Nvidia RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs rumored to reach up to 600W power consumption

HARDWARE NEWS manhkbrady - Sep 5, 2024, 20:00

Well-known tech leaker kopite7kimi has shared information about the power usage of Nvidia GeForce Blackwell GPUs, stating that “all have some increase in power consumption, with higher SKUs increasing more,” in a post on X (formerly Twitter). When another X user predicts that the power draw for the RTX 5090 will be 550W, kopite7kimi responds with “more,” and provides the same reply when asked whether the new RTX 5070 will exceed the rumored 220W power draw.

I know you someone got the details of GeForce of Blackwell recently.
Both of them all have some increase in power consumption, with higher SKUs increasing more.
— kopite7kimi (@kopite7kimi) September 3, 2024

If this information is accurate, Nvidia’s RTX 5090 will effectively reach the limits of the 12V-2×6 (16-pin) GPU power standard, which is designed to supply a maximum of 600 watts of power. Despite the PCIe power being able to provide up to 75 watts of additional power, the RTX 5090 will stretch today’s power cables to their limits. As strange as it may sound, many RTX 5090 GPUs might feature dual 12V-2×6 power connectors to facilitate extensive overclocking.

With a TDP of 400 watts, Nvidia’s RTX 5080 will only use 50 watts less than an RTX 4090. Assuming Nvidia has improved their power efficiency, this should allow Nvidia’s RTX 5080 to match or even exceed today’s RTX 4090. Nonetheless, it is yet to be seen how Nvidia's RTX 50 series will stack up against their predecessors. Requiring a power draw of 600W, Nvidia’s RTX 5090 will necessitate a substantial cooler. Essentially, Nvidia will need to find a way to dissipate an additional 150W of heat, which could pose a challenge for Nvidia’s AIB partners. Ultimately, they will all need to invest in more robust GPU heatsinks and power delivery systems.

If these claims are true, Nvidia’s RTX 5090 will single-handedly consume more power than traditional gaming PCs. This alone will prompt PSU manufacturers to produce more high-wattage units in order to meet the demand for a high-power PSU capable of supporting an inevitable dual RTX 5090 workstation.

We'll have to wait to assess the final product before we can confirm the details, but in the meantime, feel free to use our comparison tool to find great deals on your next favorite game.