ASRock Releases RX 7900 XTX Firmware 1.0.6 After Reports of Failed Updates, Offers No Details

What happened with ASRVBFlash 1.0.5​

The trouble started on October 29. VideoCardz reported that ASRock had published VBIOS updates for ten Radeon RX 7000 graphics cards, covering models from the RX 7600 XT to the RX 7900 XTX. The updates appeared on October 29 and follow security-related firmware releases from Sapphire and Gigabyte. The package was labeled ASRVBFlash version 1.0.5.

The ten models in that release were:

Within a week, owners started reporting failures. According to VideoCardz, the affected models reportedly include the RX 7900 XT Phantom Gaming, RX 7900 XTX Phantom Gaming and RX 7900 XTX Taichi, including the White edition. Reports involve different motherboards from ASRock and MSI, suggesting the problem is not limited to one motherboard configuration.

The reports all describe the same sequence. TechPowerUp says that the initial issue arose when users ran the ASRVBFlash 1.0.5 utility. During the process, Windows would start a reboot sequence, but the system would then fail to boot. Igor's Lab found the same pattern across several reports. In one case documented by VideoCardz, a PC that hung at startup booted normally once the Radeon card was removed. That points to the graphics card or its firmware rather than the motherboard.

That symptom is what makes this serious. Igor's Lab noted that some cards no longer reach POST after a failed flash, so a simple software recovery isn't possible. If a card can't initialize, you can't run a Windows tool on it to reflash it.

ASRock then pulled the download. TechPowerUp reported that ASRock reportedly removed VBIOS version 1.0.5 from its download pages, although it remained accessible via FTP connections.

In short: the October 29 package covered ten cards. The reported failures involve Navi 31 boards, meaning the RX 7900 XT and XTX in the Phantom Gaming and Taichi lines. The common symptom is that the PC won't POST after the updater's restart.

Version 1.0.6 arrives without a changelog​

Now there is a new package. VideoCardz says the earlier 1.0.5 download has been replaced, yet ASRock has provided no changelog, explanation of the previous failures, or confirmation that the new version addresses them. TweakTown and VideoCardz both say ASRVBFlash 1.0.6 is dated November 6 but only showed up on ASRock's support page on November 10.

ASRock hasn't confirmed which cards the new package covers. Germany's PC Games Hardware reports that 1.0.6 is so far confirmed only for the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 XTX Phantom Gaming OC. It also notes that the old version was available for ten models from the Radeon RX 7600 XT to RX 7900 XTX, while failures so far have only been reported by owners of Navi 31 cards such as the Radeon RX 7900 XTX and Radeon RX 7900 XT. PCGH lists 1.0.6 availability for the XTX Taichi and Taichi White as unclear.

Outlets disagree on what 1.0.6 does. TechPowerUp describes it as intended to fix issues caused by the previous version, 1.0.5, and Wccftech says it addresses the problematic update. Neither cites any ASRock statement, though, and TechPowerUp also says ASRock has quietly released the 1.0.6 update without providing details on what changes have been made. So "intended to fix" is a reasonable guess from the timing, not something ASRock has confirmed.

There's also a naming question. When 1.0.5 came out, VideoCardz pointed out it was unclear whether the version number referred to the flashing utility or to the firmware actually written to the card. That's still unclear for 1.0.6, so you can't easily compare what's on your card with what ASRock is offering.

In short: 1.0.6 exists and has replaced 1.0.5 on at least one product page. ASRock hasn't confirmed what changed, which models it covers or whether it is safe to flash.

The security update behind all this​

This mess sits on top of a security issue that hasn't been disclosed. Guru3D reports that the Radeon RX 7000 firmware updates are connected to a potential security issue identified by AMD's partners as AMD-SN-6023. AMD's position, per Guru3D, is that it recommends installing a firmware update when the graphics-card manufacturer provides one and says it has no reports of the vulnerabilities being exploited. The company has not publicly explained the technical details or severity of the issue.

That leaves owners in an odd position. They're being asked to install firmware for a vulnerability that hasn't been described, from a vendor whose last attempt reportedly stopped some cards from booting. VideoCardz put it bluntly: users shouldn't have to choose between leaving a possible vulnerability unpatched and risking another failed flash with no guidance from ASRock. AMD says it has seen no exploitation, so for most people a short wait carries a known, small risk. Flashing an unexplained package carries a risk nobody can measure yet.

Warranty: individual reports, not a policy​

TweakTown collected several support stories, and they don't agree:

• One owner in Japan was reportedly told that a card bricked by an official update would be covered under warranty.
• A European owner was reportedly sent to warranty service even though the card was out of warranty.
• Another European customer was reportedly warned that removing the heatsink to reach the VBIOS chip would void the warranty.

These are individual reports, and ASRock hasn't published a general policy. Igor's Lab makes the same point, saying the Japanese case does not verify how many cards are affected and shouldn't be read as covering every region or out-of-warranty card. Don't assume your claim will be treated the same way.

What RX 7900 XT and XTX owners should do now​

This is guidance based on the reporting above, not instructions from ASRock.

If your card works and you haven't flashed it:

1. Hold off. PCGH, Wccftech and Igor's Lab all advise ASRock RX 7900 XT and XTX owners to skip further VBIOS updates until ASRock explains the failures. Wccftech says it's best to avoid unnecessary VBIOS flashing until ASRock explains and confirms that those issues have been fixed.
2. Check your exact model. Phantom Gaming, Phantom Gaming White, Taichi and Taichi White are separate products. Only download a package from the support page for your exact card.
3. Wait for reports from other owners. That tells you whether 1.0.6 is going badly. It doesn't prove the package is safe, so a statement from ASRock is still the better signal.
4. Don't use firmware from elsewhere. Igor's Lab specifically warns against trying VBIOS files from other sources.

If your PC won't boot with the card installed after a flash:

1. Check that the rest of the PC works. Owners say the system boots normally without the card. If yours does, that points to the card's firmware.
2. Contact ASRock or your retailer before opening anything. TweakTown recommends pursuing an RMA, and Igor's Lab says to contact the manufacturer or retailer first.
3. Keep the cooler on. One reported support response warned that removing the heatsink to reach the BIOS chip would void the warranty.
4. Know that hardware recovery is possible but risky. VideoCardz reported that at least two Reddit users report successfully recovering their RX 7900 XTX Phantom Gaming cards using external EEPROM programmers. One used a T48 USB programmer with a test clip to restore the VBIOS. Igor's Lab cautions that this needs the right hardware, the correct firmware image and knowledge of voltages and pin layouts, and a wrong write can make things worse. It's not a fix to try on a card you want to keep under warranty.

Analysis​

GPU firmware updates usually go unnoticed, and when one fails this badly, the vendor's communication matters as much as the fix. ASRock pulled the bad package and replaced it, but hasn't said what went wrong or confirmed that 1.0.6 is safe. VideoCardz says ASRock didn't answer its earlier questions about the problem.

This doesn't mean 1.0.6 is bad. It may be exactly the fix TechPowerUp and Wccftech think it is. But a quiet re-release dated four days before it appeared on the support page, with no release notes, gives owners nothing to go on. ASRock could fix this with a short statement covering what went wrong in 1.0.5, what 1.0.6 changes, which models it applies to and how bricked cards will be handled. Until then, ASRock RX 7900 XT and XTX owners whose cards work fine should hold off on flashing 1.0.6.