ASRock quietly rolls out new firmware after disastrous previous update killed Radeon RX 7900-series GPUs

ASRock has released new firmware for its Radeon RX 7900-series graphics cards following an earlier update that left some cards unable to boot. The replacement arrives after the company pulled version 1.0.5 from its website. ASRock has not explained what caused the failures or confirmed whether the new firmware resolves them, leaving owners of the affected cards without official guidance.

The trouble began with an AMD VBIOS patch for Radeon RX 7000-series graphics cards issued last month to address potential security vulnerabilities. AMD did not disclose technical details of the vulnerabilities but said it had no reports of them being exploited. In a statement shared with ComputerBase, AMD said it releases such firmware as part of its usual approach to potential security vulnerabilities and makes corrections available before public announcement so customers have time to update. The company recommended that users update their graphics card firmware as soon as the respective GPU manufacturer provides it.

ASRock then listed the 1.0.5 VBIOS update for 10 graphics card models across its Radeon RX 7600 XT, RX 7700 XT, RX 7800 XT, RX 7900 XT, and RX 7900 XTX families. Multiple owners of Radeon RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX cards reported that their systems would not boot after installing the firmware. Some users were able to recover their cards using external EEPROM programmers.

How ASRock will assist customers who already installed the failed update remains unclear. According to reports shared with VideoCardz, a user in Japan received confirmation from ASRock that the failed update would be covered under warranty. Another owner in Europe was reportedly told to seek warranty service despite holding an out-of-warranty graphics card. Affected owners therefore face uncertainty over whether they will receive free repairs or replacements.

The absence of a changelog or official statement alongside the new firmware version also makes it difficult for users to judge whether installing the replacement is safe. For US buyers of the affected ASRock cards, the same questions apply: no published explanation of the failure, no confirmed remedy, and no stated policy on repairs or replacements for cards damaged by the 1.0.5 update.

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