Looking to squeeze more frames out of your Nvidia Turing graphics card (RTX 2000/GTX 1600 series)? A new BIOS mod called NvStrapsReBar unlocks resizable BAR support, potentially boosting performance for free. But proceed with caution!
Ever feel like your old Nvidia graphics card just isn’t cutting it anymore? Look, upgrading your GPU is always the ideal solution, but it’s also an expensive one. There’s good news for owners of Nvidia Turing architecture GPUs (RTX 2000 and GTX 1600 series) though! A clever modder has developed a way to enable resizable BAR on these cards, potentially boosting frame rates in some games.
Resizable BAR (Base Address Register) is a feature that allows the CPU to have full access to the GPU’s VRAM. This can lead to smoother performance, especially in games that rely heavily on textures. While resizable BAR is supported by most modern graphics cards, Nvidia’s Turing GPUs weren’t officially included on the list. That’s where NvStrapsReBar comes in.
NvStrapsReBar is a new UEFI driver that essentially tricks your motherboard’s BIOS into thinking your Turing GPU supports resizable BAR. It’s based on an existing mod called ReBarUEFI, but takes things a step further for Turing architectures.
Here’s the catch: There is always a risk involved in tweaking your motherboard’s BIOS firmware. A mistake during the flashing process could brick your motherboard, leaving you with a very expensive paperweight. Only attempt this if you are comfortable with BIOS modding and have a backup plan in place (such as a dual BIOS system).
If you’re willing to take the risk, NvStrapsReBar could give your Turing GPU a new lease on life. Just be sure to carefully follow the instructions on the Github page [link to Github page with NvStrapsReBar].
Important points to remember:
- NvStrapsReBar only works with Nvidia Turing GPUs (RTX 2000/GTX 1600 series).
- It does not work with Nvidia Pascal GPUs (GTX 1000 series).
- Enabling resizable BAR may not provide a significant performance boost in all games.
- There is a risk of bricking your motherboard if you are not comfortable with BIOS modding.
For those of you who are looking to upgrade and don’t want to mess with BIOS mods, check out our review of the Nvidia RTX 4070 Super [link to Nvidia RTX 4070 Super review]! It’s the latest mid-range offering from Nvidia and packs a serious punch.