Nvidia graphics card causes Black screens and system crashes

The Geforce RTX 5060 makes trouble. Shortly after the start, reports about black screens and crashes are piling up. Nvidia reacted and provided a firmware update. But the situation also reveals fundamental weaknesses in the launch of the GPU.

Bumpy start for Nvidia’s new budget GPU

The launch of the RTX 5060 caused a sensation before the start of sales on May 19. Because Nvidia wanted customers to buy the new graphics card ‘blindly’. Tests of the GPU were only allowed among the manufacturers specified by the manufacturer. Anyone who did not agree as a tester received no drivers. That made objective reviews impossible. And the actual market launch is now anything but smooth. Because numerous users report black screens and spontaneous system crashes.

The problems apparently occur after the system has rushed up. According to NVIDIA, the problem mainly affects systems with older “Legacy Motherboards”. The company has now reacted and one Support page Set up on which a UEFI firmware update tool is provided. This should fix the compatibility problems that lead to the black screens. Interestingly, Nvidia does not advise against installation if there are no problems – an indication that the update may not be without risk itself.

In order to get back into the system so that the update tool can be installed, NVIDIA provides the following advice:

• Switch off your system completely before booting.
• Make sure you use the latest SBIOS from your motherboard manufacturer.
• Make sure that you are in UEFI boat mode and not in Legacy/CSM mode.
• Boot with an alternative graphic source (secondary map or integrated graphic)
• Wait for your system to be switched on until your operating system is loaded with the installed graphics driver.

Blackwell with countless difficulties

The RTX 5060 is thus involved in a problematic series. Already in previous models in the RTX 5000 series there were driver problems that led to Black screens and the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). Nvidia regularly publishes hotfixes, but for consumers who have bought a new graphics card, the situation remains unsatisfactory.

In addition to the software problems, the hardware equipment is also criticized. The eight gigabytes of video memory of the RTX 5060 are no longer considered up to date by many experts, especially since 1440p gaming is becoming increasingly popular. With its RX 9060 XT, competitor AMD offers both a version with eight and a version with 16 GB VRAM.

An avoidable problem?

The current situation inevitably raises the question of whether the current problem with black screens in the RTX 5060 would have been discovered before testing tests would not have pursued the restriction test strategy described at the beginning. Ultimately, customers are the victims in particular. Especially beginners and price-conscious buyers who opt for the RTX 5060 may not have the technical know-how, for example to convert boot mode in BIOS.

The combination of restricted pre-tests and the problems that have now occurred leaves a shell in any case. The incident could drive other buyers in the direction of the competition from AMD, whose current Radeon models in the same price segment have so far appeared without comparable problems.