Issues with RTX 5080 (black screens, freezes, reboots)
Issues with RTX 5080 (black screens, freezes, reboots)
Hello,
I’ve been experiencing quite significant problems with my Zotac RTX 5080 Solid OC (factory OC) for some time now.
I’ll outline the sequence of events as accurately as I can.
My experience began shortly after purchasing the PC, with minor issues appearing at the end of the first week.
The initial symptoms were a VRAM overload warning in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024—just an in-game alert, no real malfunction.
Later, the game would crash and display the following error:
https://i.ibb.co/B2mZSzR6/IMG-20251223-152250.jpg
The application would close, then the system would restart repeatedly until a protected mode was triggered.
At that stage, the graphics card stopped being recognized, and Windows operated using my CPU’s integrated graphics.
Even after reinstalling the drivers, the GPU remained unidentified. I thoroughly cleaned everything using DDU and reinstalled the drivers, which resolved the issue temporarily.
However, during a subsequent session with FC26, the game encountered a “DirectX Error.”
Since then, I’ve faced numerous problems that remain unresolved due to limited technical expertise.
When using the RTX 5080, I encountered persistent black screens at any input, rendering the system unusable. Despite various attempts, nothing resolved the issue.
To address this, I cleaned everything again with DDU and refrained from installing GPU drivers, allowing the system to run via the CPU’s iGPU. I operated the PC in this mode for several days.
Recently, a Windows Update notification appeared:
“Please restart your computer so that the changes to your Nvidia RTX 5080 can be applied.”
After restarting, everything functioned properly with no black screens.
In the driver update log, it shows:
NVIDIA – Display – 32.0.15.7688
During another session, black screens reappeared after just a few minutes.
I began investigating and discovered the black screens correlated with a sudden voltage drop, alongside unstable GPU memory clock and full GPU bus usage.
Screenshot:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachme...c6...124c6f489c
From the image, each voltage spike in the GPU caused a black screen. These screens lasted several seconds, and during video playback or music, the video would stop. Software windows would also reset at times.
I stabilized the situation by:
- Changing the PCIe generation in BIOS (from 5.0 to 4.0)
- Setting Nvidia Control Panel power mode to “Prefer maximum performance”
This improved stability, though the system remained at maximum power:
https://i.ibb.co/1YpbbFNR/Capture-d-cran...150034.png
Nevertheless, after prolonged use (over an hour), problems resurfaced. Black screens could return and eventually trigger a freeze that required another reboot.
After rebooting, I sometimes encountered another black screen, which would stabilize for several hours before another freeze occurred and the cycle repeated.
Here’s my system userdiag:
https://userdiag.com/id/f8MzLmbmni
My power supply is an MSI A850 GL.
I hope this isn’t a hardware fault on the graphics card. Software patches often provided temporary relief.
Since I didn’t assemble the PC myself, incorrect connections could also be a factor.
I’m seeking assistance to pinpoint the cause of these freezes and black screens. The performance is generally strong for a 5080, but I need guidance to fix this.
Thank you to everyone offering help.
After reviewing all the images, it seems your power supply isn't sufficient for a 5080s power spike. It can handle up to twice its regular wattage for a brief period. It's generally advised to use a 1000-watt "quality" power supply with a 5080. Your unit is a mid-range 850-watt model.
I agree with that. That was the first thing I considered when looking at your PSU model. You'll need a 1000 W tier-A power supply to manage the 5080 power spikes. Yours is a tier-B and doesn't provide enough wattage.