Best PSUs to Buy for the RTX 5080

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 has hit the shelves a week after the launch of the RTX 5090. Across our testing, the RTX 5080 offers a 15-20% improvement over the previous generation’s RTX 4080 SUPER, putting it fairly close to the RTX 4090, a widely sought-after GPU after its release in 2022. However, with any new graphics card launch, one of the big questions we often face is how much power it consumes. That’s why we’ve tested a range of excellent power supplies with the RTX 5080 to determine the best pairings with this powerful GPU.

In this series of buyer’s guides, we’ll be delving into the best CPUs, PC cases and power supplies for the RTX 5080, providing a curated set of options that we’ve personally tested and analysed to provide the strongest offerings. This buyer’s guide covers the best power supplies, where we’ll be delving into their specs, features, efficiency and pricing, forging an overview of each unit.

Our Top Pick: Corsair RM1000X

The Corsair RM1000x is the best power supply for the RTX 5080 graphics card. This is a PSU that we’ve used across a range of builds due to its reliability, bountiful set of power connectors and affordable pricing. Despite being 1000W, the RM1000x sits fairly close to the other 850W units we’ve recommended in this buyers guide in terms of pricing. It makes sense to spend a little bit more to ensure you’ve got ample power and room for upgrading.

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Best PSUs for the RTX 5080

1. Corsair RM1000X

Our first pick is the Corsair RM1000X power supply. This 1000W unit has an ATX 3.1 and PCI-E 5.1 certification, ensuring it can handle high power incursions with the latest graphics cards. As this is a reasonably high-wattage unit, you’ll find ample power connectors, including a dedicated 16-pin power connector, allowing you to plug in one cable for your RTX 5080 graphics card.

Regarding efficiency, the Corsair RM1000X is an 80 Plus Gold unit, further supported by the Cybenetics Gold rating, as seen in the image above. This rating means that at a 50% load, the PSU is 90% efficient, minimising any excess power draw that can be lost as additional heat or noise. Cybenetics also provides an A- noise rating for the RM1000X, which indicates that this power supply is pretty quiet during operation, which is great to see.

The RM1000X offers a couple of extra features worth noting. The Zero-RPM mode switches off the 135mm PSU fan when the overall system load is low. This ensures near-silent operation and minimises annoying background noise while gaming. Corsair also offers a ten-year warranty, which is a nice value-add. Prospective buyers can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing they’re covered.

Regarding caveats, the main one to consider for the Corsair RM1000X is that it might be overkill for an RTX 5080 gaming PC build. The RTX 5080 only consumes 360W of power, which is an additional 40W compared to the RTX 4080 SUPER. This means you can easily use an 850W power supply without issues and still have extra juice to spare. So, the RM1000X in this buyer’s guide is primarily geared towards those who are considering upgrading in the near future.

2. NZXT C850 Gold

Our second recommendation for the RTX 5080 is the NZXT C850 Gold. This 850W unit uses the ATX 3.1 standard and offers excellent stability, ensuring it can handle the power requirements of the RTX 5000 series graphics cards. The C850 Gold features a dedicated 16-pin power connector and a strong selection of additional headers, such as SATA and PCI-E, catering to those with plenty of fans and extra cooling components.

The 135mm fan and zero-fan mode work together to ensure low-noise operation. The fan will switch off under 50% load, minimising excess noise when your PC isn’t working as hard. The fully modular form factor also allows builders to pick and choose what cables they need, simplifying the cable management process.

Looking at efficiency, the NZXT C850 is certified as 80 Plus Gold, ensuring that any excess power is minimised. Much like the Corsair RM1000X, the C850 Gold is its most efficient at a 50% load. Cybenetics also denotes a Gold efficiency rating alongside an A- noise rating, which clarifies that this PSU is generally quiet during operation, which is great to see.

Regarding weaknesses, the NZXT C850 Gold is one of the pricier units on the market. Because NZXT components are premium, they are often more expensive than some of the competition. If you’re restricted by budget, it may be worth looking at other 850W power supplies on the market.

3. MSI A850GL PCIE5

Last but not least is the A850GL PCIE5 from MSI. The A850GL PCIE5 is a reasonably similar power supply to the NZXT C850 Gold, offering 850W of power with an ATX 3.1 certification, alongside 80 Plus Gold and Cybenetics gold efficiency ratings. However, there are some subtle differences worth noting. The first is that the A850GL PCIE5 uses flat cables instead of braided ones. This makes cable management easier, allowing for better organisation while maximising space to reduce the risk of obstructing airflow.

MSI has coloured the header of the 16-pin graphics card cable yellow. This makes it easier to spot if the power cable hasn’t been plugged in all the way, which is a neat quality-of-life feature. Furthermore, this power supply has also been rated as Gold by PPLP.INFO, further certifying that this is a highly efficient 850W power supply.

One of the other significant advantages of the MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 over other 850W units is its competitive price. At the time of writing, the A850GL PCIE5 is available for around $120, which is considerably cheaper than the C850 Gold and RM1000X. Thus, it is an excellent option for those on a budget.

Unfortunately, the MAG A850GL PCIE5’s biggest weakness is its noise output. Cybenetics rates this power supply as Standard+, which means it will be more audible during lower loads and louder during more intense workloads.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Recommended PSU for the RTX 5080?

NVIDIA recommends on their website an 850W power supply as a minimum. This will suffice for most buyers, but those planning to upgrade in the future may need 1000W or higher.

Do I Need 80 Plus Gold?

80 Plus Gold isn’t required, but generally speaking, most 850W power supplies will be 80 Plus Gold certified, ensuring minimal excess power draw.

Is the 16-pin Cable Necessary?

The RTX 5080 uses the 16-pin GPU cable as standard, but if your power supply doesn’t support this, the card comes with an adapter for 8-pin PCI-E.