Introduction
Nvidia‘s brand new RTX 4080 16GB card is here, and we’ve been working around the clock in order to get these GPUs benchmarked for launch day. So far we’ve discovered that the new RTX 4080 GPUs are a really solid addition to the high-end market from Nvidia, if a little expensive in places.
DLSS 3.0 is top notch, while the straight rasterisation performance of these GPUs are top-tier. With access to all of the same tech as the RTX 4090, for less money, Nvidia look to be on to a winner with the enthusiasts’ next-gen GPU now suitably here.
But with much uncertainty in the air about power consumption and drama around the new PCI-E Gen5 power connector, picking a good power supply has seemingly never more been important. In this piece we’ll be looking at the best PSUs to buy for Nvidia’s brand new RTX 4080, and answering the big questions around the new PCI-E connector.
Suggested Article: MSI GeForce RTX 4080 Suprim X Review – A ‘Suprim’ Design’
In This Round Up…
A great value options with the minimum wattage required for a 4080.
Plenty of 80+ Gold rated power for the latest GPUs.
PCI-E 5.0 as standard in ASUS' latest TUF PSU is a welcome addition.
1000W of power from the ever reliable Corsair HX lineup.
One of our favourite 1000W+ power supply designs.
Through the Fire & Flames – The 16-Pin Connector
Before we take a look at power supply recommendations, there is a tricky subject we need to address. There has been a significant amount of backlash around the 16-Pin power connector, with a small (but important) number of users having reported their power connectors melting, with some catching fire.
Nvidia have launched an investigation into the matter, and a number of media have reported findings of their own testing. We should stress that so far results are pretty inconclusive, and it is unconfirmed whether the issue is on the connector design, specific GPUs or indeed on the power supplies themselves. The good news is that there are lots of resources currently designated to fix this issue, and we wouldn’t be too concerned as prospective consumers. We have had no issues with our in-house testing of the power connectors on the RTX 4080 and RTX 4090.
Nvidia RTX 4080 Wattage Requirements
Now that we’ve addressed the biggest concern, it is worth talking about wattage and power requirements. Prior to the launch announcement of these cards, there were major concerns that consumers would need brand new power supplies in order to handle a major jump in power draw.
Due to some fancy power balancing tech from Nvidia that helps to reduce peaks and large jumps in power usage from the GPU, so far results have been better than expected, and users of new GPUs haven’t needed to buy new, pricey 1300W and 1350W PSUs that we’ve seen enter the market in the past few months.
That’s not to say these new GPUs aren’t power intensive, they are. We’d recommend using an 850W unit above for either of the new RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 GPUs. We’d also recommend builders be mindful of their other component choices – Intel’s new 13th generation processors for example are much more power hungry than the last gen 12th generation options, increasing overall build power draw.
| Wattage | Supported? | Do We Recommend? |
| 1350W | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1300W | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1200W | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1000W | ✅ | ✅ |
| 850W | ✅ | ✅ |
| 800W | ✅ | ❌ |
| 750W | ✅ | ❌ |
Efficiency, Efficiency, Efficiency
Another factor to consider that coincides with wattage requirement is of course, efficiency. The efficiency of your power supply determines how much power is drawn from the wall, and how much of that energy is lost as heat or noise. In the current economic climate, an inefficient power supply seems a poorer buying decision than ever before.
For this reason we’ve put together a small table that covers efficiency ratings. Looking at the table you’ll immediately be able to see that Gold, Platinum, and Titanium rated power supplies are the most efficient under higher loads. With a graphics card like the RTX 4080, this higher efficiency matters more, as PSU loads are higher more consistently.
| 80+ Rating | Efficiency Level |
| 80+ (White) | 20% Load: 80% 50% Load: 80% 100% Load: 80% |
| 80+ Bronze | 20% Load: 82% 50% Load: 85% 100% Load: 82% |
| 80+ Silver | 20% Load: 85% 50% Load: 88% 100% Load: 85% |
| 80+ Gold | 20% Load: 87% 50% Load: 90% 100% Load: 87% |
| 80+ Platinum | 20% Load: 90% 50% Load: 92% 100% Load: 89% |
| 80+ Titanium | 20% Load: 90% 50% Load: 92% 100% Load: 94% |
With this in mind, I’d say that securing an 80+ Gold rated power supply is the bare minimum here. This shouldn’t be too tricky to achieve, with most units at this level providing this level of efficiency or higher, but it is always worth checking.
Our Favourite PSUs for the RTX 4080: A Brief Glance
We’ve picked out three of the best power supplies to pair with the RTX 4080 and given them a GeekaWhat award based on their efficiency ratings, pricing, and design. Below is a list of three power supplies with a pros and cons list to show off why these PSUs are ideal to power your RTX 4080.
Best 750W Design: NZXT C750 Gold
| Pros |
| ✅ Compact and minimalist design. ✅ 80+ Gold efficiency. ✅ Fully modular design. |
| Cons |
| ❌ No RGB. ❌ No Zero-Fan mode. |
Buy the NZXT C750 Gold on:
Best 850W Design: ASUS TUF Gaming PCI-E 5.0
| Pros |
| ✅ Supports the PCI-E 5.0 connector. ✅ 80+ Gold efficiency rating. ✅ 10 year warranty. |
| Cons |
| ❌ No RGB fans. ❌ Expensive. |
Buy the ASUS TUF Gaming 850W on:
Best 1000W Design: Corsair HX1000i
| Pros |
| ✅ Perfect for an RTX 4080 or 4090. ✅ 80+ Platinum efficiency. ✅ Zero RPM Mode. |
| Cons |
| ❌ Big and hefty. ❌ Very expensive. |
Buy the Corsair HX1000i on:
Our Recommendations
1. NZXT C750 Gold
First off is the C750 Gold from NZXT. This minimalist and compact power supply is perfect to power a lower specced 4080 build with a CPU like the Core i5 13600K or 13700K. The 80+ Gold efficiency rating will aid in keeping power draw and thermals to a minimum making your PC build much more efficient but also reducing the possibility of any hot spots throughout your case. The modular design allows you to freely choose any cables reducing the hassle of cable management when you’re putting your build together!
Key Specs: Form Factor: ATX // Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold // Modular: Fully // PCI-E Gen 5.0: No.
The C750 Gold also has a large range of different connectors giving you the option to install a number of peripherals and SATA based devices. The compact design of this PSU also makes much easier to install compared to other standard sizes, minimising any cramming of fingers to get your cables and power connectors installed. Overall if you’re looking for a lower wattage design to power the 4080, the C750 Gold is a great choice.
Buy the NZXT C750 Gold on:
2. Thermaltake ToughPower GF3 850W
Next up is the Thermaltake ToughPower GF3 850W. Thermaltake’s lineup of GF3 power supplies were the first to integrate the new ATX 3.0 standard so that users can enjoy the new range of Nvidia cards without having to use their adapters. The GF3 850W is perfect to power the brand new 4080, whilst keeping your cable clutter to a minimum by using the new 16-Pin standard.
Key Specs: Form Factor: ATX // Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold // Modular: Yes // PCI-E Gen 5.0: Yes
An 850W power supply is what we would recommend to power the RTX 4080 giving you room to install a more powerful CPU, while also adding redundancy for when your CPU and graphics card boost. Ensuring you have enough wattage when your components boost is a bit of a balancing act, so picking a wattage that is slightly above the recommended is a good way to ensure you’ve got more headroom for your system during intense workloads.
Buy the Thermaltake ToughPower GF3 850W on:
3. ASUS TUF Gaming 850W
The TUF Gaming 850W power supply from ASUS is another awesome design incorporating the PCI-E 5.0 standard so consumers can get rid of those frustrating adapters. This particular design features ASUS’ signature TUF Gaming logo etched into the PSU chassis, this alongside the fully modular cables will keep your build nice and tidy whilst providing plenty of power for your 4080 gaming PC build!
Key Specs: Form Factor: ATX // Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold // Modular: Yes // PCI-E Generation 5.0: Yes
The reason why we’ve picked out the TUF Gaming PCI-E 5.0 power supply from ASUS is because this is one of the very few lower wattage PSUs that supports the new ATX standard at a somewhat reasonable price. The 16-Pin power adapter can withstand up to 600W in one cable, and as you can imagine this drives a significant premium. But ASUS have managed to keep costs low to ensure you can enjoy the minimal cable clutter with enough power for your RTX 4080 build.
Buy the ASUS TUF Gaming 850W on:
4. Corsair HX1000i
Corsair is another manufacturer to have jumped on the ATX 3.0 standard providing the new 16-Pin power connector. This PSU features three EPS12V connectors designed to deal with the power requirement of the latest and greatest PC builds. The 80+ Platinum efficiency rating will keep temperatures nice and cooler, with less noise due to the Zero-Fan mode. Overall this is an excellent PSU if you’re looking to build an extremely powerful 4080 build with the latest generation of CPUs!
Key Specs: Form Factor: ATX // Efficiency Rating: 80+ Platinum // Modular: Yes // PCI-E Generation 5.0: Yes
Corsair’s HX1000i is one of the best PSUs supporting the ATX 3.0 standard for new graphics cards. Although this PSU is on the more expensive side for the wattage increase you’re getting access to a massive range of connectors, a Zero-RPM mode reducing noise when your PC is at lower loads, whilst also supporting Corsair’s industry leading iCUE software. Which allows you to sync up allow of your products, and control fan curves with the click of a button.
Buy the Corsair HX1000i on:
5. MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5
Moving past the 1000W mark, we’ve picked out one of MSI‘s best power supplies, the MEG Ai1300P PCIE5. Not only is this PSU designed to handle extreme PC builds, but is also looks pretty damn cool for a power supply. With support for PCI-E 5.0, as many peripherals as you can imagine, topped off with a real-time monitoring system that can be utilised by plugging in the included USB into one of your USB 2.0 headers on your motherboard. This PSU has it all, and is perfect to efficiently handle the most powerful builds that money can buy!
Key Specs: Form Factor: ATX // Efficiency Rating: 80% Platinum // Modular: Yes // PCI-E Generation 5.0: Yes
MSI’s MEG Ai1300P is one of the coolest power supplies we’ve had in the office. Its difficult to get excited about a power supply, but the Ai1300P has some awesome features that make it a worthwhile purchase for those looking to build a top-end workstation or gaming PC. You’ve got access to an insane amount of power connectors including support for the new 16-Pin connector. One of the major selling points of this PSU is the Gaming Intelligence USB port designed to provide real-time information about your PSU. For those looking to optimise power, and fan curves, you’ll want to plug in the included USB to make use of this awesome feature!
Buy the MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 on:
