Tested: Nvidias new drivers fix RTX 3080 crashes by sacrificing clock speed – PCWorld

After repeatedly hammering the criteria, I managed to get HZD to complete a 1440p run once with the initial, borked drivers. With the brand-new, somewhat lower-clocked motorists set up, it balanced either 127 or 128 frames per second throughout three runs. When I tested the Nvidia RTX 3080 Founders Edition with the new motorists, there was no performance or power draw change whatsoever, though it didnt come close to breaking the 2GHz barrier.
To be clear again: The EVGA RTX 3080 FT3 designs you can in fact buy dont use this all-POSCAP capacitor setup. The production cards release MLCC for included stability. This does not impact FTW3 cards on store racks due to the fact that EVGA caught the concern early.
Brad Chacos/IDGIf a quick driver upgrade is all it requires to repair this problem on customized boards with six POSCAPs– like the Zotac Trinity– or whatever else is triggering stability problems, then great. Well need to do more screening to see if the brand-new sub-2GHz limit enforced in HZD with the 456.55 chauffeurs rollovers to other scenarios, to figure out if this change affects the very topmost efficiency in the really fastest custom RTX 3080 models out there. (A quick run of the F1 2020 criteria showed somewhat slower clock speeds there, too.).
For now, if youve been fortunate enough to score a GeForce RTX 3080 or 3090, however unlucky adequate to get one that suffers from crashes, go download Nvidias Game Ready 456.55 chauffeurs pronto. The brand-new drivers need to be offered via GeForce Experience as well. If our experiences with HZD is any sign, it could be the fix for what ails you. Update: Users of the r/nvidia subreddit report an end to crashing with their RTX 3080 cards in different video games, too.
Stay tuned for our complete evaluation of the EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 (with MLCC set up) in the days to come. Spoiler: Its excellent!
Associated Nvidia RTX 30-series stories:.

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To be absolutely clear in case you missed it: EVGA is not shipping FTW3 cards with an all-POSCAP setup, which could not pass real-world testing. They postponed the card to consist of an MLCC range to ensure stability. The cards you can purchase should be fine. Nvidia likewise informs me that “the suitable number of POSCAP vs. MLCC groupings can differ depending on the style and is not necessarily indicative of quality.”.
But what do you understand: I simply so occur to have among those early pre-production FTW3 samples with six POSCAPs. And yes, I could get it to crash consistently while video gaming.
POSCAPs vs. Horizon Zero Dawn.
I d shelved evaluating this FTW3 because EVGA informed me they d be delivering me a new one that matches the setup purchasers got. After all the commotion I decided to poke at my pre-production POSCAP sample to see if I could get it to misbehave dependably. I could.
Brad Chacos/IDG.
My pre-production EVGA FTW3 comes packed with POSCAPs and nary an MLCC module in sight, unlike the models you can actually purchase.
On the all-POSCAP FTW3, using Nvidias original 456.38 motorists, the Horizon Zero Dawn benchmark regularly crashes at 1440p resolution on our test system. (Our GeForce RTX 3080 review includes complete test system information.) Other games work fine; even HZD works fine at 4K; however it always crashes at 1440p, therefore difficult that it secures GPU-Z, too.
As impacted users have said in several forum posts, the crashing appears tied to the GPU clock speed. Popping open EVGAs excellent Precision X1 software application, I discovered that the benchmark mostly performed at 2010MHz, and worked just great while doing so. About two-thirds of the way into the standard, theres a scene where the video camera dives through a courtyard filled with individuals. Thats where the card crashed. Precision X1 exposed that at that minute, the GPU clock speed hits 2025MHz, then plummets when the game secures.
Brad Chacos/IDG.
Crash, bang.
After letting the crash sort out, I popped open Microsofts Event Viewer to see what errors took place. The video games executable tossed out a D3DDRED2 error, which caused Windows to generate a LiveKernel 141 (generic hardware component failure) occasion. That in turn required the nvlddmkm screen driver to quit working and ultimately reset.
Brad Chacos/IDG.
RIP screen motorist.
This took place whenever I ran the criteria. I suffered through 6 benchmark-crash-repeat runs to make sure the reliability of the unreliability. (Almost) every time I tried, the GPU clock hit 2025MHz because scene and crashed the video game.
New Nvidia drivers repair crashing.
After that, I ran the wonderful Display Driver Uninstaller software to clean Nvidias 456.38 motorists from my system, and set up the new 456.55 chauffeurs with guaranteed stability fixes. Ive rerun the benchmark 5 times with the 456.55 drivers set up and effectively completed every run.
However the all-POSCAP EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 does not act quite the exact same as before.
Brad Chacos/IDG.
As you can see in this Precision X1 screenshot, clock speeds in HZD peak just shy of 2GHz with the new Nvidia drivers set up, unlike previously. (It goes higher in menu screens.).
As I said, with the original chauffeurs, the HZD benchmark ran at a mainly constant 2010MHz on this GPU until it struck the 2025MHz wall and crapped out. With Nvidias new 456.55 chauffeurs, the GPU clock speed in Horizon Zero Dawn now flitters between 1980MHz and 1995MHz (though it can still strike a steady 2010MHz in menu screens). Nvidias fix seems dialing back optimal efficiency with the GPU Boost function. Ive asked Nvidia for more information about what the brand-new drivers do to improve stability and will update this with more info if I hear back.
Mentioned in this post.

” During our mass production QC testing we discovered a complete 6 POSCAPs service can not pass the real life applications screening. It took nearly a week of R&D effort to find the cause and reduce the POSCAPs to 4 and add 20 MLCC caps prior to shipping production boards, this is why the EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 series was postponed at launch. There were no 6 POSCAP production EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 boards shipped.
But, due to the time crunch, some of the customers were sent out a pre-production variation with 6 POSCAPs, we are dealing with those reviewers straight to replace their boards with production versions. EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 XC3 series with 5 POSCAPs + 10 MLCC service is matched with the XC3 spec without concerns.”.

I have a custom GeForce RTX 3080 overflowing with an all-POSCAP capacitor configuration that dependably crashed in Horizon Zero Dawn with the older, original 456.38 chauffeurs. If you read our guide to the RTX 3080 crashing problems, youll understand that EVGA somewhat verified Igors analysis that the type of capacitor used can impact performance. When I evaluated the Nvidia RTX 3080 Founders Edition with the new drivers, there was no efficiency or power draw change whatsoever, though it didnt come close to breaking the 2GHz barrier.
Well require to do more screening to see if the new sub-2GHz limitation enforced in HZD with the 456.55 drivers brings over to other circumstances, to figure out if this modification impacts the very topmost performance in the really fastest custom RTX 3080 models out there. For now, if youve been lucky enough to score a GeForce RTX 3080 or 3090, however unfortunate adequate to get one that suffers from crashes, go download Nvidias Game Ready 456.55 motorists pronto.

Over the weekend, forums around the Internet took off with news of Nvidias GeForce RTX 3080 crashing in games for some users, followed by (really informed) speculation by Igor Wallossek at Igors Lab that part of the issue might by triggered by the capacitors utilized on various customized boards. Read our explainer on the GeForce RTX 3080 crashing issues if you would like to know more.
On Monday morning, Nvidia launched new GeForce Game Ready motorists that appear to fix the stability issues. We were able to test the motorists on a on a troublesome RTX 3080 graphics card in PCWorlds possession.
Nvidias short article about the 456.55 Game Ready chauffeurs overtly points out only making it possible for Nvidia Reflex in Call of Duty. But buried deep in the release notes were a fascinating bit: “The brand-new Game Ready Driver also enhances stability in specific video games on RTX 30 Series GPUs.”.
I have a custom-made GeForce RTX 3080 teeming with an all-POSCAP capacitor configuration that dependably crashed in Horizon Zero Dawn with the older, initial 456.38 drivers. The brand-new 456.55 Game Ready motorists undoubtedly puts an end to that, but it looks like it does so by somewhat limiting the maximum GPU Boost clock speed. Lets dig in.
The graphics card that never ever released.
EVGA.
The EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 cards you can buy consist of various capacitors than my pre-production version; you can see it includes MLCC selections in between the black, rectangular POSCAPs on the back of the GPU.
Youll understand that EVGA rather validated Igors analysis that the type of capacitor used can impact efficiency if you read our guide to the RTX 3080 crashing problems. Because the initial setup exclusively used POSCAP capacitors possibly connected to stability issues, EVGAs hotly anticipated RTX 3080 FTW3 graphics card was delayed. (Again, read our RTX 3080 crashing guide to find out the difference between POSCAP and MLCC capacitors.) Heres what item supervisor Jacob Freeman said in an EVGA declaration:.