2025-11-07: Validate GPU instability caused by VBIOS Following up on

2025_10_31-gpu_instability_verdict.md’s dependency change possibility, I’m checking if VBIOS was the root cause of the GPU instability.

[!INFO] It’s not vbios

Gathering GPU data

To check VBIOS version that’s currently running:

% nvidia-smi --query-gpu=gpu_name,vbios_version
name, vbios_version
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, 98.05.28.00.BA

Extracting out device info:

  • device id: 2f04
  • vendor id: 10de
% lspci -nnvvv -s 01:00.0
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GB205 [GeForce RTX 5070] [10de:2f04] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
        Subsystem: PNY Device [196e:1439]
        Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+
        Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
        Latency: 0
        Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 128
        IOMMU group: 14
        Region 0: Memory at d8000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64M]
        Region 1: Memory at f800000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=16G]
        Region 3: Memory at fc12000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=32M]
        Region 5: I/O ports at f000 [size=128]
        Expansion ROM at dc000000 [virtual] [disabled] [size=512K]
        Capabilities: <access denied>
        Kernel driver in use: nvidia
        Kernel modules: nouveau, nvidia_drm, nvidia

Device was purchased on 2025-05-19 on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DYPGBX6J

Evaluating gathered data

Based on TechPowerUp’s VGABIOS page, the latest build, on 2025-02-24 00:00:00, which is 98.05.28.00.BA. That’s the exact vbios version that’s on my GPU. So my GPU’s vbios was not updated by the system update :/.

[!INFO] It’s not vbios

References