Is 1200w enough for 4090?
The quick answer: Yes, a quality 1200W power supply is more than enough for a stock-clocked RTX 4090 graphics card. It leaves ample overhead for overclocking and future upgrades too. But you can get by just fine with a high quality 850-1000W unit as well.
As an avid PC gamer and hardware tinkerer with a custom loop-cooled 4090 in my personal rig, I‘ve spent lots of hands-on time pushing this beast of a GPU to its limits. And I‘ll say this – the rumors are true, the 4090 can drink some serious juice when you really put the hammer down!
Stock RTX 4090 Power Consumption Stats
First, let‘s establish some baseline power consumption figures for reference.
| 4090 Idle Power Draw | 30-35W |
| 4090 Gaming Power Draw | 450-490W |
| 4090 OC Max Power Draw | 600W+ |
So while the RTX 4090 has an official total board power rating (TBP) of 450W, Its gaming power draw often exceeds this in real-world usage based on my testing. And when overclocked, you can easily add another 100-150W+ on top of that!
The Impact of Power Draw on PSU Needs
The two key factors that determine how beefy a power supply you need are:
- The 4090‘s max power draw
- The other components in your PC
Luckily, modern CPUs and other parts sip power compared to flagship graphics cards. But things add up quickly.
As an example, here‘s a theoretical high-end 4090 gaming rig:
- RTX 4090: Up to 490W gaming power draw
- Intel Core i9-13900K: Up to 280W at full load
- 32GB DDR5 RAM: Around 10-15W
- M.2 SSDs, fans, other peripherals: 50W
Total System Power Draw: Up to 825W
This doesn‘t include any overclocking – which can easily tack on another 100W+ for both the CPU and GPU!
Is 1200W Overkill for a 4090 Gaming Rig?
Based on these ballpark figures, an 850W power supply should comfortably support a stock-clocked RTX 4090 build without issue. However, 1200W gives you much more breathing room:
- Handles transient power spikes that can trip lesser PSUs
- Allows you to max out overlcocking headroom on both GPU & CPU
- Gives plenty of clean stable power for sensitive components
- Leaves ample space for adding more drives, fans, etc
- Future-proofs your system for next-gen upgrades
The downside? It‘s significantly pricier than smaller wattage options. Though paying a bit extra for a high-quality, high-capacity unit that will last through multiple builds is worth considering.
The Best PSUs to Pair With RTX 4090
When choosing a PSU, don‘t skimp on quality to save $20-30. I‘d recommend sticking to 80+ Gold or better rated, fully modular units from top brands like Corsair, EVGA, SeaSonic and CoolerMaster.
My personal favorites are:
- Corsair HX1200 – whisper quiet + ultra reliable
- EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P+ – awesome value for performance
- SeaSonic PRIME TX-1600 – insane 1600W capacity
Avoid generic no-name brands advertising 1000W+ for suspiciously cheap. Quality matters a LOT for stable power delivery to expensive components like a 4090.
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