NVIDIA has answered the most frequently asked questions regarding the power supply of the new GeForce RTX 40 series graphics accelerators. In particular, the company revealed more details about the complete adapters that are needed to connect new video cards to old power supplies.
Image Source: NVIDIA
GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards do not require the use of new ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 compliant power supplies. The most important requirement for a power supply is its power. So, for the flagship GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, NVIDIA recommends using a PSU with a power of 850 W or more. At the same time, the declared power consumption of the accelerator itself can reach 450 watts. For the GeForce RTX 4080 16GB (320W) and RTX 4080 12GB (285W) models, the company recommends 750W and 700W PSUs respectively.
GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards are equipped with a new 12+4-pin 12VHPWR PCIe 5.0 power connector. For compatibility with old power supplies that do not have power cables with a new connector, NVIDIA provided a special adapter with the video card from four standard 8-pin connectors to the new 12VHPWR.
The company calls the adapter itself “smart”. It is ATX 2.0 compliant and features an active converter that converts signals from the old power supply to the appropriate signals for the new PCIe 5.0 (ATX 3.0) slot. This ensures a high-quality power supply, and there should be no problems with powering video cards from old PSUs.
The manufacturer adds that the GeForce RTX 4090 and GeForce RTX 4080 16GB video cards require at least three standard 8-pin connectors to be connected through an adapter to ensure the transfer of 450 W of power, but it is better if you connect all four cables to the adapter – especially if you plan to overclock the GPU.
NVIDIA states that the adapter has a claimed lifespan of 30 plug/disconnect, which is standard for PCIe/ATX connectors. The company recommends leaving 36 mm of free space above the video card at the location of the adapter for its easy installation and allowable bending.
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