Nvidia releases RTX 4090 and 4080 firmware update to fix display output bug

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Nvidia has released a firmware update tool for its new GeForce RTX 4090 and 4080 GPUs to fix a bug that could interrupt display output, causing a blank screen to appear by the GPU when used without drivers installed. The issue only affects “certain motherboards,” and Nvidia says it “should only be applied if blank screens occur on startup.” (We installed it on an RTX 4080 Founders Edition in an Asus motherboard which worked normally and noticed no adverse effects.)

Obviously, you're not buying a GPU to use without drivers installed. But if you adjust BIOS settings, perform a clean install of Windows, or boot for the first time after installing a new GPU, you need your GPU to be able to draw a base image without drivers being loaded. . The issue does not affect everyone, but if you notice a blank screen when you first start your computer after installing an RTX 4090 or 4080, this firmware update may resolve your issue.

If the bug is preventing you from installing the firmware update in the first place, Nvidia recommends connecting "using another graphics source" like an integrated GPU or a secondary GPU, or leaving your system sits with a blank screen until it can install a driver on its own; Windows Update can usually pick up a working driver for most GPUs on its own, although you'll want to download and install the latest version to take advantage of new fixes and optimizations. The update can be applied to Nvidia's Founders Edition cards or any RTX 4090 or 4080 made by Nvidia's partners.

Nvidia continues to investigate another issue with the power connector on new GPUs, which can overheat and cause damage if not properly connected.