I just got my hands on a free 3080, and I'm trying to figure out what's next. My current build has a 500W power supply, and I'm coming from a 1660 Super with a Ryzen 5 3600 CPU. I also received a couple of SSDs: a 1TB and a 500GB WD Blue SATA. Will I definitely need to upgrade my power supply for the 3080? Also, is my CPU going to hold me back performance-wise, and do I need a new cooler if I decide to upgrade it in the future? Can I still use the current cooler that came with my OMEN 30L, or does upgrading the CPU require a new cooler too?
2 Answers
You might want to consider basing a new build around the 3080. The 3600 will work, but you could get better performance with a 5000 series CPU. For the PSU, aim for something in the 800-1000W range, as the 3080 can draw quite a bit under load. It makes sense to swap everything and future-proof a bit if you have the budget for it!
Yes, you definitely need a better power supply for the 3080! The least power-hungry models can pull around 320W at maximum load, so aiming for at least a 750W PSU is recommended. As for your CPU, the Ryzen 5 3600 might bottleneck the 3080 in demanding games, but you don't have to upgrade it right away. If you do decide to upgrade later, you might also need to change your cooler depending on the new CPU's requirements.
That sounds manageable since upgrading the PSU is already a stretch for me. Should I stick to well-known PSU brands, or can I grab a cheap 850W one from Amazon?