PSA: If you purchased an Nvidia RTX 50, inspect it for any issues.

      Describing the launch of Nvidia’s RTX 50 graphics card as unsuccessful would be a significant understatement. There is a severe shortage of cards available, even after Nvidia halted production of the previous generation at the end of last year to facilitate this new release. Moreover, the cards that have made it to the market are experiencing a variety of failures, ranging from driver and BIOS problems to melted power cables and even absent hardware on the GPU die itself.

      If you were “fortunate” enough to secure one of these cards, it’s crucial to verify that you received what you paid for.

      Ensure you are using the correct cables

      PCM

      Nvidia's RTX 4090 experienced numerous issues at launch, but they seemed to have resolved this with a new power connector. Or so we believed. Therefore, when the RTX 5090 and some 5080 models started having issues with melted or damaged power connectors, as well as damaged power supplies and graphics cards, it caught everyone off guard.

      Power issues appear to persist and may be here to stay. Often, third-party power cables are implicated, but we must also consider user error or inadequate airflow impacting these high-heat cables.

      Even if you haven't faced problems with your GPU’s cabling yet, ensure that you're exclusively using first-party cables and that there are no kinks or airflow restrictions around your GPU and its power connectors.

      Update to the latest BIOS and drivers… that function correctly

      Many of the newest RTX 50 graphics cards have been experiencing odd black screen issues since their release. These occurrences can happen randomly, rendering some of these new cards nearly unusable. Fortunately, Nvidia has a solution, providing updated drivers and BIOS revisions for a selection of RTX 50 cards that should address this issue.

      Regrettably, for some users, this issue remains unresolved. Hence, while our best general advice for dealing with black screen problems is to update your card and its drivers to the most recent versions, it is wise to check what your fellow gamers are reporting. If there is an older driver or BIOS that works more effectively at the moment, consider reverting to that version to restore functionality to your card. Once Nvidia resolves the issues, you can then download the latest updates for a proper fix.

      Verify for missing ROPs

      Doc/TB

      One of the most peculiar issues with the RTX 50 generation is that over 0.5% of all units sold have been discovered to have missing hardware, specifically ROPs. These “Render Output Units” enhance certain GPU functions and are critical to its overall performance. Some cards are lacking 8 ROPs, which can represent close to 10% of the total in certain cases. Some third-party sources have noted that performance can be affected by anywhere from one to 11 percent, resulting in significant variation.

      You can determine if your card is missing ROPs by following these steps. Ideally, you won’t be impacted, but if you are, you should contact your graphics card manufacturer, whether it's Nvidia or a board partner, to request a refund or a return for a replacement.

      At this point, it may be wiser to ask for a refund and purchase a different product at retail — the turnaround time will likely be quicker, even if you must wait for Nvidia’s cards to be back in stock. After all, AMD’s new GPUs are not far off.

      If you opt for a replacement, be sure to thoroughly test it upon receipt to ensure it is not also adversely affected.

      Install an older secondary GPU for compatibility with older games

      Are you trying to play older games on your RTX 50 and experiencing poor performance? It might be because Nvidia has discontinued support for 32-bit PhysX with this new generation. You can circumvent this issue by installing a secondary GPU that supports PhysX. While it’s not a budget-friendly solution, if you truly want to enjoy those classic titles on your new card, using an additional GPU for assistance is currently the best approach.