EVGA releases BIOS to fix graphics card heat issues

Last month, there were reports of potential thermal problems with EVGA’s graphics cards in the Geforce GTX 1000 series, where models with the ACX 3.0 cooler had difficulty keeping the temperatures on the cards’ power supply and memories in check – something that could eventually cause components fails. Within a few days, EVGA confirmed the issues, and promised that a future BIOS update would fix them.

EVGA has now fulfilled its promise and rolled out BIOS updates to a total of 19 graphics cards in the Geforce GTX 1080, GTX 1070 and GTX 1060 series. In practice, these are modified fan curves for all models, where this is now considerably more aggressive in order to keep temperatures at a generally lower level. According to the company, the BIOS update will be applied directly in the factory on cards sent out for sale after 1 November.

On top of the BIOS update, it is still possible for users to order free heating pads for the card’s power supply and memories. According to the company, these will lower the temperatures further at the affected areas, which is also supported by tests performed by Gamers Nexus.

SweClocker’s editorial staff took the opportunity to run the tests on EVGA’s Geforce GTX 1080 Superclocked ACX 3.0, and as can be seen in the diagram above, the difference in fan speed is marked between the different BIOS versions. Where we originally measured a speed of just over 1,300 rpm under load, these now land instead at almost 2,000 rpm.

The higher speed results in a lower temperature of the graphics processor, where it lands at 67 ° C under load – a decrease of 10 ° C from previously measured values. However, it is even worse with the noise level, which increases explosively. Where we previously measured silent 39 dBA under load, the new fan curve instead gives us 45 dBA – something that places the card on the same level as Nvidia’s reference copy “Founder’s Edition”.

SweClockers revises the EVGA Geforce GTX 1080 Superclocked ACX 3.0 award

SweClocker’s editorial staff is extremely reluctant to modify awards afterwards, where the occasions when this has happened can easily be counted on one hand. The most recent was AMD’s Radeon RX 480, where the reference card had difficulty staying within the PCI Express specification, with the risk of the computer’s components as a result. In that case, it all worked out after a driver update, which resulted in the award being reinstated shortly thereafter.

In the case of the EVGA Geforce GTX 1080 Superclocked ACX 3.0, SweClocker’s editors believe that the conditions that gave the model its award “Excellent” have changed dramatically with the new BIOS update, where the card’s low noise level is now a thing of the past. Due to this, we choose to push the card down to “Good product” to better reflect the model’s characteristics set against the rest of the market.

Last but not least, we recommend, despite high noise levels, that users who own one of the affected cards make sure to update them. Although the risk of component damage only occurs during very specific load scenarios, it is better to be on the safe side. It is worth mentioning that EVGA is responsible for the guarantee if something goes wrong with the update, while it is also possible to send the card free of charge to the company and let them do the work.