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Nvidia’s RTX 4000 GPUs could demand a pricey power supply

New rumours suggest that Nvidia's RTX 4000 graphics cards could require up to 850W from gaming PC PSUs

A Corsair AX1500i power supply unit sits in front of a blurred pile of US dollars

Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4000 series could launch in September, which leaves enthusiasts some time to prepare their gaming PCs. If you are planning on revamping your rig ahead of the next-gen GPUs arrival, you might want to focus on your PSU, as cards like the RTX 4080, RTX 4080 Ti, and RTX 4090 could require up to 850W.

The information was shared by a reliable hardware leaker Greymon55, who claims the TGP (Total Graphics Power) range of Nvidia’s AD-102 Lovelace chip is 450W-650W-850W. Greymon55 says they’re not certain whether these ranges refer to three different GPU models or if they relate to a single card. If the power specifications hold true, you might need to upgrade to a pricey 1,500W PSU to accommodate future best graphics cards.

In response, the insider Kopite7kimi has labelled Greymon55’s TGP info as a rumour, but says they’ve heard similar whisperings in the past. This doesn’t necessarily mean the information is false, but it suggests the specs haven’t been confirmed by inside sources.

Of course, the fact PCIe 5.0 can deliver 600W via a single cable suggests that GPU power requirements will increase. In fact, previous leaks warn that Nvidia’s fabled RTX 3090 Ti is nightmarishly ravenous, as it gobbles up beefy 1000W PSUs for breakfast.

PC gaming is already an expensive endeavour, thanks to ongoing component shortages and the popularity of crypto mining. If RTX 4000 cards end up guzzling as much power as the rumour mill suggests, the financial implications could block even more enthusiasts from building and maintaining high-spec rigs.