I'm considering upgrading to a 5070TI while using my Corsair SF600 power supply, which is 80+ Gold rated and from 2016. My setup includes an R5 3600X, six case fans, 16GB of RAM, an SSD, and an HDD. Benchmarks show the 5070TI pulling around 250W with a max of 350W. Adding in the estimated ~125W for the CPU and other components, I anticipate a total draw of about 575W. The issue is that my PSU only has two PCIe outputs, so I'd need to use a splitter or get a version of the card that only requires 2x8 pin connections. While I'd love to buy a new PSU, I'm hoping to wait until I upgrade to AM5/6, so I'm wondering if my current PSU can handle the 5070TI without damage? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
Your setup should be fine with the 3600X, but if you were going for a higher-end CPU like the 5950X, I'd say no. Just make sure your PSU is ready for the extra demand before you upgrade. If you end up upgrading the PSU later, you should be fine and likely won’t damage the GPU unless you overload it consistently.
Nvidia actually recommends using a 750W power supply for the 5070TI. You could probably get it to run with the SF600, but I wouldn't advise it. Playing with power limits can lead to instability, especially under load. Also, how old is your PSU? That could impact performance too.
It's been powering my 1660 Super for around 4 years now. I figured it’s been under 50% usage most of that time, but I might need to consider a replacement soon.
I did a quick check, and some users have reported 400W transient spikes with the 5070TI. Generally, SFF PSUs don’t handle loads as well as standard-sized ones. The SF600 has an A rating on the PSU Tier List, but be aware that there were recalls on some units due to potential failures, so keep an eye on your specific model.
Good to know! If I do need to replace the PSU down the line, will I have to worry about any damage done to the GPU?