver Easy.

2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.

3) Click the Update button next to the graphics driver to automatically download the correct version of that driver, then you can manually install it (you can do this with the FREE version).

Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. (This requires the Pro version which comes with full support and a 30-day money back guarantee. You’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All.)

4) Relaunch your game to test your issue.

If your issue continues to occur, move on and try the next fix.

Fix 3: Disable dynamic resolution

Path of Exile enables Dynamic Resolution by default and recommends this setting to improve performance. However, this feature constantly switches resolution on the fly, which can cause frequent stuttering and freezing issues. Many players have reported that disabling it has resolved freezing problems in the game.

There are two options you can try:

Option 1: Disable dynamic resolution

1. Launch Path of Exile.
2. Open the Options menu.
3. Navigate to the Graphics settings.
4. Find and disable Dynamic Resolution.

Option 2: Use graphics card scaling

If you need the performance benefits of resolution scaling without the freezing issues, you can also use your graphics card’s scaling feature.

For NVIDIA users:

1. Open NVIDIA Control Panel, then double-click Manage 3D Settings.
   
2. Click to expand Image Sharpening, then choose the On option to adjust the sharpness. Generally, you can lower the sharpness to the extent you feel most comfortable with. Once done, click OK.
   
3. Launch Path of Exile.
4. Set the game to Fullscreen mode.
5. Lower your in-game resolution while maintaining the same aspect ratio For example, if your monitor is 3840×2160, try 2560×1440 or 1920×1080. Remember that lower resolutions may reduce image quality but give better performance.

For AMD users, you can enable Radeon Super Resolution (RSR) or FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) in the AMD Radeon Software settings. The setup process follows the same general principles: enable the scaling feature, adjust sharpness to taste, and then lower your in-game resolution.

Fix 4: Run your game as an administrator

Running your game as an administrator can grant it full access to game files and folder on your PC.

1) Make sure Steam isn’t running on your PC.

2) Right-click the Steam icon and select Properties.

3) Click the Compatibility tab and check the box next to Run this program as an administrator.

4) Click Apply, then OK.

Relaunch your game to test the issue. If this didn’t work, move on to the fix below.

Fix 5: Verify the integrity of your game files

Game freezing issues happen when a certain game file is damaged or missing. Try verifying the integrity of your game files to see if that’s the culprit.

1) Run Steam.

2) Click LIBRARY.

3) Right-click Path of Exile and select Properties.

4) Click the LOCAL FILES tab, and then click VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME FILES.

Fix 6: Increase virtual memory

Virtual memory combines your RAM with temporary space on your hard disk. If you’re running out of RAM and the default size of your virtual memory isn’t large enough for your needs, you’ll need to increase it manually.

1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and type advanced system settings. Then, click View advanced system settings.

2) Click Settings.

3) Click the Advanced tab, and then click Change.

4) Uncheck the box before Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.

6) Select your C drive.

7) Click the option button next to Custom size, and then type 4096 in the text box next to Initial size (MB) and Maximum size (MB).

8) Click Set, and then click OK.

9) Restart your computer and your game.

If your issue persists, then move ahead with the fix below.

Fix 7: Check for Windows updates

Windows releases regular updates to resolve bugs. It’s possible that a recent update has stopped Path of Exile from running correctly, and that a new update is required to fix it.

1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key. Then, type windows update and select Windows Update settings. 

2) Click Check for updates, then wait for Windows to download and install the updates automatically.

Restart your computer and your game. If your issue still exists, try the fix, below.

Fix 8: Reinstall Steam

If none of the fixes above worked for you, reinstalling Steam is likely the solution to your issue. Follow the instructions below:

1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and type control. Then, click Control Panel.

2) Under View by, select Category. Then, select Uninstall a program.

3) Right-click Steam, and then click Uninstall. Then, wait for the process to be complete.

4) Download and install Steam. Then, reinstall your game on Steam.

Fix 9: Clean the interior of your PC

Your computer is prone to overheating if it’s clogged with dust. The dust can cause ventilation problems, trapping heat and preventing your PC from cooling itself properly. As a result, your game might not be able to run smoothly.

So you should clean your computer’s case to prevent dust build-up. (If you aren’t comfortable opening your computer case, you may want to hire a technician to do it for you.)

After cleaning up your PC case, carefully remove the RAM module from the slot and look for corrosion. If everything is fine, reinstall the module and make sure that it’s seated securely in the socket.

Relaunch the game to see if this helped.

Hopefully, you’re able to play the game now! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.