I recently bought a GTX 970 and want to make sure my current power supply can handle it. I'm using an MSI MAG A550BN, a 550W 80 Plus Bronze unit, along with an Intel Core i7-8700. Will the PSU provide enough power for the graphics card, processor, motherboard, RAM, and the rest of the system? Is there anything I should check before installing the card, such as the required PCIe power connector?
3 Answers
That combination is well within the capacity of a 550W Bronze PSU. I ran a GTX 970 on a similar-rated 550W unit without power issues, assuming the supply is working properly and is not severely degraded.
Yes, 550W should be enough for a GTX 970 paired with an i7-8700. The GTX 970 typically draws around 148W, and the rest of the system should still leave plenty of headroom with a decent 550W supply.
Before installing it, check that the power supply has the PCIe power cable required by your specific GTX 970 model. Many versions use one or two 6-pin connectors, while some use an 8-pin connector. Use the native cable from the PSU rather than relying on questionable adapters.
Good to know—does that power estimate already account for the motherboard, RAM, CPU, and other components?