NVIDIA’s latest flagship graphics cards, the RTX 5090 and 5080, have encountered significant stability issues following the release of driver version 572.16.
Users have reported frequent crashes, system freezes, and, in severe cases, GPUs becoming unrecognized by their systems.
These problems have raised concerns among the gaming community and professionals who rely on high-performance graphics hardware.
Widespread User Reports
Shortly after the deployment of driver 572.16, numerous users began reporting issues across various platforms.
On NVIDIA’s official forums, a user named xSoulray shared their experience with an RTX 5080, stating that after installing the new drivers, games like Subnautica: Below Zero and Core Keeper exhibited red artifact lines around textures, rendering them unplayable. This issue persisted despite attempts to reinstall the games and drivers.
Similarly, discussions on Reddit and other tech forums have highlighted problems with the RTX 5090. Users have reported that the GPU is not recognized by the host PC, leading to black screens and system instability.
Some have even claimed that their GPUs have been “bricked” following the driver update, though such assertions remain rare and should be approached with caution.
Potential Driver Conflicts
The root cause of these issues appears to be linked to the recent driver update. It’s speculated that remnants of old driver files may conflict with the new installation, leading to these stability problems.
This theory is supported by reports of similar issues affecting RTX 4000 series GPUs after updating to driver version 572.16.
NVIDIA’s Response and Hotfix Release
In response to the growing number of complaints, NVIDIA acknowledged the issues and announced an investigation into the reported problems with the RTX 50-series GPUs.
To address some of the immediate concerns, NVIDIA released a hotfix driver version 572.24. This update specifically targets crashes in games like Valorant and Final Fantasy XVI.
For RTX 5080 owners, the hotfix resolves an issue where Valorant would crash upon startup. Additionally, it addresses a freezing problem with Final Fantasy XVI on systems running Windows 11 version 23H2.
Community-Suggested Workarounds
While waiting for a comprehensive solution from NVIDIA, the community has proposed several interim fixes:
- Clean Driver Installation: Utilizing tools like Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to completely remove existing driver files before performing a fresh installation of the latest driver. This approach aims to eliminate potential conflicts arising from leftover driver components.
- Disabling HDR: Some users have found that turning off High Dynamic Range (HDR) settings in Windows 11 can reduce or eliminate crashes.
- Adjusting Monitor Refresh Rates: Lowering the monitor’s refresh rate to 60Hz has reportedly stabilized systems for certain users, particularly those with multi-monitor setups.
- Modifying PCIe Settings: Entering the system BIOS to switch the GPU’s operation mode from PCIe 5.0 to PCIe 4.0 has been suggested as a potential fix. While this may result in a slight performance decrease, it could enhance system stability until an official resolution is provided.
Looking Ahead
The challenges faced by NVIDIA’s RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs underscore the complexities involved in launching cutting-edge hardware.
As the company continues its investigation, users are advised to stay updated through official NVIDIA channels and consider implementing community-suggested workarounds to maintain system stability.
