I'm building a PC that needs to run for at least 3 hours of gaming on my power battery during outages. Right now, I've got a 65W CPU and a 175W GPU (RTX 2060 Super), and it fits my power needs. I've power limited the GPU to 70%, which only drops performance by 2%, way better than undervolting. But now that I've got a 4K monitor and want smoother frames, I need to know more about TDP limits on newer GPUs. I've noticed that many keep their minimum TDP at 70% or higher. For instance, the 5070 Ti has a minimum TDP of 83% (250W), while the 5080 is at 70% (also 250W). It seems like the 5080 is better for my needs, but 250W is still quite a lot. I'm looking for answers on a few things: 1) Why can't GPUs go below 70% TDP? 2) Why is the 5070 Ti's lowest TDP higher than the 5080? 3) Are there any tricks to reduce power usage beyond just limiting framerate and undervolting? I know about MSI Afterburner, but that slider seems to be the most effective method for power management.
1 Answer
How frequently are you dealing with power outages that last over 3 hours? Sounds like you might be in a place with unstable power.
- Some people manage power on boats or in vans where every watt counts, but for you, it seems more about peace of mind. It's tricky getting reliable info on power reliability when house shopping, though.
If you end up needing that extra power, maybe just get another battery, although I hear having multiple batteries can raise fire risks.
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