Nvidia Releases Emergency Firmware Update to Fix Blank Screens on RTX 5060 Series Reboot

Nvidia has released an emergency firmware update to address a widespread issue causing blank screens on restart for RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti users. The solution comes in the form of a GPU firmware update, also referred to as a vBIOS update. Nvidia strongly advises that only those experiencing the problem should install the update. The issue is believed to arise from how the GPU's vBIOS interacts with the system’s BIOS/UEFI. If your motherboard does not support UEFI boot mode, Nvidia recommends reaching out to your GPU manufacturer’s customer service for a legacy vBIOS update. While the precise cause hasn’t been identified, Nvidia’s proactive approach indicates that they are taking responsibility for the fault. Stability and compatibility problems with Nvidia’s RTX 50-series GPUs have been ongoing. These issues began with the release of the problematic R570 branch of drivers, which affected not only the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti models but also older RTX 20, 30, and 40 series GPUs. It took multiple weeks for Nvidia to roll out the 576.02 driver update, which resolved most of the issues. However, if you’re still facing black or blank screens upon reboot with the RTX 5060 or 5060 Ti, a vBIOS update may be required. One critical warning: an abrupt power failure during the firmware update can brick your GPU, so exercise caution. Nvidia has provided a tool to help users determine if they need the vBIOS update. The NVIDIA GPU UEFI Firmware Update Tool v2.0 verifies your system’s compatibility and checks if the update is necessary. If you do need it, you should boot into your operating system before running the utility. This can be particularly challenging given the current issue, as the blank screen makes it difficult to enter the OS. To work around this, Nvidia suggests several temporary solutions to boot with a display: 1. Enter the BIOS/UEFI setup and disable Secure Boot. 2. Use a USB flash drive to install an older driver version that does not trigger the blank screen issue. 3. Attempt to boot using an integrated graphics card or another GPU, if available. Once you manage to boot into your operating system, download the NVIDIA GPU UEFI Firmware Update Tool v2.0, run the executable, and follow the on-screen instructions to apply the update. It’s worth noting that this issue is unique to the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti models, which are based on the GB206 silicon. This begs the question of what changes were made in these specific GPUs that contributed to the problem. For more up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews, follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News and ensure you click the Follow button.