I'm currently using an ASRock B550M Pro4 motherboard with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700G and have 64 GB of DDR4 RAM, which I sometimes expand to 128 GB. Right now, I have one RTX 3060 12 GB graphics card powered by a CV650 power supply. I'm wondering if I can install a second RTX 3060, or if I'd need to upgrade my power supply to do so. If an upgrade is necessary, I would appreciate any recommendations for a new power supply.
3 Answers
Just a heads up, the 3060's max power consumption is around 180W, so while technically some setups may work, you risk pushing your power supply too far. Also, check if your case can actually fit another GPU.
Good point! SLI may not be a thing anymore, but NVIDIA does have new ways to utilize multiple GPUs for specific tasks.
It's generally suggested to have a minimum of 550W for a single RTX 3060. Adding a second one is likely to push you below the recommended power levels, especially since the total power consumption could fall between 250W to 300W depending on your usage. A 650W power supply just might not cut it for a dual GPU setup, so I'd be cautious about trying it without an upgrade.
Also, don’t forget to consider other components drawing power. You might still face stability issues even at 650W.
True, but remember that the 3060 itself draws around 170W. The recommended power is also for the whole system, so when you consider power spikes, you're running pretty close to the limit. I'd suggest being careful.
Are you planning on using them for gaming? If so, keep in mind that SLI support is pretty much dead, so you might want to consider if adding another GPU is really worth it for your needs.
Yeah, and not all power supplies can handle dual GPUs just because they have enough connectors. Quality matters too.