Tuesday, November 1st 2016
EVGA GTX 1070/1080 Overheating Issues Update - New BIOS Revision To Be Released
After reports of EVGA cards overheating and sometimes becoming non-operational, which we covered right here on TPU, the company has now issued a statement further clarifying the steps it's taking towards solving the issues. Though it was first reported that only the GTX 1070/1080 FTW series of cards were having issues, the company has also extended its efforts towards the GTX 1060 cards, in both 3 GB and 6 GB flavors, which may point to either underlying problems with those cards as well, or simply EVGA extending that bit of extra support to their customers.
While at first it seemed that the company-distributed, free-of-charge thermal pads (which EVGA stressed were optional in nature) would be enough to fix any and all issues, the company is also issuing a BIOS revision in a few days, which "adjusts the fan speed curve" to "ensure sufficient cooling of all components across all operating temperatures".
While this is sure to mar the company's sterling reputation, and users will probably have to deal with higher operating noise due to the cards' revised fan profiles with the upcoming BIOS update, the company must still be commended for tackling the issues with brevity and decisiveness.
Read the company's statement regarding these issues below:
"Recently, it was reported from several sources, that the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW PWM and memory temperature is running warmer than expected during Furmark (an extreme stress utility). EVGA has investigated these reports and after extensive testing, below are our findings:
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.
For those users who want additional cooling beyond the VBIOS update, EVGA has optional thermal pads available. This update is not required, however; EVGA will make it available free of charge to any customer who is interested. To request the thermal pad kit, please visit www.evga.com/thermalmod.
Any customer who is not comfortable performing the recommended VBIOS update, may request a warranty cross-shipment to exchange the product to EVGA for an updated replacement.
All graphics cards shipped from EVGA after 11/1/2016 will have the VBIOS update applied."
The company also presented a FAQ regarding these issues, as well as the graphics card models involved, so make sure to check the images below for more clarification.
While at first it seemed that the company-distributed, free-of-charge thermal pads (which EVGA stressed were optional in nature) would be enough to fix any and all issues, the company is also issuing a BIOS revision in a few days, which "adjusts the fan speed curve" to "ensure sufficient cooling of all components across all operating temperatures".
Read the company's statement regarding these issues below:
"Recently, it was reported from several sources, that the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW PWM and memory temperature is running warmer than expected during Furmark (an extreme stress utility). EVGA has investigated these reports and after extensive testing, below are our findings:
- On ACX 3.0, EVGA focused on GPU temperature and the lowest acoustic levels possible. Running Furmark, the GPU is around 70C +/- and the fan speed is running approximately 30% duty cycle or lower.
- However, during recent testing, the thermal temperature of the PWM and memory, in extreme circumstances, was marginally within spec and needed to be addressed.
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.
For those users who want additional cooling beyond the VBIOS update, EVGA has optional thermal pads available. This update is not required, however; EVGA will make it available free of charge to any customer who is interested. To request the thermal pad kit, please visit www.evga.com/thermalmod.
Any customer who is not comfortable performing the recommended VBIOS update, may request a warranty cross-shipment to exchange the product to EVGA for an updated replacement.
All graphics cards shipped from EVGA after 11/1/2016 will have the VBIOS update applied."
The company also presented a FAQ regarding these issues, as well as the graphics card models involved, so make sure to check the images below for more clarification.
78 Comments on EVGA GTX 1070/1080 Overheating Issues Update - New BIOS Revision To Be Released
A. It's EVGA's desgin since it's a custom PCB with CUSTOM cooling (which at this point isn't adequate for the VRMs)
B. Founders Edition cards (AKA nVidia products) are working as intended
But you were right with 1 part:
Fucking pathetic. Absofuckinglutely pathetic.
Having only bought an EVGA 1070 FTW a week before the news came out, I feel an absolute fool for not reading the Guru3D 1070/1080 reviews. The Toms Hardware results were in German and I don't think were published on their US/UK review sites?
I normally buy Gigabyte or MSI GPU's since 2004 when I bought the MSI ATI X800 XT P.E 256MB, having bought a EVGA 980 SC, I thought I would stick with EVGA with the 1070. Now I wish I had gone for the MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X or the Gigabyte G1.
On the other hand, if you don't plan on playing long hours of Furmark, you're fine. If you want to be extra safe, apply the BIOS patch.
If a PC manufacturer was fitting a well lapped cpu cooler to a new processor with no tim and it didnt quite overheat doing day to day tasks would you all be defending them and denying the lack of tim to be a problem? or would that depend which cpu manufacturers cpu was in it?
I guess I could just use it anyway, if it blows then covered by EVGA warranty.
EVGA have screwed up on this one, whichever way you look at it, just like they did with the 970 SC cards, by using previous generation coolers to save money on designing new ones. Months later EVGA released new 970 cards ended with new designed coolers - SSC and FTW+ versions.The SC version is on there, VRMs reach 96°C and all it's running is 3DMark Firestrike.
Considering how many of these have been sold I have not seen a single EVGA 1070/1080 come into the shop with black screen issues.
The reference cooler is designed to maintain the card at the factory set clock speeds, and if thermal and power limits allow, a little more as an added bonus (and will do so under any conditions e.g. close to zero case air flow). The EVGA cooler is designed to push everything to the limits, but requires the right conditions to do it. The reference is the safer option. The EVGA is the enthusiast option. If you go with the enthusiast option, you should expect things to not be peachy so easily.
All of the above has been the case with GPUs for a few years now, nothing has changed.
It is unfortunate that EVGA had these problems, but when you're tuning on the edge with a retail product, shit happens. I would be surprised if Nvidia's own reference cooler had these same overheating issues. An aftermarket manufacturer, not so much. It just so happens that this time around, it was EVGAs turn to make a mistake.
Then there was the issue with Micron memory not being fed enough voltage, all manufacturers released a new BIOS to rectify the problem and increase overclocking potential.
Graps popcorn.
Defend all you want but EVGA screwed the pooch on this one by once again using their reputation to sell crap that even MSI wouldn't.
My cpu wont die after 3 hrs of linpac an my ram wont die after 3 hrs of mem test nor will anything else in my computer die do to multi hour stress testing.
There is no excuse for this no other part of a PC will fail when utilized 100% for multiple hours.
Maybe EVGA should take note and run their cards through some actual stress testing to identify these issues before production, but why bother wasting money on that when customers will defend you no matter how you screw them.Well aparently they are if your looking to buy GTX 10xx cards because no one else is having issues with vrm's catching fire .
Man, Ive heard EVERYTHING... now I can die.
But please tell me more about how crap modified track mustangs overheat going 150mph on a track so I can laugh some more.
Please continue I have done this for a living.