The giant leap made from the RTX 2000 series to RTX 3000 came at a price: high power requirements. This is especially true when it comes to the RTX 3090 GPU, which is Nvidia’s behemoth with over 10,000 CUDA cores and 24 GB of GDDR6 memory. To take full advantage of all that raw power and extract every ounce of performance from the Ray Tracing and Tensor cores we need energy. Therefore, in this article, we have reviewed the best PSU for Nvidia RTX 3090 graphics cards.
The new RTX 3090 is a lot more demanding than yesterday’s top of the line GPU, the RTX 2080 TI. Most 2080 systems were able to operate without a problem using a 650W PSU. Unfortunately, that won’t be enough when we plug in the 3090 GPU, so many of us will need to look for a strong power supply.
According to Nvidia, an average system using the RTX 3090 will require a 750W PSU. The graphics card alone needs 350W worth of power. The rest depends mainly on the CPU. If your system is built with a typical Intel i5 / i7 or Ryzen 5 / Ryzen 7, 750W will be enough. On the other hand, an i9 or Ryzen 9 will increase that demand to 850W. And finally, if you’re looking into a Threadripper to build a solid workstation, you’ll need a 1000W PSU. Chances are your current PSU is either too old or not powerful enough to handle the new RTX 3090.
Best RTX 3090 PSUs
A lot of people get overly excited about the newest GPU or CPU, splash their budget, and then skimp on things like motherboards and PSUs. That’s a bad idea, especially when building a demanding high-end system.
Keep in mind that the power supply is what powers everything and it needs to do so efficiently. You don’t want power fluctuations, crashes, or worse. Instead, you want efficiently delivered power, heating kept to a minimum, and all the possible protection for your PC. PSUs differ when it comes to power, efficiency ratings, and even the quality of the hardware. For example, a 750W 80 Plus Gold certified power supply is better than an 800W Bronze certified power supply. Their size and modularity can also affect how well your PC is being cooled down. There’s more than meets the eye.
With that being said, let’s go through a diverse list of PSUs to find the ones that can power an RTX 3090 system without a problem and see what might be best for you.
1. EVGA SuperNova 850 P2
Form factor: ATX | Capacity: 850W | Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Platinum | Modularity: Full | Warranty: 10 years
Key Features:
- Up to 94% efficiency
- High amperage single +12V rail design
- Entirely modular with braided cables
- Double ball-bearing fan
- Eco mode cooling switch
The SuperNova P2 line of PSUs is a premium category aimed towards enthusiasts that don’t mind spending a bit more for quality. Initially, the 850W P2 power supply was intended for PC systems that were built using two graphics cards. According to EVGA, their PSU could power up to two GPUs as long as each one would require less than 300W. This means that the P2 has enough juice for the RTX 3090 that requires 350W on its own, as well as an overclocked i9 or Ryzen 9 processor.
Besides being rated with Platinum, the P2’s main focus is on a high quality +12V rail design that is capable of delivering the power supply’s maximum output all on its own. The minor rails on the other hand are slightly weaker than what we see in other PSUs, but they’ll still be enough for a high-end system.
In addition, the P2 is entirely modular, so we can use only the cables we need depending on our system. This feature may increase the price of the PSU but good cable management is certainly worth having. Add that to the passive cooling mode that can be optionally enabled, and we have a silent and efficient PSU.
2. Corsair RM850x
Form factor: ATX | Capacity: 850W | Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Gold | Modularity: Full | Warranty: 10 years
Key Features:
- Up to 90% efficiency
- Entirely modular
- Compact size with 160mm-long casing
- Zero noise fan mode cooling switch
Corsair continues to be a key player on the PSU market and the RMx line-up proves that. The RM850x is a powerful but efficient power supply that can deliver its entire load through its single +12V rail. However, the minor rails are impressive, delivering 150W of power combined, which is quite an overkill for today’s systems.
This fully modular PSU is smaller than others in its category, measuring 160mm in length. This allows us to fit it snuggly into a variety of PC cases and use only the cables we need. However, the cables themselves don’t bend easily at the ends, so the case needs to be roomy enough to allow comfortable cable management. Fortunately, the modularity enables us to replace the cables with single-sleeved ones but that would add more expenses.
All in all, the RM850x is powerful, efficient, and silent enough to support the RTX 3090 as long as a Threadripper isn’t used.
3. NZXT C850
Form factor: ATX | Capacity: 850W | Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Gold | Modularity: Full | Warranty: 10 years
Key Features:
- Entirely modular with sleeved main cables
- Compact size with 150mm-long casing
- Zero noise fan mode cooling switch
- Monitoring software included
The C850 is enough to power a system running with the Ryzen 9 3950X or i9 10900K processor combined with the RTX 3090. It’s powerful, efficient, and compact, however, it falls a bit short when compared with other PSUs in the same category, such as the Corsair RM850x.
Its compact size and modularity are great for cable management, but this means that the cooling fan can’t be large, and it isn’t. With just a 120mm fan, the C850 becomes somewhat noisy when working close to full load. As a result, the zero noise fan mode only works during very light tasks, rendering it nearly pointless.
Another major downside is the price range. We can find similar PSUs at a cheaper price. This is possibly due to the monitoring software that comes with the power supply being factored into the cost. It is indeed a useful utility, but there are other ways of monitoring the power supply. All in all, you should look for the C850 when it’s offered with a discount because it’s a solid PSU backed by a 10-year warranty, but a little overpriced.
4. ASUS ROG Thor 1200
Form factor: ATX | Capacity: 1200W | Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Platinum | Modularity: Full| Warranty: 10 years
Key Features:
- 1200W with Platinum efficiency certification
- 135mm wing-blade fan
- 0dB cooling mode
- ROG heatsinks
- Integrated OLED panel displaying current power use
- Sleeved cables
This is one of the best options when building a workstation that runs something as demanding as a Threadripper CPU combined with the RTX 3090. Otherwise, the 1200W Thor is an overkill.
Asus impresses with this feature-rich PSU that has all the features most PC enthusiasts want. The Thor is highly efficient rated with a Platinum certification, modular, has full sleeved cables, ROG heatsinks, and a 135mm winged-blade fan. This allows us to draw a lot of power while maintaining a cool and silent system. Under light to medium tasks, we have the option to keep the cooler off by engaging the dedicated 0dB switch.
Finally, Asus added a neat extra feature, the OLED panel, that tells us in real-time how much power is drawn. It’s not something particularly useful, but it’s informative and adds to the cool factor of the design.
5. GAMEMAX RGB850
Form factor: ATX | Capacity: 850W | Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Gold | Modularity: Full| Warranty: 5 years
Key Features:
- Honeycomb SECC casing design
- Low noise 140mm fan
- High power +12V rail design
- Programmable ARGB and RGB lighting modes
This next entry on our list is a more budget-friendly PSU. The Gamemax 850 is an efficient 850 power supply that offers enough power for a Ryzen 9 / i9 and an RTX 3090. It is fully modular and it comes with 500mm long cables to allow good cable management even when installed in the bottom position inside the case.
With that being said, it’s a fairly simple PSU that simply does its job. It provides plenty of power and its modular design makes it versatile and easy to install. It also comes with various RGB lighting modes that can be selected using a dedicated switch for those who love RBG setups.
Overall, the RGB850 is a good mix of performance and value, but it comes with a shorter 5-year warranty.
6. CoolerMaster MasterWatt 750
Form factor: ATX | Capacity: 750W | Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Bronze | Modularity: Semi| Warranty: 5 years
Key Features:
- Dual-forward circuit design
- Thick 16AWG PCIe cables
- Low-noise LDB bearing fan
- Fanless operation up to 15% load
This Bronze-certified 750W PSU is another budget entry on our list that offers a good amount of performance and reliability for the price. Just keep in mind that the MasterWatt 750 is best used with the standard i5/i7 and Ryzen 5/7 builds. It won’t be enough to power a higher-end build together with the RTX 3090.
The MasterWatt is semi-modular, which is ideal for most consumers since the motherboard and CPU cables are needed anyway. Furthermore, it comes with fanless operation when the load is under 15% and then the fan starts itself up. It is also surprisingly quiet, considering the small 120mm fan.
All in all, it comes with all the safeties you expect from a quality fan, it delivers 750W of power, and it operates silently. It’s a good choice for systems built using consumer-grade processors that don’t require a lot of power.
7. EVGA SuperNova 850 GA
Form factor: ATX | Capacity: 850W | Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Gold | Modularity: Full| Warranty: 10 years
Key Features:
- Compact design with 150mm in length
- Silent double ball-bearing fan
- Eco-mode
- LLC resonant circuit design
EVGA is one of the best PSU suppliers on the market and its SuperNova GA series shows that. For most PC users who intend to get the RTX 3090, the SuperNova 850 will be an ideal choice. It provides plenty of power with up to 90% efficiency and it’s fully modular. It’s built using quality components and it’s backed under a 10-year warranty. You can’t ask for much more.
In addition, it’s small enough to fit in a wide variety of cases without diminishing its cooling power. In fact, the SuperNova comes with the ECO mode for fanless operation when under 40% load. That means you won’t even hear the fan unless you’re playing a game or running some intense processes. But even when running at full load, the double-ball bearing fan is silent.
In this price range, it’s difficult to find something wrong with this PSU. So if you’re looking for a high-quality power supply for your new RTX 3090, this should satisfy your requirements, unless you also plan to invest in a Threadripper.
8. Seasonic Focus Plus 750FX
Form factor: ATX | Capacity: 750W | Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Gold | Modularity: Full| Warranty: 10 years
Key Features:
- 140mm compact design
- Silent fan control with three stages of operation
- Gold-plated connectors
- Fully modular
This is one of the smallest PSUs on our list but that doesn’t mean it’s less capable. In fact, the Focus Plus 750 delivers a lot of power for its size without causing cooling difficulties. Seasonic even included their patented three-stage fan control modes to give us as much silence as possible. The fan won’t be turned on for light tasks when under 30% load and it will operate in silent mode when a 50% load is reached. From that point, the speed will increase with the power demand. This intelligent cooling system is highly optimized and it can be controlled via a switch at the back of the PSU. This is one of the more unique aspects of this power supply when most other products come with two-stage fan control.
Power-wise, the Focus Plus is highly efficient, delivering reliable power with minimum ripples and fluctuations. The +12V rail will cause no concerns regarding load balancing. Ideally, this PSU is paired together with consumer-grade CPUs like the i7 / Ryzen 7 because the 750W won’t be enough for the more power-hungry processors.
9. Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 750W
Form factor: ATX | Capacity: 750W | Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Gold | Modularity: Full| Warranty: 10 years
Key Features:
- Low profile flat cables for better cable management
- Silent 0dB cooling mode
- 140mm hydraulic bearing fan
- High power +12V rail design
The GF1 is one of the best options for those of us who are obsessed with cable management and keeping our systems cool. It provides enough power to fulfill Nvidia’s power requirements for the RTX 3090, as long as we don’t opt for an i9 or Threadripper processor, and it’s efficient enough to keep the electrical bill under control.
Returning to the cable management aspect, the GF1 is fully modular and the cables that come with it have a low profile and are flat. This allows us to easily manipulate them and arrange them even in tight cases.
Take note that the GF1 is a plain but high-quality PSU. With ripple noise kept under 30mV, which is well below most standards and a near-Platinum efficiency, our hardware will be powered without having to worry about voltage variations and reliability problems.
All in all, this is an affordable but high-performing power supply worthy of powering a top of the line GPU like the RTX 3090.
10. Corsair SF Series SF750
Form factor: SFX | Capacity: 750W | Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Platinum | Modularity: Full | Warranty: 7 years
Key Features:
- Up to 92% efficiency
- Zero RPM cooling mode
- Single-sleeved cables for better cable management
- SFX to ATX case adapter included
With the SF750, Corsair is offering one of the most powerful SFX power supplies on the market. This means that all small form factor fans out there will be capable of powering the RTX 3090 without being forced to switch to a jumbo system.
The SF750 packs a lot of power for its size and it’s even Platinum-rated. The small 92mm manages to keep the temperature under control and Corsair even added a Zero RPM cooling mode. And there’s no skimping when it comes to all the required safety features we’d expect from a premium power supply.
Furthermore, this small unit is fully modular and the cables it comes with are just as slim. They are individually sleeved, so great cable management is easily achievable in the tightest of spaces.
The SF750W is ideal for SFX enthusiasts as long as they pair the RTX 3090 with a less power-hungry CPU, like a Ryzen 7. But the price tag is quite steep.
Final Thoughts
Nvidia may recommend 750W for their RTX 3090, however, the power requirement can easily go up to 1,000W depending on the CPU. Any power supply from this list will be capable of powering this top of the line GPU, as long as you correctly factor in the power requirements of your processor. So make sure to compare all the specs and choose the most optimal PSU from this list for your system. Lastly, you can head over to Nvidia’s website to learn more about the RTX 3090.
