Hop off your outrage pony, Web. Earlier this month a YouTuber named KrisFix, who runs a German PC restore store, revealed a video titled “Are AMD playing cards dying after a driver replace?” KrisFix mentioned that his store not too long ago acquired 60 Radeon RX 6800 and 6900 in for restore, and 48 suffered from visibly cracked GPUs.
KrisFix ostensibly requested for the neighborhood’s assist in figuring out the core subject, however between that title and the timing of the video—it revealed mere days after AMD acknowledged manufacturing points with reference Radeon RX 7900 XTX elements—the video set the fanatic neighborhood ablaze. Boards have been full of fear after a number of publications ran articles fretting in regards to the injury and whether or not their very own playing cards could possibly be ruined by “unhealthy” Radeon drivers.
On our Full Nerd podcast, I cautioned involved viewers to attend for an official response from AMD. This example was bizarre. Why was solely this single German restore store seeing this subject, and why abruptly? Drivers have been attainable, however a impossible wrongdoer, particularly since others weren’t seeing comparable points across the globe. The basis trigger was extra probably one thing remoted to that store, or a minimum of that area.
Seems that was right. In the present day, KrisFix posted a follow-up video, and he now suspects the injury was attributable to poor dealing with from cryptominers, not something AMD did.
In brief, after additional surveying his clients, it seems that almost all of those playing cards have been purchased used throughout the finish of November or starting of December, from the identical provider. KrisFix now theorizes that the provider was a cryptominer who probably saved the GPUs someplace moist after shutting down their operations. These humid circumstances probably induced the injury, KrisFix says.
Talking from afar, that makes a lot extra sense than the unique driver worries that shook the tech neighborhood. Once more: This was bizarre.
So sure, you may (and all the time might) improve your Radeon GPU to its newest driver with out concern of it blowing up. In a touch upon at present’s video, KrisFix left the next message:
“As a result of there was numerous hypothesis after the primary video, I made a decision to vary the title so it wouldn’t trigger incorrect ideas. Journalism is an efficient factor, however perhaps some subjects turn into extra appetizing once you twist issues a bit. This channel is just not meant to create movies with deceptive content material. The primary video garnered numerous curiosity and panic after which I used to be obliged to take a position time and sources to provide readability on the subject. If within the first video I had been positive the place the issue was I might not have requested you for data.”
All that mentioned, whereas KrisFix is taking purpose at media protection of his report right here (we didn’t cowl it initially), it’s value stating as soon as once more that he initially titled his video “Are AMD playing cards dying after a driver replace?” mere days after the overheating Radeon RX 7900 XTX controversy flared. “Perhaps some subjects turn into extra appetizing once you twist issues a bit,” certainly.
The unique video is now titled “Why did a number of dozen AMD 6000 collection playing cards fail with the identical signs?” KrisFix says, “I do know there will probably be many extra questions, however I believe the subject is closed.”
Replace your drivers, of us. And if you happen to’re going to get riled up over unsubstantiated rumors, a minimum of do it in fashion.
