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Looking for the best PSU for the RTX 3080? Then you have come to the right place. With Nvidia’s 4000 series now out for some time, the 30 Series cards are coming down in price, making them very attractive for those looking to upgrade from a 1000 or 2000 Series GPU.
So when it comes to the RTX 3080 you need a PSU capable of delivering enough Watts to power it. The TDP and power draw of the Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 is 350/320W (12/10GB model), and the Founders Edition recommends a system power of 750W. But custom AIBs will set their own level, with different overclocks or margins they can lift the wattage up to 850W even. As per popular opinion, we always recommend some headroom when choosing a powee supply. This means that when you come to future upgrades, you won’t need to replace the PSU.
The GPU and CPU are the biggest contributors to the Wattage, but it can be daunting when faced with a load of power supply units – especially when you also need to consider modularity, efficiency rating, and the connectors available. We update this article every month to ensure our top picks are relevant – and to make sure this article is as fresh as possible.
Best PSU for Nvidia RTX 3080
As the 30 Series is an older-gen GPU, you don’t yet need to worry about the 12-pin connector or ATX 3.0, like the best PSU for 4090 for your rig. So what should you consider? It really comes down to four choices. It’s worth noting that many of these units come with a warranty – with some offering up to a 10-year warranty.
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03Best Efficient PSU for RTX 3080
Best overall PSU for RTX 3080 – Corsair RM850x
Corsair RM850x
Dimensions
86 x 150 x 160
80 Plus Certification
Gold
Wattage
850W
Modularity
Full
- Corsair’s 12VHPWR solution
- Fully modular
- Pricey
Now in general, Corsair is the best choice of power supply when it comes to reliability and performance. In particular, the best overall PSU for RTX 3080 is the Corsair RM850X. Sitting in a more mid to premium price range it offers a good value for what it has to offer. Our team actually has one of these in their build, and it’s more than enough to power the current-gen 4080 card, so it’s fantastic if you’re looking to upgrade at some point in the future. Just be aware that you’ll need to make full use of all the PCIe slots and, if you’ve lost a cable – like they did – you’ll need to buy a replacement that’s compatible with the RTX 4080 octopus adaptor.
It has an 80+ Gold efficiency, a fairly standard point to improve its running cost, without going too high to increase its price of it. It also feature zero RPM fan modes, so no cooling is required for the low loads and even when it gets there, it offers quiet operation with the fan installed on it.
For the connector offering, you can find one EPS, ten SATA, one floppy, six PCIe, and one ATX connector. This gives you plenty of options for what to include in your build and
Best budget PSU for RTX 3080 – Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V2
Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V2
Dimensions
3.94 x 4.92 x 2.5in
80 Plus Certification
Gold
Wattage
850W
Modularity
Full
- Still gold efficiency for a lower price
- Full modularity
- Less reliable PSU manufacturer
If you’ve spent all your budget on the rest of the build, there is still an important part to consider. So there you might want the best budget PSU for your RTX 3080 instead. And for that there is the Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V2.
It still boasts a Gold efficiency but brings the 850W rating a tad bit lower in price. It still has full modularity as well so you’re not compromising your build experience and look of your final build.
For its cables, you get one 24 ATC connector, one EPS 4+4, one EPS 8 pin, twelve SATA, four peripheral, and four PCIe connectors. So you might have to double up some of the power cables to your GPU.
Best efficient PSU for RTX 3080 – Seasonic PRIME TX-1000
Seasonic PRIME TX-1000
Dimensions
170 x 150 x 86 mm
80 PLUS Certification
Titanium
Wattage
1000W
Modularity
Fully modular
- Titanium certification means running it is cheaper than other options
- 12 Year warranty means it will last you a while or can be replaced
- Very quiet operation
- High initial cost of purchase
On the other hand, if you still have some budget left, but want to save over time, you want the most efficient PSU instead. The Seasonic Prime TX-1000 is the one to go for, although you might have a bit of overhead with the 1000W rating, it does give you some upgrade path for your next GPU.
Where the Seasonic shines is with the Titanium 80 Plus rating. With this efficiency, it will be cheaper to run under load over time in the long run. It also comes with the great support of a 12-year warranty and so you can rely on getting help or replacements on it if anything happens.
Also with great sound design, it suggests a 20dBA sound level at full load and making sure it’s not too audible in the lower levels. For the cables on offer, you get a whole load of them. With one mobo, there CPU, eight PCIe, fourteen SATA, one MOLEX, and one 12VHPWR (12+4 pin).
Best 750W PSU for RTX 3080 – Evaga G5 750W
Evaga G5 750W
Dimensions
5.9 x 5.9 x 3.4in
80 Plus Certification
Gold
Wattage
750W
Modularity
Fully modular
Firt thing’s first. While we’ve included the EVGA SuperNOVA G5 Series on this list, we would really recommend investing in an 850W PSU. This is because, from experience, the Wattage required to GPUs is increasing. The 4000 Series requires hugely powerful PSUs and we don’t see that changing any time soon. However, if you are on a tight budget – at a little more than $120, the SuperNOVA G5 will certainly be an attractive option. At that price you’re getting 80 Plus Gold rated efficiency aand plenty of cable connectors – not that you’d need them for a RTX 3080. Elsewhere, there’s even a touch of premium, with a clever ECO switch to allow for silent running of the 135mm fan. It’s also NVIDIA SLI & AMD Crossfire Ready.
Best PSU for RTX 3080 – things to consider
Picking out the right power supply for your RTX 3080 is a tough choice, but not as much as for the best PSU for RTX 4080, so what should you consider? There are some factors that vary between the options and so we outline the more important ones.
Modularity and connectors
Now when building your PC, cable management is a thing to consider. If you care or not, modularity can change the struggle when putting in the power supply. Only plugging in the cables you need means fewer cables to manage and the modular PSU lets you minimize the impact. If you don’t have SATA drives and just NVMe you don’t need that extra connector for example and get rid of the clutter. And fully modular cables do let you add custom options for them to complete your gaming PC look.
Now the amount and type of connectors you get also might be a consideration. Such as for a high-end graphics card, you might need a lot of power. And the likes of the 3080 custom card or not need about 3 PCIe power cables, preferably on separate connectors to power them. Or any other different connectors will make it easier to add in those options. Although you will always have the standard motherboard or CPU connectors available but numbers may vary.
Reliability and efficiency
Although it might not be the first thing to pick, the power supply is a key part of your build. A high-quality one is needed so it doesn’t fail and take your other components with it. So looking at the more known brands are better to go for. Especially with the power spikes caused by these higher model cards.
Now if energy costs are high, running your gaming PC might be a consideration. That’s when the efficiency comes in. The conversion from AC from your wall to DC for your computer isn’t perfect so some is converted to heat. So an 80+ certification is standard to see. White or bronze are inefficient options whilst platinum and titanium are on the better end. But those higher efficiency picks come with a price premium for the pleasure.
Then make sure that the PSU has eco mode button or varying power modes. This means under low load it doesn’t spin up the fan and become louder than it should. This also makes it less cumbersome on power as well.
Form factor
Now you might be considering a small form factor build. These need all the space they can to fit all the parts in, and a modular power supply might not be enough. So there are different sizes such as an SFX is much smaller, but also comes at a higher cost for the extra design of them.
Final word
So if you’ve decided you don’t need the best PSU for 4070 Ti or 4070 but instead going to the previous gen, there are plenty of options to go for. With minimum power requirements of 750W, you can shop around with that. But if you’re looking for a fully modular design or going for budget there is something to choose for your build.
What PSU is recommended for RTX 3080?
The Nvidia RTX 3080 requires a 750W power supply, but we would always recommend some headroom. With that in mind, opt for at least an 800W PSU.
Is 750W PSU is enough for a RTX 3080?
Yes, the Nvidia RTX 3080 can run fine with a 750W PSU.
