I have an HP ProDesk 400 G5 with an i5-8500 and a proprietary 180W power supply that cannot be upgraded with a standard replacement. I'm considering adding an RTX 3050 Low Profile. From what I've read, the system's total draw may stay around 130–165W while gaming, but I'm concerned about brief power spikes causing shutdowns. Has anyone run a similar setup, and how reliable was it?
3 Answers
This setup should work in practice. Gaming power consumption for the whole system is commonly around 130–150W, leaving some headroom below the 180W rating. It is still fairly close to the limit, so the condition and quality of the original power supply matter.
I’d be cautious about running so close to the limit. A 400W or larger replacement would provide more safety margin, but the ProDesk uses a proprietary power supply, so compatible upgrades may be difficult to find. Make sure the specific RTX 3050 model is truly bus-powered and capped at 75W before buying.
The Low Profile RTX 3050 is limited to about 75W, unlike the full-size versions that can draw roughly 150W and often need an external power connector. That makes the low-profile card much more suitable for a 180W system.
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