The Nvidia RTX 3090 is one of the best cards available and you will probably need to upgrade your PSU.
- The Nvidia RTX 3090 has a TDP of 350W, so we recommend a power supply with at least 750W to use the card at its maximum performance.
Does that mean you simply need a 700W PSU? No, absolutely not.
Personally, I recommend you to go with an 850W PSU, especially if you plan on overclocking all of your other components. You want to be safe even when the card peaks and goes out of its average consumption.
The image below is from Nvidia’s official website, stating that the recommended supply is 750W. Again, because the difference compared to a 850W is not that big, you will be much more related with the bigger one.
Is 750W Enough for RTX 3090?
Yes, it’s also the minimum Nvidia recommends and it’s slightly above the double peak consumption (350W x 2).
The closer your total computer power consumption is to the max wattage of your PSU, the less efficient it will be. So, if your computer requires 740W to run everything and you’re using a 750W PSU, you’re really at the limit and not getting the best performance out of it.
Which PSU for RTX 3090?
If you’re looking for the best bang for the buck, the Corsair RM850X with 850W and gold rating is my favorite choice. If your budget allows you, and you want to be future-proof for 10 years, get the 1000W option.
Always keep in mind that any CPU/GPU overclocking, adding extra fans or cooling, will require even more from your PSU.
Never settle on an unknown/low quality PSU because you’re basically betting your entire computer against a few dollars saved.
Can the RTX 3090 Run Games at 4K?
Yes, the 3090 is an amazing choice for 4K gaming at 100fps+, but there’s a better deal out there if you’re looking to get the most for your money. It’s the RTX 3080, which costs ~$600+ less and performs only around 15% worse.
The better question would be, can the RTX 3090 run games at 8K? Yes it can, but the large majority will hover between 40-60fps and struggle a bit. Plus, most games simply don’t have 8K textures yet so it’s still a bit too early for fair comparisons.
Can the RTX 3090 Run Games at 1440p at 144Hz?
Yes, but even the much cheaper 3070 is great for this. Unless you’re going to use more than 1 x 4K/1440p monitor, the 3090 is an overkill for this scenario.
The 3090 with its monster GDDRX 24GB RAM (compared to 10GB on 3080) and everything else just a little bit better, is much more suitable for heavy professional work, or even 8K gaming. If you’re looking for anything below that, then this card is most likely not worth it.
