GTA IV unplayable due to frequent freezing and going to black sreen

[DodgeSomrs]

Well, I'm just got my new PC last week and played GTA 4 with low graphics (considering that my laptop is just a low-end PC but runs III/VC/SA smoothly). Then, a few days later, whenever I make any movements, the game will freeze, then goes to black, and then goes back to the game. To add insult to injury, this happens every 1 or 2 seconds. The only thing I had to do is to go to the Main Menu to stop it but sometimes, it's still happening even on main menu. Then, after 4 or 5 display driver restarts, it usually goes back to desktop with the majority of the screen in black. From that point I can't close GTA IV but I can with Task Manager. Sometimes, after the game minimizes the game just closes.

 

The freezing happens when I di the following:
- Whenever I move the camera (especially while driving)

- Whenever I move the camera upward to see the sky

- Whenever I go down the elevator from the safe house and then fades in after going down (always happens when I save from Middle Park East and Northwood safehouses)

 

I tried everything but it still happens. It wasn't like this before. When I got GTA IV I was playing smoothly with low graphics, while driving around the city to test its physics (I really wanted to play GTA IV because of its car physics), and the freezing part happens one or two times every 10-15 minutes. What should I do to fix this?

 

Here are my specs:

Processor: Intel Celeron N4020 1.10 GHZ

System: x64

GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 600

RAM: 8GB

Edited May 16, 2021 by DodgeSomrs

[ant_sh]

Try DXVK, Vulkan in latest Intel drivers reported to work OK. Also you may try downgrading to 1.0.4.0. Install MSI Afterburner and watch for overheating and CPU throttling (clock drops) - it could be the reason of bad performance. 

Don't expect miracles though - your 2 core CPU may get at best  15-20 fps at HD resolution.

Edited June 25, 2021 by ant_sh
CPU bottleneck explanation