As NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 hit the market, many gamers are keenly interested in the performance and power delivery of the new RTX 50 series graphics cards, even if they haven't secured one yet. A recent test report from German tech outlet "ComputerBase" indicates that the RTX 5090 can operate normally with three 8-pin power connectors, though its power consumption will automatically be capped at 450W, rather than the previously anticipated 575W.
Typically, the RTX 5090 requires four 8-pin power connectors to achieve its maximum performance. However, test results reveal that when only three 8-pin connectors are used, the graphics card still boots and runs games normally, but its power draw is limited to 450W.
"ComputerBase" tested an ASUS ROG GeForce RTX 5090 Astral, confirming its stable operation with this power configuration. The outlet also plans to test a Zotac GeForce RTX 5090 Solid in the future.
Interestingly, despite the reduced power consumption, the performance impact was relatively limited. Tests showed that in rasterization game benchmarks, limiting the power draw to 450W resulted in only about a 5% average FPS drop compared to the 575W setting. This suggests that some users could reduce power consumption without significantly impacting their gaming experience.
Each standard 8-pin power connector provides 150W, meaning four 8-pin connectors can deliver up to 600W, while three provide 450W. Notably, NVIDIA appears to have accounted for scenarios where some gamers' power supplies might not offer enough 8-pin connectors, allowing the graphics card to automatically adapt to lower power configurations.
However, the RTX 5090 does not support two 8-pin power connectors, as this would only provide 300W, an insufficient amount for the card to operate. There are currently no test results available regarding whether the upcoming RTX 5080 will be able to run on two 8-pin connectors.
via： ComputerBase