The colleagues from igor’sLab offer two possible explanations for the defective graphics cards. And both seem to apply.
Update from 26 July 2021: Currently, there is more evidence that the defective high-end graphics cards in connection with the closed beta of New World cannot be attributed to a single cause. This emerges from a recent video by Igor Wallossek (igor’sLab).
According to this video, the defective models from the manufacturer EVGA are actually due to a defect in the fan control (explanation 2: Nvidia is the problem). You can watch the whole video here:
Original post 23 July 2021: New World’s closed beta has been underway for just under three days. And for almost as long, the hardware editors of this world have been preoccupied with an issue:
The defective graphics cards in connection with Amazon’s fantasy MMO. To be more precise, it is mainly high-end models that are said to be affected, including RTX 3090 and especially cards from EVGA. The cause for this is repeatedly cited as a too high FPS number in the menu of New World.
Amazon has meanwhile commented on the problems and rejects the blame. Nevertheless, a patch was rolled out that limits the frame rate in the menu. In a short check, we were able to confirm a significantly lower utilisation of the GPU.
But can high FPS in the menu really be the reason for a defective graphics card? Shouldn’t appropriate limiters take effect with “healthy” hardware? The hardware experts at igor’sLab provide two possible explanations:
Explanation 1: EVGA is the problem
Renowned German hardware specialist Igor Wallossekhas taken on the problem. According to his assessment, the blame lies clearly and exclusively with the manufacturer EVGA. According to him, it is a “design problem” of certain models:
Specifically, Igor wants to have found out that the “Fan Control IC”, i.e. the chip for fan control, has completely failed in some cases. Therefore, it is not the actual GPU or the power supply that is the reason why the graphics cards no longer output a picture, but simply the burnt-out fan control IC.
Since there are not only reports of broken RTX 3090s from EVGA on the net, igor’sLab considers another possibility:
Explanation 2: Nvidia is the problem
For igors’Lab author Xaver Ambergerthe most plausible explanation for the graphics card death is the following: Modern accelerators have their own minitoring circuits to prevent spikes in current and power consumption. The decisive factor here is the intervals at which the measurements are carried out.
According to Amberger, it seems that the sensors cannot resolve finely enough and therefore do not recognise the spikes. This, in turn, could possibly lead to the GPU consuming too much power and subsequently suffering a defect. The limit seems to be one millisecond or 1,000 frames per second.
Now it doesn’t matter if board partners install additional fuses that might not work either, because all designs have to be submitted to and approved by Nvidia.
There is no culprit yet
The most important point in this discussion, however, is that there are simply no definitive answers to the question of guilt yet: The explanations of igor’sLab seem plausible, but in the end they are nothing more than mere theories.
In addition, the data situation is unclear: how many graphics cards have actually failed in connection with New World, from which manufacturers and under what circumstances exactly? Answers to all these questions have yet to be found. We’ll keep you posted on the status of developments!
What do you think? Who is to blame for the defective graphics cards: Amazon, Nvidia or its board partners? Feel free to post it in the comments!
