EVGA Releases VBIOS Update For NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 And GTX 1070 Cards To Prevent Overheating
So you bought a GeForce GTX 1080 or 1070 graphics card from EVGA with a fancy ACX 3.0 cooling solution and now you're worried it's going to burn up, is that it? Well turn that frown upside down. EVGA announced earlier this week that it was working on a VBIOS update that would instruct affected cards to more aggressively cool themselves, and that update is now available.
The overheating issue came to light when several users posted some alarming temperature readings on Reddit and EVGA's support forum. In some cases, users posted pictures of purported charring on certain components, while others complained of black screens and other anomalies. Testing on the web showed that parts of the PCB on affected cards could reach 107C or higher under extreme duress, such as running Furmark.
It seems the issue is twofold—EVGA neglected to install a thermal pad between the backplate and the PCB and between the baseplate and the heatsink fins, and it configured the fans on its ACX 3.0 cards to run slower for quieter operation. Depending on a person's setup and how much load they're putting on their GPU, that combination could lead to dire consequences.
"To resolve this, EVGA will be offering a VBIOS update, which adjusts the fan-speed curve to ensure sufficient cooling of all components across all operating temperatures. This VBIOS will be released in the next few days and users can download it and update their cards directly. This update resolves the potential thermal issues that have been reported, and ensures the card maintains safe operating temperatures," EVGA stated on a special webpage devoted to the issue.
The VBIOS update is now available. One way to check what firmware you already have installed is to right-click on the desktop and go to the NVIDIA control panel. Once there, click on Help, then System Information and scroll to the bottom of the Details window.
EVGA says that new cards purchased should already have the updated VBIOS, though we suspect that will more likely be the case when ordering directly from EVGA versus a third-party seller like Newegg or Amazon. Either way, it's worth taking a moment to check the VBIOS version.
Go here for more instructions on applying the VBIOS update. While you are there, you can also request a free thermal pad mod (scroll to the bottom of the webpage).
The overheating issue came to light when several users posted some alarming temperature readings on Reddit and EVGA's support forum. In some cases, users posted pictures of purported charring on certain components, while others complained of black screens and other anomalies. Testing on the web showed that parts of the PCB on affected cards could reach 107C or higher under extreme duress, such as running Furmark.
It seems the issue is twofold—EVGA neglected to install a thermal pad between the backplate and the PCB and between the baseplate and the heatsink fins, and it configured the fans on its ACX 3.0 cards to run slower for quieter operation. Depending on a person's setup and how much load they're putting on their GPU, that combination could lead to dire consequences.
"To resolve this, EVGA will be offering a VBIOS update, which adjusts the fan-speed curve to ensure sufficient cooling of all components across all operating temperatures. This VBIOS will be released in the next few days and users can download it and update their cards directly. This update resolves the potential thermal issues that have been reported, and ensures the card maintains safe operating temperatures," EVGA stated on a special webpage devoted to the issue.
The VBIOS update is now available. One way to check what firmware you already have installed is to right-click on the desktop and go to the NVIDIA control panel. Once there, click on Help, then System Information and scroll to the bottom of the Details window.
EVGA says that new cards purchased should already have the updated VBIOS, though we suspect that will more likely be the case when ordering directly from EVGA versus a third-party seller like Newegg or Amazon. Either way, it's worth taking a moment to check the VBIOS version.
Go here for more instructions on applying the VBIOS update. While you are there, you can also request a free thermal pad mod (scroll to the bottom of the webpage).
