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Planning on building a computer but need some advice? This is the place to ask!

Planning on building a computer but need some advice? This is the place to ask! /c/buildapc is a community-driven place dedicated to custom PC assembly. Anyone is welcome to seek the input of our helpful community as they piece together their desktop.

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Will I need a new PSU for a GPU upgrade? (beehaw.org)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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So currently I’m running a 5800x and a regular 2060. I’ve got a 650w gold PSU that’s about 4 years old, no problems with it at all. I’m thinking about upgrading to a RX 7800 XT because GeForce prices are perpetually absurd. It seems like it would be enough power, but the few things I’ve read say that I need at least a 750w if I go with the AMD (because they’re power hungry?), but 650w would be fine for a 4070ti. If I have to buy a new PSU, I feel like it would wipe out any savings I might get by buying AMD over Nvidia. How can I definitively know if I need more power?

Full disclosure, I understand the concept of undervolting, but I’m not nearly confident enough to mess with the settings.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

What AiB are you getting? A board partner like Gigabyte or Asus have factory overclocked cards that are more power hungry than a reference 7800xt. And AMD already states 700w as a minimum recommendation. Nvidia also states 700w for the 4070ti. Same thing happens, board partner cards will draw more power.

I’d stick with 750w at minimum. Give yourself more overhead since psu’s are more efficient that way.

Either way, the current cards are power hungry. There’s no way around it without going for a lower tier card, but at that point I don’t think the gains are worth it. Maybe a regular 3070 if you can find one cheap enough.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

I was looking at MSI or Asus, but I’m not married to a brand.

I’ll just suck it up and buy a new PSU, and use the old parts for something else. The money isn’t a problem, so it would be dumb to melt something after spending that much on a gpu. Just considering trying to save a buck, but it sounds like it’s not worth it. Thanks for the advice!