Following an update to Nvidia's 570 family of GPU drivers, many users started to face frequent Blue Screens of Death (BSODs) and black screens. This issue has been rampant throughout RTX 50 series GPUs, which may relate to initial reports of similar problems we covered a while back. An Nvidia forum representative on Reddit (h/t VideoCardz) states that affected users can resolve this problem by updating their GPU's vBIOS to the latest version or installing new drivers slated for release later this week. We are seeking confirmation directly from Nvidia.
The first instances of unstable RTX 50 GPUs started surfacing a few days after launch, for the handful of people that were lucky enough to get one. It's hard to deduce what caused these issues in the first place as almost every user had a varying experience. Some were able to get their GPU up and running by downgrading PCIe versions in the BIOS or simply rolling back drivers. A thorough investigation wasn't possible as things would soon get worse with melting connectors, defective silicon, etcetera.
A user at r/nvidia reports the latest vBIOS update for their MSI RTX 5090 Gaming Trio OC fixed the aforementioned black screen troubles. Down in the comments, Nvidia representative u/pidge2k confirmed that this issue has been addressed in the latest vBIOS update (manufacturer-dependent) and forthcoming drivers; users can apply either.
Nvidia has remained silent on the nature of this problem but it appears to be a software-level bug. If you've been encountering similar crashes, check your manufacturer's website to see if they've released a new vBIOS or not. The upcoming drivers serve as a one-size-fits-all solution, regardless of your GPU's vendor. Maybe the PCIe 5.0 signal integrity theory was not accurate, or maybe it was software-addressable; who knows?
Blackwell still faces scrutiny over the connector's design and hardware defects on the actual silicon that are shown to decrease performance. That's not something you can fix with software. Then we have the widespread shortages that plague this generation and price gouging.
AMD's upcoming RX 9070 series caters more to budget and mainstream consumers, positioned as a solid rival to the RTX 5070 lineup. Rumored performance numbers are promising, but we'll hold off on our opinion until we see the pricing on the 28th.
