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Nvidia Ampere GPUs are here, selling in three flavors. The Ampere architecture isn’t very power efficient, at least when it comes to gaming models. While the RTX 3070 has about the same TDP as its direct predecessor, the RTX 2070 Super, both the RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 go above and beyond the power requirements of the last gen’s flagship, the RTX 2080 Ti.
Combine a power-hungry GPU with a power-hungry CPU such as the Core i9-10900K or the Ryzen 9 3950X and you get a gaming system that can need almost 550W of power during certain loads. That high of a power draw demands not only a powerful PSU but also a quality one that can deliver the power written on the label at all times, even going beyond the official specs during short power spikes.
Today, we will show you the best power supplies you can (and should) get for the RTX 3070, 3080, and 3090. While the bulk of the list is made out of ATX PSUs, we’ve reserved a small portion of the article for SFF power supplies. You can find it at the bottom of this text. When it comes to the price yes, PSUs are still greatly overpriced and it seems this could be the new normal for PSU prices. So, if you want to wait for power supplies to return to their pre-pandemic prices, you might have to wait for a long, long time. Anyway, let’s begin.
Best power supplies For RTX 3070
The RTX 3070 has a TDP of 220W, just 5W more than the RTX 2070 Super. Since Nvidia promises RTX 2080 Ti-like performance, 220W isn’t too bad. The official power requirement found on Nvidia’s site states a minimum of 650W of power, but the reality is that you could be completely fine even with a less powerful PSU.
1. be quiet! Pure Power 11 CM: Best budget 500W PSU for RTX 3070
The minimum power you need to run the RTX 3070 should be about 500W. That’s in case if you have a 65-75W CPU. Together, the whole system should peak at about 350-370W, which means even a 450W PSU could be fine. But, just to be safe, we recommend a minimum of 500W. If you have a beefier CPU or an overclocked R5 3600 for instance, you should get a 550W PSU, just to be safe.
Some of our recommendations include budget, non-modular models such as the EVGA 500 GD. It’s a decent PSU but if you want something modular, check out the be quiet! Pure Power 11 500W CM. It has an 80Plus Gold certificate as the EVGA one, but also a semi-modular design that should make installing it easier.
2. Corsair CX550M: Best budget 550W PSU for RTX 3070
Something a bit more expensive but also of higher wattage and quality is the Corsair CX550. It’s only Bronze certified but the CX series as a whole is pretty good. The CX550M, an upgraded version of the base CX model, is another excellent pick. You also have the Cooler Master MWE 550, which is another pretty good PSU for the money.
3. Corsair RM550x: Best mid-range 550W PSU for RTX 3070
If you want the best quality there’s the Corsair RM550x or the EVGA SuperNOVA 550 GA. These are both high-quality, 80Plus Gold PSUs with fully modular design and silent operation. In the end, we have two models from Seasonic.
4. Seasonic Focus PX-550: Best high-end 550W PSU for RTX 3070
Both the Focus GX-550 and the Focus PX-550 are part of the refreshed Focus line of PSUs. These are high-end power supplies with a fully modular design. The first one is Gold certified while the second one is an 80Plus Platinum power supply that sells for a premium price.
5. Corsair CX650M: Best budget 650W PSU for RTX 3070
If you want to get a PSU that will be powerful enough for future builds, or in case you own something like the overclocked 9900K, 10600K, or the 3900X, you should aim for a 600-650W power supply.
A budget choice can be the EVGA 600 BA, a Bronze certified PSU with a non-modular design. Another solid budget choice is the EVGA 600 BQ, which is a semi-modular PSU. The Cooler Master Master Watt 650W is another pretty good semi-modular budget choice. If you want the best semi-modular 650W PSU get the Corsair CX650M.
6. Seasonic Focus GX-650: Best mid-range 650W PSU for RTX 3070
Going up a notch we have models such as the Seasonic Focus GM-650 or the EVGA 650 B5. These are both modular PSUs, with the Seasonic having the 80Plus Gold certification and the EVGA featuring the 80Plus Bronze certification. The EVGA SuperNOVA 650 GA is another excellent 80Plus Gold PSU. You can also get something like the Corsair RM650X or the RM650. The Seasonic Focus GX-650 is an upper mid-range PSU with excellent quality and fully modular design.
7. Seasonic Focus PX-650: Best high-end 650W PSU for RTX 3070
Talking about high-end choices you have the EVGA SuperNOVA 650 P2 or the be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 650W. The Seasonic Focus PX-650 is another high-end choice that comes at a higher price.
8. Seasonic Prime TX-650: Best premium 650W PSU for RTX 3070
When it comes to premium choices you have the Seasonic Prime TX-650, an 80Plus Titanium PSU for those who don’t mind spending a bunch of cash on a PSU. And if you want an ultra-expensive power supply but hate the fans, check out the Seasonic SSR-600TL, a premium fanless power supply from Seasonic.
9. Seasonic SSR 600TL: Best passive 600W PSU for RTX 3070
10. Corsair CX750M: Best budget 750W PSU for RTX 3070
The RTX 3070 demands far less than a 750W PSU, even when coupled with something like the 5.1Ghz 10900K. But if you have cash and are ready to spend a bunch of money on an overkill PSU, get a 750W power supply. It will be enough in case you get a more powerful graphics card, even something like the RTX 3090, and it will work fine with any consumer-grade CPU.
When it comes to the budget options you can get the Corsair CX750M, which is an excellent semi-modular power supply for those on a budget. An odd but solid RGB choice is the Thermaltake Smart BX1 RGB 750W. Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 750 isn’t really a budget PSU but it does offer a fully modular design along with an 80Plus Gold certificate. Finally, the Cooler Master Master Watt is another budget choice that has a semi-modular design.
11. Corsair RM750x: Best mid-range 750W PSU for RTX 3070
The mid-range market includes excellent PSUs such as the Corsair RM750x or the Seasonic Focus GM-750. Then we have the EVGA SuperNOVA 750 GA, which is a bit cheaper than the duo from Corsair and Seasonic while offering the same specs as well as a fully modular design. The best mid-range pick, along with the RM750x, is the Seasonic Focus GX-750.
12. Corsair HX750i: Best high-end 750W PSU for RTX 3070
High-end 750W power supplies contain units from Corsair and Seasonic. We’re starting with the Corsair HX750/HX750i, two excellent 80Plus Platinum PSUs that should be more than enough for almost any build. You can also get the Seasonic Focus PX-750, a superb 80Plus Platinum model that has everything you need.
13. Seasonic Prime Fanless TX-700: Best passive 700W PSU for RTX 3070
If you want the best of the best then either get the Seasonic Prime TX-750 if you don’t care about having a fan or the Seasonic Prime Fanless TX-700 if you demand an absolute silence.
Best power supplies For RTX 3080
As you can see, the RTX 3080 can work fine with a quality 600W power supply, even when paired with an overclocked 10900K. We wouldn’t recommend a 600W PSU for the long run in case you do have an OC 10900K paired with the RTX 3080 but in case you rock something like the 10600K or the 3900X even a 600W power supply should have no issues with running the system.
Minimum – 600-650W
| Award | Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Budget 650W PSU for RTX 3080 | Corsair CX650M |  |
| Best Mid-Range 650W PSU for RTX 3080 | Seasonic FOCUS GX-650 |  |
| Best High-End 650W PSU for RTX 3080 | Seasonic FOCUS PX-650 |  |
| Best Premium 650W PSU for RTX 3080 | Seasonic PRIME Titanium SSR-650TR |  |
| Best Passive 600W PSU for RTX 3080 | Seasonic PRIME Titanium Fanless SSR-600TL |  |
Now, the minimum wattage for being completely safe no matter your CPU is 650W. This way you have some headroom in case you have an RTX 3080 model with a higher power limit (despite the base TDP of 320W, some RTX 3080 models can go well over 400W when overclocked and under a max load). For the full list of recommended power supplies just scroll above and ignore the budget picks.
Safe Bet – 750W
| Award | Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Budget 750W PSU for RTX 3080 | Corsair CX750M |  |
| Best Mid-Range 750W PSU for RTX 3080 | Corsair RM750x |  |
| Best High-End 750W PSU for RTX 3080 | Corsair HX750i |  |
| Best Premium 750W PSU for RTX 3080 | Seasonic PRIME Titanium SSR-750TR |  |
| Best Passive 700W PSU for RTX 3080 | Seasonic PRIME Titanium Fanless SSR-700TL |  |
In case you want some headroom for a future upgrade or just want to be safe and sound, a 750W power supply should be more than enough. This will allow you to overclock the hell out of any CPU and any RTX 3080 card without a pinch of worry will power supply handle your overclocking hobby. A 750W PSU should also be powerful enough for any kind of future upgrade sans getting dual RTX 3090s to use in an SLI setup. Again, you can find the list of the best 750W picks above.
14. Corsair RM850: Best budget 850W PSU for RTX 3080
Now, if you have money to burn or if you want a 100 percent futureproof PSU, get an 850W model. These are way overpowered for the RTX 3080 and any consumer-grade CPU but if you’re rocking a Threadripper and plan on getting the RTX 3080, an 850W power supply might be a sound choice.
For the best bang for the buck, you can get the Corsair RM850. This PSU won’t break the bank while offering pretty solid performance. Next, we have the Seasonic Prime GX-850, an upper mid-range model that has excellent performance. The Thermaltake Toughpower G1 and the Silent Flower Leadex III 850 present two relatively affordable 850W power supplies that have excellent specs and performance.
15. Corsair RM850x: Best mid-range 850W PSU for RTX 3080
If you’ve already decided to get an 850W PSU, get a quality one. There’s no sense to cheap out, especially in this power segment. We recommend models such as the Corsair RM850x, the EVGA Supernova 850GA, or the Seasonic Focus GM-850. Get the GX-850 for even better performance. Another interesting choice is the Fractal Design ION+ 860P, but this one is a bit more expensive than the competition while not providing better performance.
16. Corsair HX850: Best high-end 850W PSU for RTX 3080
If you’re after an 80Plus Platinum model check out the EVGA Supernova 850 P2, the Corsair HX850/HX850i, or the Seasonic duo, the Focus PX-850, and the Prime PX-850. Flagship 80Plus Titanium PSUs we recommend include the following models: Corsair AX850, EVGA SuperNOVA 850 T2, and the Seasonic Prime TX-850.
Best power supplies For RTX 3090
The RTX 3090 is basically the Titan RTX replacement that comes with 24GB of GDDR6X memory and a base TDP of 350W. Some AIB models can go near or cross the 500W power limit meaning you have to get a pretty powerful PSU if you plan on getting a card such as the ASUS RTX 3090 Strix OC or the EVGA RTX 3090 Kingpin Hybrid or Water.
Minimum – 650W
| Award | Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Mid-Range 650W PSU for RTX 3090 | Seasonic FOCUS GX-650 | |
| Best High-End 650W PSU for RTX 3090 | Seasonic FOCUS PX-650 | |
| Best Premium 650W PSU for RTX 3090 | Seasonic PRIME Titanium SSR-650TR | |
The minimum PSU for the RTX 3090 should have about 650 watts of power. The card seeps 30 more watts at its base power limit than the RTX 3080 pushing the 600W PSUs out of the consideration, especially in case you run an overclocked 10900K or the 3950X. The full list of recommended PSUs can be found above, in the RTX 3070 section. Just ignore the 600W models as well as the budget picks.
Safe bet – 750W-850W
| Award | Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Budget 750W PSU for RTX 3090 | Corsair CX750M | |
| Best Mid-Range 750W PSU for RTX 3090 | Corsair RM750x | |
| Best High-End 750W PSU for RTX 3090 | Corsair HX750i | |
| Best Premium 750W PSU for RTX 3090 | Seasonic PRIME Titanium SSR-750TR | |
| Best Budget 850W PSU for RTX 3090 | Corsair RM850 |  |
| Best Mid-Range 850W PSU for RTX 3090 | Corsair RM850x |  |
| Best High-End 850W PSU for RTX 3090 | Corsair HX850 |  |
| Best Premium 850W PSU for RTX 3090 | Seasonic Prime TX-850 |  |
If you want to play it safe or in case you have a 10900K, get a 750W power supply. Again, the full list of recommended models can be found above, in the RTX 3070 section of this article.
Now, if you have an overclocked flagship CPU and plan on getting one of the 500W+ RTX 3090 models, getting an 850W power supply might be a wise choice. The full list of models can be found in the RTX 3080 section of this article.
If using SLI or tunning a workstation – 1000W or more
Prosumer users who plan on adding two RTX 3090 cards to their build have to get at least a 1000W power supply. Those who want to couple a Threadripper with two RTX 3090s should aim even higher.
17. Corsair RM1000x: Best 1000W PSU for RTX 3090
Some of our 1000W PSU recommendations include models such as the Corsair RM1000x, EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G3, EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G+, Corsair AX1000 or the Seasonic Focus GX-1000 and Prime GX-1000. Some other interesting choices we have are the Cooler Master V1000 Platinum and the Antec Signature Series SP1000.
18. Seasonic Prime TX-1000: Best premium 1000W PSU for RTX 3090
If you want even higher quality 1000W power supplies take a look at the Seasonic Prime TX-1000 or Prime PX-1000 as well as Corsair’s HX1000/HX1000i.
19. Corsair HX1200i: Best 1200W PSU for RTX 3090
Finally, users who have an overclocked 10900K or the 3950X and want to get two high-end RTX 3090 cards with a power limit set near or above 500W should think about 1200W PSUs and higher. Models like the Corsair HX1200i, AX1200i, and the HX1200. Or Seasonic models such as the Prime 1300W in gold and platinum flavors.
20. Corsair AX1600i: Best 1600W PSU for RTX 3090
Finally, if you have a Threadripper and want to get two RTX 3090s get a beast of a PSU. Something like the Corsair AX1600i or the EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 P2.
21.Corsair SF750, Seasonic Focus Gold SGX 650 & EVGA SuperNOVA 650 GM: Best SFF power supplies For RTX 3070, 3080 & 3090
When it comes to ITX-based builds you’re limited to an SFX or an SFX-L power supply. Some small form factor cases can fit regular power supplies but those cases are the exception to the rule and are few and far between.
The best SFX power supply series is Corsair’s famous SF PSU series. It contains PSUs up to 750W so, in most cases featured above, you will be fine. Another excellent SFX PSU series is the Focus SGX from Seasonic. This one includes only a 500W and 650W models so for the best performance pick the Corsair SF750. Also, when it comes to quality alternatives, there aren’t many. The best choice are probably the ION SFX models from Fractal Design. You also have the pretty good EVGA SuperNOVA GM series, that comes in the compact SFX form factor.
But, ultimately, the SF series from Corsair takes the throne. Firstly, it’s available in 750W flavor while the most powerful EVGA Supernova GM has only 650 watts of power. Secondly, the other two manufacturers make SFX-L power supplies, which are larger than SFX units and won’t fit every Mini-ITX case.
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