EVGA motherboard user unveils clever fix for RTX 50 compatibility issues

EVGA motherboard owners are taping over PCIe pins to address RTX 50 series compatibility issues in Z690 motherboards

EVGA motherboard users have been experiencing issues with Nvidia’s new RTX 50 series graphics cards. Users have been reporting boot failures, and a clever user, known as “MurkyIncident,” has uncovered a potential fix.

EVGA left the GPU market in 2022, ahead of Nvidia’s RTX 40 series GPU launch. Since then, EVGA’s overall presence in the PC market has been significantly scaled back. This may have contributed to the reported RTX 50 series compatibility issues with its Z690 series motherboards, as the downscaling may have resulted in reduced software support. Regardless of the cause, many EVGA motherboard users are facing issues with new RTX 50 series GPUs, and a software fix is not available.

MurkyIncident’s fix is simple. The problem appears to come from the extra SMBUS pins on RTX 50 series GPUs. Taping over these points with electrically insulating tape blocks unwanted signals, preventing boot issues. Similar fixes are commonplace for users of server-grade hardware on consumer motherboards. Even so, it’s strange to see this kind of fix being required for consumer-grade GPU hardware. Note that Kapton tape is recommended for this fix.

Below is MurkyIncident’s description of their fix.

I finally managed to snag a 5080FE. As expected, my Z690 Classified wouldn’t boot with it, just looping through 0A and 7F POST codes. The fix turns out to be simple, just cover the two SMBUS pins on the GPU’s PCIe connector. The card is running great now, with full PCIe 5.0 x16 bandwidth.

What you need to do: Cut a 2mm-wide strip of electrically-insulating tape (Kapton strongly recommended). Then, apply over pins #5 and #6 on the front side of the GPU’s PCIe connector. Thermal Grizzly sells the tape on plastic sheets, which are easy to cut to size. Make sure that only the two SMBUS pins are covered, nothing else. That’s it. Reinstall the card and enjoy.

Why this works: The PCIe SMBUS pins are completely optional and have no defined standard for usage. Most consumer motherboards don’t even bother to wire them up. EVGA did, however, connect those pins on their Z690 boards, allowing the GPU to interfere with bootup (likely during RAM detection). You lose nothing by isolating the GPU from the motherboard’s SMBUS.

There actually is precedent for this issue: Some server-grade Ethernet cards have been known to cause similar boot failures on non-server motherboards. The fix is the same, just cover up the two SMBUS pins.

Anyway, hope this helps someone out there who hasn’t yet switched to a different motherboard. I would’ve gotten to it earlier, but I didn’t need the upgrade enough to pay over MSRP.

MurkyIncident – Reddit User

(These issues impact RTX 50 series GPUs on EVGA motherboards)

“EVGA is a shadow of its former self”

This kind of issue does not paint EVGA in a good light. EVGA was one of the most respected manufacturers of Nvidia graphics cards. Today, EVGA motherboard users are having problems running the latest Nvidia GPUs in their systems. It’s a sad state of affairs.

One member of the EVGA subreddit said that “EVGA is a shadow of its former self, and getting BIOS updates for hardware compatibility issues is like pulling teeth.”

The good news is that not all EVGA motherboards are prone to this issue. Specifically, EVGA’s Z690 Classified motherboard is known to have this compatibility problem. It isn’t a widespread issue that impacts all EVGA motherboards. Regardless, it’s a shame that a software fix for this issue is not available. After all, the RTX 50 series launched in January.

You can join the discussion on EVGA users “fixing” RTX 50 series motherboard compatibility issues on the OC3D Forums.

Mark Campbell

Mark Campbell

A Northern Irish father, husband, and techie that works to turn tea and coffee into articles when he isn’t painting his extensive minis collection or using things to make other things.

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