Will GPUs eventually need their own wall outlet?

[flashn00b]

Thinking this is a question to ask because while the RTX 3070 Ti Founder Edition has a PSU requirement of 750W, some AIBs will go as high as 850. I won't be surprised if the 3080 Ti ends up hitting a 900 or 1000W requirement based on how power-hungry certain AIBs can get while I sit back and stay cozy with my AORUS 3070's 650W requirement (consistent with Founder's Edition)

With the newer releases from nVidia slowly requiring more and more power, could this mean that the RTX 40 series be a case of "You're plugging your GPU to the wall"? Because I feel like this is sorta what they mean when they say that they're selling the RTX 40 series alongside the RTX 30 series.

 

[Colif]

good time to swap them to enclosures with their own PSU

https://egpu.io/best-egpu-buyers-guide/ though i think a lot of these still run off internal power.

Your PC could be like component stereo systems, CPU could be an Intel NUC shaped thing with a GPU in another enclosure.

 

[Brian Boru]

Your PC could be like component stereo systems

I've seen some YT vids where they build the PC into a desk or cabinet, with the components spread out—I recall Linus did one sometime. I think it was more for curiosity and fun project rather than recommended build practice tho.

 

[flashn00b]

This thread aged like milk.

https://www.pcgamer.com/nvidia-rtx-4080-4090-leaks-point-to-extremely-power-hungry-cards/

 

[Colif]

The rate their prices are going, the only way I ever see a 4080 will be on that game where you repair PC. Or on YouTube but I don't see point in watching reviews of GPU I can't afford.

 

[flashn00b]

The rate their prices are going, the only way I ever see a 4080 will be on that game where you repair PC. Or on YouTube but I don't see point in watching reviews of GPU I can't afford.

And even if the prices were to go back to what they were in 2020 (scalpers excluded), there's an upper limit on how much power can be drawn from a US or Canadian wall outlet, and that upper limit is 1500W.

Take all the different things you'll plug into a surge protector and you're probably gonna hover around 1K even if you've a 700W power supply.

I fully expect the RTX 40 series to have their own power bricks similar to what laptops and home consoles have, so as to run independently from your computer's power supply

 

[Colif]

I fully expect the RTX 40 series to have their own power bricks similar to what laptops and home consoles have, so as to run independently from your computer's power supply

I had seen this coming really.

Its a good way to make sure you have a PSU powerful enough to run the GPU, as many people probably don't.
I only have a 750watt PSU myself so even if I could get one, I would still need a better PSU. I didn't buy a PSU with a 10 year warranty just to replace it a few years later... so I guess I don't really want one of these cards. At least lower power GPU will still exist for a while.

 

[ZedClampet]

And even if the prices were to go back to what they were in 2020 (scalpers excluded), there's an upper limit on how much power can be drawn from a US or Canadian wall outlet, and that upper limit is 1500W.

Take all the different things you'll plug into a surge protector and you're probably gonna hover around 1K even if you've a 700W power supply.

I fully expect the RTX 40 series to have their own power bricks similar to what laptops and home consoles have, so as to run independently from your computer's power supply

And gaming laptops are going to have to have a separate case just for the GPU, which will make transport a hassle.

What's crazy is they are using a smaller process which should have reduced power consumption. These are probably going to be a huge leap in performance. They better be, anyway.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

And gaming laptops are going to have to have a separate case just for the GPU, which will make transport a hassle.

What's crazy is they are using a smaller process which should have reduced power consumption. These are probably going to be a huge leap in performance. They better be, anyway.

Eh, every gen for the last 15 years they've reduced process size and used the extra power budget to increase performance up to around 250-300 watts on the top end cards. Both sides just suddenly decided to almost double that top end power use.

I guess the process shrinks have been reaching the limits of what can be done for a while now and they cant design in enough improvements in the architecures to keep the pace up anymore. Lifting power budget was the path of least resistance, they just had to make more effective coolers. All the extras like DLSS/FSR are probably another symptom of this, they've been forced to look in other directions to improve performance. No one will upgrade to a card that performs the same but uses much less power.