NVIDIA has issued a critical hotfix to address a major issue with its recent Game Ready driver update (version 576.02), which triggered widespread concern among gamers and AI professionals. The bug caused GPUs to overheat while falsely displaying safe temperature readings, putting high-performance systems at risk without warning.
Although NVIDIA’s announcement listed the temperature bug as the third fix, users quickly realized it was far more serious than initially suggested. The update affected monitoring utilities, preventing them from displaying accurate temperature readings after waking from sleep—though users later found the issue extended far beyond that scenario.
What Went Wrong with Driver 576.02
Shortly after the 576.02 driver launched, reports of thermal issues began surfacing online. A thread titled “Read to Save Your GPU!” quickly gained traction on Reddit, consolidating user experiences and warnings. Many noticed that popular tools like MSI Afterburner and in-game overlays stopped updating GPU temps altogether, often freezing around 35°C. A reboot was the only way to restore correct readings, leaving fans idle and cards heating up.
One affected user noted that even with windows open and cool room temperatures, their rig was uncomfortably hot. Despite fan speeds maxing out during gameplay, idle temperatures hovered suspiciously high the next morning. After ruling out custom overclocking and ASUS AI Suite conflicts, they reverted to an older driver as a precaution.
Another user discovered that their GPU consistently displayed 27°C in MSI Afterburner—far below normal. As a result, custom fan curves never triggered, leading to dangerous heat levels. Only after rolling back the driver did things return to normal.
Digging Into the Root Cause
NVIDIA’s own documentation sheds some light. Section 5.5 of the 576.02 release notes refers to a known bug on Optimus systems—devices that switch between integrated and discrete GPUs for power saving. These systems sometimes report zero GPU temperature when idle, due to the GPU entering a low-power state.
But the new driver appears to have introduced similar power-saving behavior to non-Optimus systems, likely disrupting how third-party tools access GPU telemetry. That meant temperature reporting broke down, even during active workloads.
This is especially risky for users running AI workloads like training large models or running inferencing tasks, where GPUs are pushed to full capacity for hours. Without accurate thermal data, fans may not ramp up in time, putting components under sustained stress.
System Protections Help—but Only to a Point
Fortunately, most NVIDIA GPUs have built-in firmware protections via VBIOS. These include hard thermal limits that can throttle performance or shut the GPU down before irreversible damage occurs. However, users still experienced concerning symptoms, including system crashes, throttling, and long-term thermal strain that could reduce GPU lifespan or degrade thermal paste.
The potential for hidden damage was heightened by the fact that many driver updates install automatically, leaving users unaware that an overheating issue was even in play. AI professionals, in particular, may not notice until performance drops or system instability appears after lengthy training cycles.
Community Reaction and NVIDIA’s Response
The community response was swift and vocal. Forums and Discord groups filled with warnings, rollback advice, and accounts of unexpected crashes. One user, Frankie_T9000, shared that their GPU failed to boot properly under the new driver, only stabilizing after undervolting and ordering new thermal pads.
Despite the outcry, NVIDIA’s hotfix came relatively quickly—but the original 576.02 driver remained available for download for some time afterward, potentially leaving more users exposed.
For developers, researchers, and gamers relying on accurate hardware telemetry, this episode underscores the importance of monitoring updates and the risks of silent failures in cooling systems. With AI hardware now routinely pushed to its thermal limits, reliable software support is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s essential.
