Nvidia releases RTX 4090 and 4080 firmware update to fix display output bug

Nvidia has released a firmware update tool for its new GeForce RTX 4090 and 4080 GPUs to fix a bug that could break display output, causing the GPU to display a blank screen when used without drivers installed. The issue only affects “certain motherboards”and Nvidia says it “should only be applied if blank screens appear on boot.”(We installed it on an RTX 4080 Founders Edition on an Asus motherboard, which worked fine and didn’t notice any side effects.)

Obviously, you are not buying a GPU to use it without drivers installed. But if you’re tweaking BIOS settings, doing a fresh install of Windows, or booting for the first time after installing a new GPU, you need your GPU to be able to draw the base image without loading drivers. The issue does not affect everyone, but if you notice a blank screen when you first boot your computer after installing an RTX 4090 or 4080, this firmware update may fix your issue.

If the error prevents you from installing the firmware update in the first place, Nvidia recommends connecting “using an alternative graphics source”such as the integrated GPU or secondary GPU, or letting your system sit with a blank screen until it can install the driver. on one’s own; Windows Update can usually get a functional driver for most GPUs on its own, although you may need to download and install the latest version to take advantage of new fixes and optimizations. The update can be applied to Nvidia’s Founders Edition cards or any RTX 4090 or 4080 made by Nvidia partners.

Nvidia is continuing to investigate a separate issue related to the power connector on newer GPUs, which can overheat and cause damage if not properly connected.