Nvidia Driver Update 595.71 Introduces Voltage Locks on Select GPUs

Nvidia's 595.71 Drivers: Fixes Come with New Voltage Locks on GPUs

Nvidia has rolled out its 595.71 Game Ready Drivers, aiming to resolve issues that plagued the previous 595.59 version. While the new driver addresses some existing problems, it has notably introduced new limitations, specifically voltage locks on certain GPUs.

The Preceding 595.59 Driver's Troubles

The prior 595.59 driver version was initially released with the goal of optimizing GPUs for the Resident Evil Requiem game. However, it reportedly led to performance decreases and critical GPU fan detection issues for users. These significant problems ultimately prompted Nvidia to retract the driver from public access.

595.71 Introduces Voltage Caps on Select GPUs

The subsequent 595.71 driver version, intended as a fix for the previous iteration, has implemented a voltage lock on several GPUs.

The RTX 5090 has been identified as primarily affected, with additional reports indicating impacts on RTX 4090, RTX 4080 Super, and RTX 4070 Ti Super users.

Performance Observations and Testing

Independent testing and reports have shed light on the extent of these new voltage limitations on affected graphics cards.

Observations from Bang4BuckPC Gamer detailed the effects on an Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5090 OC Edition. After updating to the new driver, the GPU exhibited lower voltage at both stock and overclocked frequencies. At its stock settings, the GPU reached voltages between 1.055V and 1.060V. With a modest 150 MHz core overclock, the voltage saw a further drop, settling at 1.045V to 1.050V.

Pushing the overclock to 300 MHz resulted in the voltage dropping significantly below 1V (specifically 0.990V), consequently preventing core clock speeds from exceeding 3,000 MHz. This suggests a newly enforced voltage limit under 1V, which directly impedes the GPU's ability to achieve clock speeds above 3,000 MHz, even with aggressive overclocking efforts.

Wccftech conducted similar tests on an MSI GeForce RTX 5090 SUPRIM X, corroborating these findings. With older drivers and manual overclocking, their test card operated at voltages ranging from 1.020V to 1.030V, consistently achieving core clocks up to 3,030 MHz.

Upon installing the new 595.71 driver, the same overclocked settings led to the GPU not exceeding 3,000 MHz, and voltages concurrently dropped to between 1.005V and 1.010V. Even at stock settings, a decrease in voltage was observed compared to performance with the older driver.

Presumed Rationale: Addressing 16-Pin Connector Concerns

These newly implemented voltage limitations are widely presumed to be a precautionary measure by Nvidia.

The theoretical intent behind these changes is to limit the maximum voltage flow through the potentially problematic 16-pin power connectors, thereby preventing reports of melted connectors and associated damage.

This intervention, however, comes at the direct expense of peak performance for affected users.