[SOLVED] ATX 3: Will it Work With Older GPUs?

[LinuxDevice]

I have some NVIDIA GPUs, each one with a pair of 8-pin connectors (16-pin total on each video card, two in SLI). My old power supply has died, it was a 1600 W platinum, which might or might not have a warranty on it. I need to get something fast that has 4x of the 8-pin PCIe connectors. I don't have a 4090, I don't have anything with the new ATX 3 standard as a requirement. However, I'm wondering, should I be getting a supply to try to handle future upgrades, would a supply such as the THOR Titanium (or any ATX 3) supply come with cables (they are modular) which work with older 8-pin GPUs? I can do without this, but as long as I'm having to buy something I didn't want to spend money on, and it is going to cost more than I can afford anyway, why not get something which won't be outdated the moment I get it? Advice on using 8-pin (2 per card) GPUs with ATX 3 supplies?

 

[Darkbreeze]

The few ATX 3.0 power supplies that there are so far are kind of ridiculously priced AND they honestly don't offer you anything you can't get from a good previous gen spec power supply and an adapter. So no matter what you buy, it's not going to be "outdated". Any existing power supply of sufficient quality and capacity can be used with the cards that require the newer plug.

Do you actually NEED a 1600w unit, or intend to get one? Or do you just want what you need because even a 4090 doesn't need that.

What is the model of the cards you have now?

 

[LinuxDevice]

The few ATX 3.0 power supplies that there are so far are kind of ridiculously priced AND they honestly don't offer you anything you can't get from a good previous gen spec power supply and an adapter. So no matter what you buy, it's not going to be "outdated". Any existing power supply of sufficient quality and capacity can be used with the cards that require the newer plug.

Do you actually NEED a 1600w unit, or intend to get one? Or do you just want what you need because even a 4090 doesn't need that.

What is the model of the cards you have now?

I probably don't need 1600w, but what I have is:
Super Flower Leadex Platinum 1600W 80+ Platinum

The reason this is so high is because it is what NVIDIA uses with some of their scientific computing workstations with Xeon processors and "room for several GPUs" (this has a pair of Titan RTX). It was actually a gift, and quite a bit better than my older aging system (which I'm using now). I'll probably get a replacement from the original builder (I think it is in warranty), but there is no way I want to wait for so long. I believe you are correct about the newer ATX 3 not providing anything useful, thank you for the advice.

 

[Darkbreeze]

So how much are you willing to spend on a new PSU?

Honestly I don't think you need a 1600w unit because there is no combination of two cards, whether SLI or Crossfire, that requires a 1600w power supply. And since SLI and Crossfire are essentially and for the most part, literally, dead, even less so. The highest PSU requirement that I am aware of as a recommendation is a good quality 1200w unit for a high clocked RTX 4090 and that still gives you some overhead.