The GPU is the most power-hungry component of a computer, followed by the CPU. So, getting the correct Power Supply Unit (PSU) to power your machine is not only vital, but it is also critical. Simply put, you would want to avoid running an unstable system and risk losing unsaved work or important data.
While building your computing rig, gaming or otherwise, there are several key considerations you must take into account.
Table of Contents
- Watts: What it’s all about (NVIDIA RTX 4080 Wattage and more)
- Fully-Modular Vs. Modular PSU Vs. Non-Modular PSU: Which is better?
- PSU Efficiency
- RTX 4090 Cable Issues, Do They Affect the RTX 4080 As Well?
- Comparison of Power Supplies to Buy for the NVIDIA RTX 4080
- Power Supplies to Buy for the NVIDIA RTX 4080 – Our Pick
- 1. ASUS ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II – 1000W NVIDIA RTX 4080 Power Supply with 80+ Platinum Certification
- 2. Corsair RMx Series RM850x – NVIDIA RTX 4080 PSU with Best Value
- 3. Cooler Master MWE Gold 1050 V2 – High-Capacity PSU for NVIDIA RTX 4080
- 4. GAMEMAX 850W Power Supply – NVIDIA RTX 4080 PSU with RGB Lighting
- 5. MSI MPG A1000G – Best Power Supply with PCIe 5.0
- 6. Thermaltake Toughpower 850W GF3 – Quiet Power Supply for RTX 4080
- 7. be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 BN647 – 1500W PSU for NVIDIA RTX 4080
- 8. NZXT C1000 PSU- 1000W 80+ Gold Certified PSU for the NVIDIA RTX 4080
- Power Supplies to Buy for the NVIDIA RTX 4080 – Frequently Asked Questions
Watts: What it’s all about (NVIDIA RTX 4080 Wattage and more)
Although not as power-hungry as the 4090, it needs enormous amounts of power to sustain its high-performance levels so that your gaming remains unaffected and you maintain a competitive edge. The RTX 4080 has a power rating of 320W just for the GPU, and NVIDIA recommends getting a Power Supply Unit (PSU) with a minimum rating of 750W.
Several PSUs on the market offer more than double that wattage. But before you hit that BUY button, a quick analysis of your need may be in order. Several power calculators available on the internet assess your computer’s power requirement based on your system’s configurations.
Besides the GPU and CPU, these power calculators also consider the power needs of the monitor, RGB lighting, cooling fans, and whatnot. You can choose each component you plan to have on your rig and get a reasonable power estimate using one of these tools.
The sanest advice we can offer is that if you estimate the required wattage to be 750W, buy a PSU that offers 850W. Firstly, it will guarantee enough power for your rig, even if you have miss calculated. More importantly, you’ll have adequate capacity to provide for future expansion.
Fully-Modular Vs. Modular PSU Vs. Non-Modular PSU: Which is better?
While power rating is critical, you need to consider the PSUs form. Essentially, a PSU can either have a fully-modular, modular, or non-modular design. Fully-modular PSUs are better if you are a competitive gamer, as they have detachable cables, allowing you to swap unwanted ones. Doing that removes unnecessary clutter and provides better air circulation to critical components like the GPU and CPU.
Of course, fully-modular PSUs have a few downsides as well. For instance, you’ll have to be careful in choosing cables that use the correct connectors, which are often non-standard. Such PSUs are bulkier and occupy more space in your CPU cabinet, leaving lesser room for attaching more components and often resulting in poor air circulation.
In comparison, non-modular PSUs don’t have detachable wires making it reasonably easy for novices to build a gaming rig. One doesn’t concern themselves about compatible connectors and removing unused cables. Sure, the wires clutter the cabinet and need to be more aesthetically appealing, but they aren’t as bulky as modular PSUs and are lighter on the pocket.
And then there are modular PSUs that have both: attachable and detachable wires. This makes it convenient for builders to secure power supply to crucial components like the motherboard and CPU while allowing you to choose which wires to attach for auxiliary components.
PSU Efficiency
Energy transmission, in any form, is impossible without accounting for transmission losses in the form of heat or noise. Simply put, efficiency is measured as a percentage of the difference between the power drawn and the loss in transmission with respect to the power drawn.
PSU efficiency greatly depends on the load, which depends on the computer’s application. For instance, the CPU and RAM of a gaming PC will experience a more significant load compared to a PC meant for everyday use.
A standard benchmark used for certifying the power efficiency of a PSU is the 80+ Certification which measures the power efficiency at rated loads of 20%, 50%, and 100%. This Certification is only awarded to PSU, which delivers efficiency of over 80% at all three rated loads.
Based on actual efficiency numbers, they are classified into one of six categories, White, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium, where PSUs with Titanium classification are the most efficient.
RTX 4090 Cable Issues, Do They Affect the RTX 4080 As Well?
Ever since its launch in Oct-2022, there have been several complaints regarding the overheating of the RTX 4090’s cable. While NVIDIA began by taking notice of the problem, they took their time to identify its reason. Eventually, they attributed it to a poorly designed 16-pin 12VHPWR connector that was too loose, causing the cable to melt.
The RTX 4080 also uses this 16-pin 12VHPWR connector. Unlike the RTX 4090, which uses four 8-pin connectors (on the PSU side), the RTX 4080 uses only three. Further, the RTX 4080’s power rating (320W) is lesser than the RTX 4090’s power rating (450W), and one needn’t worry about being in danger of a meltdown.
So, it comes as no surprise that there has yet to be a single case of this connector overheating on the RTX 4080 GPU. And while it has led to a lawsuit against NVIDIA, the PCI-SIG (Peripheral Component Interconnect – Special Interest Group) has advised manufacturers to conduct adequate testing before product release. The PCI-SIG is also revising the 12VHPWR connector standard to ensure the new GPUs coming off the line don’t have this problem.
Reportedly, NVIDIA is also working on fixing the problem, which should put this issue to rest.
Comparison of Power Supplies to Buy for the NVIDIA RTX 4080
| Image | Product | Details | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | ASUS ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II | Power: 1000W Efficiency Rating: 80+ Platinum PCI-E Slots: 8 Form Factor: ATX Cabling: Fully-Modular Warranty: 10-years | Buy on Amazon |
 | Corsair RMx Series RM850x | Power: 850W Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold PCI-E Slots: 5 Form Factor: ATX Cabling: Fully-Modular Warranty: 10-years | Buy on Amazon |
 | Cooler Master MWE Gold 1050 V2 | Power: 1050W Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold PCI-E Slots: 6 Form Factor: ATX Cabling: Fully-Modular Warranty: 5-years | Buy on Amazon |
 | GAMEMAX 850W Power Supply | Power: 850W Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold PCI-E Slots: 4 Form Factor: ATX Cabling: Fully-Modular Warranty: 5-years | Buy on Amazon |
 | MSI MPG A1000G | Power: 1000W Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold PCI-E Slots: 4 Form Factor: ATX Cabling: Fully-Modular Warranty: 10-years | Buy on Amazon |
 | Thermaltake Toughpower 850W GF3 | Power: 850W Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold PCI-E Slots: 4 Form Factor: ATX Cabling: Fully-Modular Warranty: 10-years | Buy on Amazon |
 | be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 | Power: 1500W Efficiency Rating: 80+ Titanium PCI-E Slots: 5 Form Factor: ATX Cabling: Fully-Modular Warranty: 10-years | Buy on Amazon |
 | NZXT C1000 PSU | Power: 1000W Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold PCI-E Slots: 5 Form Factor: ATX Cabling: Fully-Modular Warranty: 10-years | Buy on Amazon |
Power Supplies to Buy for the NVIDIA RTX 4080 – Our Pick
1. ASUS ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II – 1000W NVIDIA RTX 4080 Power Supply with 80+ Platinum Certification
The Asus ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II is perfect for competitive gamers who need a power-packet PC to maintain an edge over their opponents. The PSU packs loads of power and backs this up with excellent power efficiency with an 80+ Platinum rating.
This 1000W PSU has an OLED panel that displays real-time power consumption statistics, allowing you to monitor usage conveniently. Interestingly, the Asus ROG Thor also gets a Cybenetics’ LAMBDA A++ certification for low noise levels as it emits less than 20dB(A) even at peak operational levels.
Furthermore, Asus pays special attention to thermal management by using customized ROG heatsinks and a 135mm fan that ensures adequate airflow. And with its modular design that offers plenty of slots for power, the ROG Thor PSU is the best PSU for the NVIDIA RTX 4080 overall.
- The 1000W power supply provides enough power for demanding gaming rigs.
- Low noise levels at peak performance eliminate distractions.
- The excellent thermal design ensures efficient heat dissipation.
- The 80+ Platinum certification means efficient power handling.
- OLED screen displays real-time power usage.
- Expensive
2. Corsair RMx Series RM850x – NVIDIA RTX 4080 PSU with Best Value
Building a gaming rig is not a pocket-friendly task. The latest motherboards, high-end CPUs, GPUs, and high-performance RAM modules will set you back a few thousand dollars even before you start assembling them. You’ll need a high-capacity and expensive PSU to provide adequate power to all the components.
Thankfully, the Corsair RM850x provides 850W of power, but more importantly, it comes at a pocket-friendly price. Apart from being affordable, the RM850x also has an 80+ Gold certification, plenty of power slots, and a modular design for efficient cable management.
And with noise levels ranging between 25dB(A) and 30dB(A), the RM850x has a Cybenetics’ A- certification, adequate for distraction-free gaming sessions.
- Affordable price.
- Low noise levels help maintain an immersive gaming experience.
- The modular design makes it easy to manage internal cables.
- The efficient thermal design with a 135mm levitation fan dissipates heat.
- Bulky cables due to in-line capacitors.
3. Cooler Master MWE Gold 1050 V2 – High-Capacity PSU for NVIDIA RTX 4080
This Cooler Master PSU is a high-powered device that comes with an 80+ Gold certification that ensures 90% power efficiency. So, you enjoy extended gaming sessions without worrying about the huge power demands of your PC causing any wastage.
But its thermal design is its USP, and it has a 140mm fan bearing fan with minimal resistance that allows it to tolerate heat up to 50 degrees Celsius. Thus, providing you with a safe and stable environment for an interruption-free gaming experience.
- The 1050W power capacity is perfect for high-powered PCs.
- An excellent thermal design provides cooling and stability at 50 degrees Celsius.
- The Fluid Dynamin Fan bearing helps reduce fan noise.
- The modular design makes it easy to manage internal cables.
- The 5-year warranty is far below what similar products offer.
4. GAMEMAX 850W Power Supply – NVIDIA RTX 4080 PSU with RGB Lighting
The RGB lighting is an essential element of any gaming rig. It adds to the aesthetic of the PC, and most modern accessories allow you to sync RGB lighting to gameplay to provide an immersive gaming experience.
The GAMEMAX 850W PSU is one of the few power supplies on the market that incorporate RGB lighting. Further, it has ARGB Sync for your PC’s motherboard and is compatible with Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0, and MSI Mystic Light Sync.
The PSU is surprisingly light on the pocket and offers an excellent thermal design that keeps the inside cool using a 140mm fan.
- RGB lighting with compatible sync technologies with Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI components.
- Affordable
- Excellent thermal design with a low-noise fan.
- The 80+ Gold certification means you get over 90% power efficiency.
- The 5-year warranty is far below what similar products offer.
5. MSI MPG A1000G – Best Power Supply with PCIe 5.0
The 1000W of the MSI MPG A1000G is enough to support the NVIDIA RTX 40 Series GPU and other high-powered components you’ll attach. More importantly, it’s the PCIe 5.0 compliance that you’ll find most useful in future-proofing your gaming rig.
This modular PSU has all the power slots you need for the RTX 4080. You also get the 12VHPWR connector for the NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU, allowing you the freedom to choose the perfect GPU for your need.
The A1000G has an 80+ Gold certification and uses the much-coveted Japanese capacitors to ensure you get the highest power efficiency possible. Further, the A1000G can withstand power excursions up to twice its rated power. It also provides protection for GPUs against power excursions up to thrice their rating, making it safe and stable to use over peak loads.
- PCIe 5.0 compatibility helps future-proof your gaming PC.
- Japanese capacitors provide stability at high temperatures and peak loads.
- The modular design makes it easy to manage internal cables.
- It handles extreme power excursions with ease.
- Expensive
- No low-noise certification means you’ll hear fan noise while gaming.
6. Thermaltake Toughpower 850W GF3 – Quiet Power Supply for RTX 4080
The Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 is compliant with PCIe 5.0 and Intel’s ATX 3.0 standards, giving you all the future-proofing tech at a reasonable price. Of course, the low price is a direct function of the low capacity, but Thermaltake offers variants up to 1650W capacity for people looking for more power-packed PSUs.
The PSU packs all essential features like high-performance Japanese capacitors, a fluid bearing fan, an 80+ Gold certification, and a 12VHPWR connector. Thus, you get a state-of-the-art PSU that enables you to customize your gaming rig easily.
- The modular design makes it easy to manage internal cables.
- ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 compliance helps future-proof your power needs.
- Quiet at standard operational levels.
- Japanese capacitors provide stability at high temperatures and peak loads.
- Several capacity variants that suit your need.
- Efficiency could be better
7. be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 BN647 – 1500W PSU for NVIDIA RTX 4080
The BN647 is a high-capacity, high-efficiency PSU that you must consider if you want a fully loaded gaming PC complete with customized lighting and cooling solutions. It’s perfect for gamers who overclock their CPU and RAM modules to extract that extra juice from their high-performance rig.
With fully digital controls, efficient thermal design, and the use of Japanese capacitors, the BN647 is built for high efficiency. This is evident in its 80+ Titanium certification, which guarantees 94.9% efficiency at peak loads.
Of course, all of this power and efficiency doesn’t come cheap. But if you are building a high-end gaming PC and the cost is irrelevant, the BN647 is a powerful beast of a PSU.
- The 1500W power will support a fully loaded gaming PC.
- The 80+ Titanium certification ensures efficient power handling.
- Japanese capacitors provide stability at high temperatures and peak loads.
- The modular design makes it easy to manage internal cables.
- Expensive
- Bulky
8. NZXT C1000 PSU- 1000W 80+ Gold Certified PSU for the NVIDIA RTX 4080
The NZXT C1000 is a 1000W PSU that comes with an 80+ Gold certification but has a price in the range of most 850W PSUs that offer similar (if not the same) features.
You get a fully modular ATX PSU that is suitable for the NVIDIA RTX 40 and Radeon RX6000 series of GPUs. It is compact, so accommodating it in a cabinet is easy, making it convenient to manage the cables internally.
Additionally, the C1000 is silent and doesn’t create too much fan noise as it uses a 135mm PWN fan with fluid dynamic bearing. And the use of Japanese capacitors rated at 105 degrees Celsius ensure system stability and efficiency.
- The 1000W PSU supplies enough power for high-powered PCs.
- Japanese capacitors provide stability at high temperatures and peak loads.
- The modular design makes it easy to manage internal cables.
- The Zero Fan mode comes in handy to eliminate any fan noise at 50% load.
- The unconventional cable design needs to be more appealing.
Power Supplies to Buy for the NVIDIA RTX 4080 – Frequently Asked Questions
What is PCIe 5.0 Power Supply?
A PCIe 5.0 power supply provides 600W power output on a single power slot of the PSU. It uses a 16-pin connector to deliver power to most modern GPUs like the NVIDIA RTX 4090.
Why must I Use A PSU With a Higher Power Rating Than What I Require?
Your computer’s PSU powers critical components like the Motherboard, CPU, RAM, and GPU, among other things. Any power shortage to these components will result in an unstable system, making it critical to ensure enough power reaches these components when needed.
Further, overclocking these components increases power consumption. So, it becomes necessary to cater to the additional power needs.
How Do I Know What is the Right Wattage for My PC?
If you are new to building PCs and have limited (or no) experience, you could use a PSU wattage calculator. Several online tools allow you to state the exact configuration you plan to have and suggest an accurate wattage based on selection.
Do I Need to Upgrade My PSU To Use the RTX 4080?
That depends on two factors. Firstly, does your present PSU have four 8-pin PCIe slots to support the new GPU? Secondly, whether your PSU has adequate power to support the NVIDIA RTX 4080? The GPU requires 320W, so you must ensure your PSU can accommodate that and still have a little extra power left over for future needs. In most cases, you won’t need to upgrade the PSU if it has an 850W rating or above.
