RTX 50 Graphics Cards Won't Boot on EVGA Boards - Users Tape Pins to Workaround Error
Reddit and r/TEAMEVGA forum users report о problems with launching RTX 50-series graphics cards on EVGA motherboards. The reason is the presence of active SMBUS pins (contacts 5 and 6) in the PCIe slot, which cause a conflict with new graphics accelerators from NVIDIA. These communication lines are rarely used in consumer boards, but, as it turned out, in a number of EVGA models they are active and interfere with the system booting.
Since the company EVGA to Quit Graphics Card Market in 2022, technical support has been greatly reduced. The lack of BIOS updates and patches has led to users finding their own solution: covering the contacts on the video card connector with a narrow strip of electrical tape. This method effectively breaks the SMBUS connection and allows run system with RTX 50 GPU.
The issue has been confirmed on the motherboard. EVGA Z690 Classified, where the SMBUS pins are connected, unlike most modern solutions. Users emphasize that this method requires precision - it is necessary to close only the necessary contacts of the PCIe connector. Although this method is considered temporary, it has proven effective as EVGA does not release BIOS fixes and does not respond officially to requests.
Some other EVGA boards – including most Z790 models – are not affected by this issue. However, the situation is worrisome: without official recognition and patches, equipment owners are left alone with the error. Meanwhile, the community continues to share solutions, bypassing the manufacturer's software inertia.
