I'm thinking about upgrading my graphics card from an RTX 3070 Ti to either an RTX 5070 Ti or an RTX 5080. I've heard these new cards can be quite power-hungry and might even experience power spikes. My current setup has an 11-year-old Seagate Gold 850W PSU that still seems to work fine, but I'm not sure if I need a new power supply for these upgrades. Should I invest in a modern PSU? How do I deal with potential power spikes?
2 Answers
I'd lean towards getting a new PSU. Recent graphics cards are more likely to experience those power spikes, and older units just aren’t built to handle that as reliably anymore. Plus, most high-quality PSUs come with long warranties, so you’d be covered for years to come!
If your Seagate PSU is a decent quality model, it might still hold up, but it’s quite old. The new cards average around 300W and can spike close to 400W. It's definitely within your power supply’s range, but older PSUs might not respond to spikes as effectively as newer ones. So, consider upgrading for peace of mind, especially with how demanding newer cards can be.
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