NFS Heat Random Crashes – No Error Logs, Exhaustive Fixes Attempted

Hi everyone,  

As a long-time NFS fan returning to the series after 12 years, I was thrilled to play NFS Heat – but I'm experiencing constant, unexplained crashes that make the game unplayable. The game simply closes without any error messages, and I can't find relevant crash logs in:  
- Windows Event Viewer  
- Game installation folder  
- EA App logs  

My Setup:

- CPU: Intel i9-14900KF  
- GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4080 SUPER (latest drivers)  
- RAM: 64GB  
- OS: Windows 11 24H2, DirectX 12  
- Launcher: Steam (with EA App running in background)

Everything I've Tried:

✔ All overlays disabled (Steam, EA App, Xbox Game Bar, Discord, NVIDIA)  
✔ V-Sync disabled both in-game and in NVIDIA Control Panel  
✔ Verified game files through Steam & EA App  
✔ Fresh driver install (DDU used for clean NVIDIA driver install)  
✔ BIOS updated, all game folders whitelisted in antivirus  
✔ Admin mode, compatibility settings tested  
✔ Temps monitored (no thermal issues, CPU/GPU usage normal)  

The game runs perfectly at 100+ FPS on Ultra... until it suddenly crashes to desktop without warning. Has anyone solved this? Are there any:  
- Hidden log locations I might have missed?  
- Known conflicts with modern hardware (14900K/4080 SUPER)?  
- EA App background process issues I should check?  

I'd be incredibly grateful for any help – after all these years, I just want to enjoy NFS again!