You don’t have to change your computer gender for the Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti

Analytics: Nvidia is not going to force millions of users to change their power supplies.

In anticipation of the release of a new video card, one of which will be the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, given all the excitement and expectations, the network is always filled with ridiculous rumors. In fact, rumors are half the fun of tracking the hardware scene of the computing world, but now is not the time to alarm users with the need to spend extra money for no reason.

At the end of last week, we recorded a rumor that Nvidia would submit a new 12-pin PCIe cable for PCI-SIG approval, leading to an opinion that the new Nvidia Ampere series graphics cards will require a new connector. But that probably won’t happen.

Most users won’t have to worry about the extra cost of a new PSU, in addition to the substantial price tag of a new graphics card, which is good considering the raging pandemic.

(Image credit: Nvidia)

| A LITTLE ABOUT ELECTRICITY SHORTAGE

If you head to a retail store right now looking for a power supply for your PC, especially in the 850-1000W range, which is a common choice for flagship-grade graphics card users, you will see an unexpected shortage. Many models are simply out of stock, while others record unexpectedly rapid price increases.

Take the EVGA 850 G5, the power supply we use in our personal gaming system, for example. Technically, this power supply replaced the EVGA SuperNOVA GA, which today is practically unavailable from retailers, and if you find it, the cost will be $ 195 (12500r + VAT), while the RRP of the block is $ 149 (9700r + VAT). And if you haven’t guessed yet, SuperNOVA GA is definitely not available on EVGA’s own website. Not even on Amazon until July 31st.

And this is much more than just a quick look at power supplies on multiple digital networks. On most serious technical forums, many users complain that they cannot buy a power supply, or even replace a faulty power supply from the manufacturer.

Your guesses are as good as ours regarding this situation and the reasons for it. But the power supply market doesn’t seem to be ready to meet demand if everyone wants an upgrade.

(Image credit: Pexels)

| WHAT HAPPENED TO FOOD LONGEVITY?

Computer savvy users are thrilled to be upgrading to better processors and graphics cards when they come out – and we’re definitely out of that camp – but you just can’t imagine the wave of worry about switching to new power supplies. This is because, well, they serve for a very long time.

You can search on the net, the general advice for replacing the power supply is: “change when it dies”, and for users who assembled their computers only a couple of years ago, the need to change the power supply to get a new video card is quite difficult to accept – not to mention, it hurts the wallet and the environment.

We are ready to confirm the general approach to food replacement. We replaced the last power supply with the release of Nvidia Turing video cards, and it has been working since 2009 and there was not even a hint that it was going to fail. The ThermalTake PSU lasted a good 9 years, despite numerous graphics card upgrades – from AMD Radeon HD 5870 to Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 and everything in between.

However, all of this advice comes from forums and our personal experience. We haven’t done any number of rigorous testing, but this opinion should be enough to give you a general mood when it comes to replacing a PSU, as well as how long it will last.

(Image credit: Future)

| YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT

The Tom’s Hardware report, which was the first to reveal the 12-pin power connector that Nvidia submitted to the PCI-SIG for approval, should not be taken as endorsement of a new product or new standard.

However, let’s just assume that Nvidia did submit this connector for approval. According to Tom’s Hardware, rumors revolve around new Ampere graphics cards, which theoretically include the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. However, the problem is that Ampere is Nvidia’s next generation graphics architecture for heavy server systems and artificial intelligence, not a GeForce for the consumer. …

We’re talking GPUs that are far more powerful than the most expensive graphics cards available on the best gaming PCs and, as a result, need the extra power that comes with the new 12-pin PCIe connector. How do we see the situation? Nvidia is introducing a new power standard for commercial consumers, even the next generation of consumer graphics cards will probably not replicate the company’s commercial upgrades.

It was rumored that the next generation Nvidia flagship would draw up to 350W, and you might think it’s worth it. But this is unlikely – since this power consumption exceeds the needs of the Titan RTX. Even the AMD Radeon R9 Fury X – which AMD had to ship with liquid cooling – stalled at the 275W TDP mark.

Even if we got 350W with the RTX 3080 Ti – which turns out to be a marketing nightmare for Nvidia – a new connector would not be needed as its 648W PCIe potential. As Tom’s Hardware notes in its own investigation, the current configuration of the two 8-pin PCIe connectors provides 375W of power.

So, unless the new graphics cards are demanding crazy power, the launch of new graphics chips with a new power connector – even if it’s only Founders Edition graphics cards – will simply limit sales.

Another idea, however, is that the new power connector will be used in the aftermarket. Many OEMs are adding additional power connectors to accommodate higher clock speeds and, as a consequence, respond to increased power consumption.

In the end, no one knows what the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 will look like, how many power connectors there will be, or even what TDP the graphics card will have until Nvidia provides official data. And while we see tons of rumors eager to fill that gap, not everyone is credible – and the “12-pin power connector on the RTX 3080 Ti” is certainly something unlikely.