How to choose power supply for RTX 4090 / RTX 4080

How to choose power supply for RTX 4090 / RTX 4080.Anyone who has built a computer knows how important it is to choose the right power supply unit (PSU). If you get this part wrong, your computer could have power supply problems, problems updating it if necessary, etc. But with these font recommendations you can never go wrong. MSI has quality sources that meet all the necessary features for this new generation of Nvidia RTX 4000 graphics cards: RTX 4090 , RTX 4080.

There are many things to consider when shopping for a power supply for your desktop, laptop, or server computer. You need to make sure that your new power supply can handle the current load and is compliant with all relevant industry standards. This article covers everything there is to know about power supplies.

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Index of contents

• What is ATX 3.0? How does it benefit us?
• Characteristics that the power supply must have
  • Energy efficiency and charge level
  • What certificates can a power supply have?
  • Power
  • Basic connectors and PCIe 5.0 connector
  • rails
  • protections
  • Modular and semi-modular sources
  • Noise
  • PFC
    • TOTAL POWER  vs  PEAK POWER
  • japanese capacitors
• Software Intelligence
• Which Nvidia RTX 4000 graphics card do I buy from MSI?
  • MSI RTX 4090 X Suprim 24G
  • MSI RTX 4090 SUPREME Liquid X
• For new generation graphics… Do I need 750w 850w 1000w or 1300w?
  • MSI MPG Series
    • MPG-A750G
    • MSI MPG-A850G
    • MSI MPG-A1000G
  • MSI MEG Series
    • MSI ME Ai1000P
    • MSI ME Ai1300P
  • The importance of choosing quality components
    • Final conclusion

 What is ATX 3.0? How does it benefit us?

The ATX 3.0 standard recently arrived , a new form factor introduced by Intel and which it had been working on for some time since the ATX 2.0 was launched in 2003. Now these new specifications arrive and they do so accompanied by the ATX12VO 2.0.

The main novelty of the ATX 3.0 is the 12VHPWR connector for the PCI Express 5.0 standard, as we will see later, and which is used to power the most powerful graphics cards. This connector will support deliveries of up to 600W of power to satisfy the new graphics cards in case they continue to scale their consumption.

On the other hand, the previous 8-pin PCIe connector has also been changed to an 8+4-pin one, that is, 12-pin in total .

Characteristics that the power supply must have

Among the features and considerations that you should take into account when choosing the best MSI power supply are:

Energy efficiency and charge level

There will always be a percentage of energy that is lost as heat when converting AC electricity to DC. An inefficient power supply will require more electrical power to run than a more efficient one, which translates into higher electricity costs . The energy efficiency of a power supply is measured by the amount of energy that is lost as heat. A more efficient power supply consumes less electrical energy, which translates into lower electricity costs.

It’s always a good idea to get a power supply that accommodates proper load levels and is therefore highly energy efficient . It is also convenient to choose a more powerful power supply than what we really need, so that it works more comfortably and allows us to expand our hardware if we need it.

What certificates can a power supply have?

Having previously examined the process of converting alternating current to direct current, we now examine the process of converting direct current to alternating current. We can see from this certificate that the proportion of direct current coming out of the source is around 80% , while the remaining 20% ​​is wasted as heat.

There are 6 levels of 80 PLUS efficiency . All of them are based on the degree of efficiency greater than 80%:

• Basis: Between 80% and 82%.
• Bronze or Bronze: Between 83% and 85%.
• Silver: Between 85% and 88%.
• Gold or Gold: Between 88% and 92%.
• Platinum or Platinum: Between 92% and 94%.
• Titanium or Titanium: The highest 80 PLUS rating. These usually work above 95% efficiency.

However, this does not mean that the device will consume less energy than the chosen specification. For example, if a power supply draws 750 watts of current (assuming it’s running at 100% load), it might have about 600 of which will be useful, but it wouldn’t draw less than that in any case, no matter how efficient it is. 80 Plus certification.

Power

Knowing how much power we have is vital to ensure that all components of the system we build receive adequate power. We are concerned with the +12V rail, as it is the one that will support our system. When we talk about 12V and different power values, it is essential to make sure that our system is adequately powered. Voltage is comparable to the pressure of water in a pipe, and amperage is comparable to the volume of water flowing through the pipe per second at each point on the pipe. The electrical power of a circuit is measured in watts, which has the symbol W, and is calculated by multiplying the voltage and the amperage.

It is likely that you have already realized that the components of our computer need a minimum of energy to function. Therefore, we must find a source of energy that meets our needs .

Basic connectors and PCIe 5.0 connector

Connector that brings the serial graphics card

PSU cable quality is infinitely better

Each power supply must provide the necessary cables to power each of our devices , since these are standardized to work with practically any motherboard or device present. The biggest differences in quality and safety will be found in the cables and connectors.

• 20+4-pin ATX connector: This is the main connector on the motherboard and the one that powers most of the components connected to the board, as well as the motherboard itself.
• 4+4 pin ATX 12V connector: it is connected to the motherboard for extra power and has 2 4-pin connectors (4+4 pin).
• 8-pin EPS 12V connector: similar to the previous one but with 8 pins all together.
• SATA Connector– Used to power newer SATA hard drives and other SATA drives.
• MOLEX: it is an old acquaintance, since it is used to feed old hard drives and IDE or PATA drives.
• Floppy connector: in disuse, for the floppy drive.
• PCIe 4.0 connector: it is a connector that is usually 6+2 pins, that is, an 8-pin with a maximum of 75W of extra power to feed the graphics cards that require it.
  The PCIe 6+2 connectors have a different shape than the ATX 12V connectors to avoid accidents due to a wrong connection.
• PCIe 5.0 connector: This is a PCIe connector integrated into the new ATX 3.0 and can feed up to 600W of power to the highest-end graphics cards. This connector has 16 pins, that is, a 12 + 4.

rails

The voltages are transmitted through the rails of the source . Each source of electricity has its own independent circuit and performs a specific function. When we examine the specifications of any power supply, we will find voltage and power distributed in categories such as “+3.3V”, “+5V”, “+12V” and “12V”. Although it is convenient to take everything into account, the 12V channel will be the source of electricity (among others) for the CPU and the GPU of our computer.

Even if you have a great graphics card or processor, you’ll need at least 18A on the +12V rail to power them properly. Our power supply must provide at least 18A on the +12V rail, and must be considered an essential minimum. As a safe and reasonable amount, 24A is acceptable on the +12V rail if you have a demanding graphics card.

If you want to build an SLI or CrossFire setup with more than one graphics card, you should set the 12V rail to about 34A. The number of 12V channels available can be another issue to take into account because while some sources only have one 12V channel, there are others that have two or even four independent 12V channels. When you add the values, they are not always the same.

protections

Voltage fluctuations, transients, short circuits, and other problems can occur in areas with frequent voltage changes. If you live in a rural area or have had a lot of appliance problems in a short period of time, this section may be of interest to you. Voltage variations, transients, short circuits and other problems are usually protected by power supplies. The more expensive the power supply, the better the protection.

Many people turn to UPSs and other devices to protect themselves from voltage variations, transients, and short circuits, but keep in mind that high-quality power supplies have extensive defenses against these problems. It is often cheaper to buy a high-end power supply than to try alternative methods. And it is that these high-end sources include passive and active protection technologies to protect your components from these problems:

• Power Good or PWR_OKor signal to check that the supply is OK
• OCP(Over-Current Protection) or Overcurrent Protection
• OVP(Over Voltage Protection) or Overvoltage Protection
• UVP(Under Voltage Protection) or Protection against Low Voltage
• OPP(Over Power Protection) or Overload Protection
• OTP(Over Temperature Protection) or High Temperature Protection
• SCP(Short Circuit Protection) or Short Circuit Protection
• SIP( Surges & Inrush Protection ) or interruption current.
• NLO(No-Load Operation) or low-load operation
• BOP(Brown Out Protection) or protection against momentary voltage failures.

Modular and semi-modular sources

Non-modular power supplies consist of cables that are permanently attached and soldered inside the power supply. When we build our PCs, some of the cables get loose and need to be placed somewhere so they won’t get in the way, even if sometimes annoying or unsightly. Actually, it has no effect on the performance or security of our computer.

A semi-modular power supply is a great option if you want to save space or have a little extra money to spend. Cables that we don’t fully use, such as SATA, Molex, etc., are supplied separately and can be connected to one side of the power supply and then to the device. Essential cables, such as those for the motherboard and processor, remain connected to the power supply in this case as well.

However, fully modular power supplies offer separate cables that can be connected and disconnected at will. If we consider a typical desktop computer, the distinction between a semi-modular and fully modular power supply is negligible, since we will always need certain cables to power the fundamental components. A fully modular power supply, on the other hand, can be ideal for ordered or particular needs.

Noise

For low-end power supplies, the orientation and size of the fans are important, as is their noise levels when forced to run at high speeds. In addition, the ventilation of the fountain and the box that we use must be compatible. Some modern cases include a lower part where the power supply sits to hide the lines and keep everything tidy, but this design sometimes results in a tidier cooling and interior of the case, allowing air to flow freely.

PFC

The “ Power Factor Corrected ”, or PFC, is a power corrector. Nowadays any moderately decent source already has Active PFC, which is what allows practically all the power to be useful power. On the other hand, we have passive PFC, we would drop to 75-85% power efficiency, which means that a source will deliver much less power than it puts out.

TOTAL POWER  vs  PEAK POWER

Some power supplies provide two values ​​of Total Power or Continuous Power , which represent the maximum stable power that our device can obtain. Peak power refers to the amount of power a power supply can deliver for a short period of time on demand, while continuous power represents constant power consumption (some power supplies only deliver one value, which is assumed to be constant power). We should ignore peak power and concentrate on continuous power (some power supplies provide two values ​​for total power, with continuous power being the larger of the two).

For example , if a power supply says it can provide 800W peak, we can only use 750W constantly. Actually, that’s just a marketing ploy or “maximum power” specification. We should avoid a power supply with “full power” in its specifications if possible, as it does not guarantee or insure our components against low voltage or loss of power.

japanese capacitors

To improve the reliability of power supplies, MSI has been using 100% Japanese capacitors in theirs, which are the most solid and quality. They present quite good stability, even at temperatures of 105ºC.

This means that there is an exceptionally long warranty , always providing reliability and confidence to the user.

Other important data to have in power supplies:

• Compact size, to be compatible with the chassis. This is very important, especially with sources of more than 1000w.
• modular cables

Software Intelligence

If we connect the cable that brings these new power supplies. It will allow us to keep an exhaustive control of our power supply. That last! We quickly tell you what we can do with this application:

• Analyze consumption telemetry in real time from MSI Center on Windows. It provides graphs of CPU and GPU consumption in real time, TTL, output voltage on all 3 rails, fan RPM and temperature. In addition, in the main panel we have interesting measures such as  efficiency in real time , hours of activity and total consumption in real time.
• Single rail or dual rail 12V operation can be modifiedvia the main panel, depending on the expected load on the source and the interfaces used.
• Manually manage the RPM profile of the fan, which by default will be in semi-passive mode, activating with a load above 55% or when the temperature exceeds 70ºC.

Which Nvidia RTX 4000 graphics card do I buy from MSI?

MSI offers one of the best portfolio for NVIDIA RTX 4000 graphics cards on the market. Among them we have outstanding models. We tell you what we have analyzed

MSI RTX 4090 X Suprim 24G

The MSI RTX 4090 X Suprim 24G is one of our favorite models and no wonder. A gigantic heatsink, with brutal quality, extra performance and super cool. At maximum power for several hours at 100% it does not exceed 67 ºC. We recommend that you see our analysis! It’s super detailed!

MSI RTX 4090 SUPREME Liquid X

Unlike the regular SUPRIM, this one features an AIO liquid cooling system that fits into any chassis that supports a 240mm aluminum radiator . We like this refrigeration system a lot, because we expel it directly out of the box, avoiding heating the rest of the components. This helps us, its TORX 5.0 fans that offer excellent cooling and air flow. A card! You can see his analysis here .

These power supplies are 100% compatible with the new generations of NVIDIA and MSI.

For new generation graphics… Do I need 750w 850w 1000w or 1300w?

Yes, although in some with 850W it already works, it is important to have enough power for two objectives. On the one hand, you have to have enough power for the new high-end and latest generation graphics cards, for which they will be the ideal companion. On the other hand, it is important that you have power to spare, in case you need to expand the configuration in the near future and thus not have to change your power supply.

For these reasons, we recommend some of the best power supplies for the highest-end equipment, such as:

MSI MPG Series

It is a state-of-the-art power supply with support for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series. Fully modular, with flat cables, 80 Plus Gold certified, and Japanese capacitors, as well as Active PFC, and OVP, OCP, OPP, OTP, SCP, and UVP technologies. We leave you the review of the complete MPG sources . Do not miss it!

MPG-A750G

SALES

MSI MPG A750GF – Gaming Power Supply (Compatible with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series, Certified 80 Plus Gold 750W, Continuous Power with 140mm FDB Fan, ATX)

• Compatible with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30/20 Series and AMD GPUs – The IO supports of the MPG power supply are prepared for all requirements, they can support different and versatile ways of connection according to the design of the power connector of the different graphics cards
• 80 PLUS Gold Certification – The efficiency of your power supply directly influences system performance and power consumption; this certification promises lower energy consumption and higher efficiency
• 100% Japanese 105°C Capacitors In order to maintain product quality and performance stability, MPG gaming power supply is equipped with 100% Japanese 105°C capacitors and solid capacitors.
• The fully modular design of the MPG gaming power supply makes it easy to use only the connectors required for mounting, significantly reducing cable clutter and simplifying overall system assembly.
• The MPG’s flat power supply cables make cable management easy and save you headaches; thanks to the flat cables, the whole system can be more organized and more space is created for unobstructed airflow