New Nvidia GPUs: More Power, More Performance?

Get ready, gaming enthusiasts! Nvidia is expected to unveil its new RTX 50-series GPUs at CES next week. The lineup will include the RTX 5090, 5080, 5070 Ti, and 5070. The star of the show, the RTX 5090, is said to outperform the 2022 RTX 4090. But there's a catch – it'll need more power. Leaks suggest the RTX 5090 could have a maximum power draw of 575 W, compared to the RTX 4090's 450 W. The RTX 5080 is also getting a power boost, from 320 W to 360 W. These cards are pushing the limits of what a single 12VHPWR connector can handle – up to 675 W when including the PCI Express slot. Higher power consumption doesn't always mean less efficiency. These new GPUs could still offer great performance per watt. But if you're planning to upgrade, be ready for a power supply upgrade too. Nvidia recommends an 850 W power supply for the RTX 4090. For the RTX 5090, that might jump to 1, 000 W. We'll have to wait for Nvidia's CES keynote on January 6 to know for sure.