What PSU do you need for the RTX 3090?
With a 120 W CPU such as the Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 850 W is the safe choice.
With a 65 W CPU, 850 W. With a 253 W CPU, 1000 W.
Measured card power, not rated power: 368 W average while gaming, 485 W highest 20 ms spike.
Is my power supply enough? 450–1600 W
Each cell is the sustained gaming load as a share of the label. ✓ Safe: the load fits, the card's measured spikes stay under the label, and the size meets the higher published recommendation (800 W). ✗: not recommended — the steady load is over 80% of the label, a spike passes the label, or the size is below 800 W.
| PSU | 65 W CPU e.g. Ryzen 7 9700X | 120 W CPU e.g. Ryzen 7 9800X3D | 253 W CPU e.g. Core i7-13700K |
|---|---|---|---|
| 450 W | ✗ 113% | ✗ 125% | ✗ 155% |
| 550 W | ✗ 92% | ✗ 102% | ✗ 127% |
| 650 W | ✗ 78% | ✗ 87% | ✗ 107% |
| 750 W | ✗ 68% | ✗ 75% | ✗ 93% |
| 850 W | ✓ Safe 60% | ✓ Safe 66% | ✗ 82% |
| 1000 W | ✓ Safe 51% | ✓ Safe 56% | ✓ Safe 70% |
| 1200 W | ✓ Safe 42% | ✓ Safe 47% | ✓ Safe 58% |
| 1600 W | ✓ Safe 32% | ✓ Safe 35% | ✓ Safe 44% |
Sustained load = card's measured gaming draw + CPU at its TDP (Intel 12th gen and later: maximum turbo power; games usually draw less, so this errs high) + 75 W for board, memory, drives and fans: 65 W CPU 508 W · 120 W CPU 563 W · 253 W CPU 696 W.
Measured power draw
| Gaming average | 368 W |
|---|---|
| Highest 20 ms spike | 485 W |
| Rated board power | 350 W (NVIDIA) |
| Card measured | RTX 3090 24 GB |
Measurements are from TechPowerUp's 2023 re-test of this card (charted in its RTX 4060 review), which records card-only power with dedicated equipment. TechPowerUp's test method has changed over the years, and newer test runs of the same card can read higher — one more reason the safe choice never goes below the published recommendations.
Why PSU recommendations disagree
- NVIDIA: 750 W (spec page). The maker's figure has to cover any CPU and any power supply.
- TechPowerUp: 800 W minimum in its original review of this card, before the 2023 re-test measured higher spikes.
- Most online calculators add up rated power (TDP) for every part and then add a margin. Rated power is not what a card or CPU actually draws in games, which is why their answers can differ by 100 W or more.
- This page: the safe choice never goes below 800 W, the higher of the published figures. See the methodology.
Connectors
Cards in this power class use the 12V-2x6 (12VHPWR) connector or three 8-pin PCIe connectors depending on the board partner. If yours has the 16-pin connector, a power supply with a native 12V-2x6 cable avoids adapters.
When to step up a size
Overclocking, a factory-overclocked card, more than four drives or a lot of fans and RGB each add tens of watts. If two or more apply, take the next size up. Check your exact card's spec sheet too — some board partners list a higher minimum.
Try your exact CPU in the PSU calculator · Best CPU for the RTX 3090