[SOLVED] Is a 550w gold psu good enough for a rtx 3070?

[Reiv_4]

Hi title says it all basically, just wondering if i could keep my Seasonic focus 550w 80+ gold psu when upgrading to a rtx 3070 gpu as i dont really want to spend more money on a psu if i can keep my current one, especially when splashing the cash on an rtx :c Thanks!

My current build is

Ryzen 3600
B450 F gaming motherboard
2x8GB TridentZ RAM
250GB Crucial SSD
1Tb Crucial SSD
Seasonic FOCUS GOLD 550w 80+ PSU

 

[jay32267]

I think it's a lot to expect that PSU to do...especially when NVidia is recommending 650 watts minimum.

I also wouldn't want the risk of potential problems due to using a weak supply for the application....which I think there is....

so I wouldn't use it and I get something that was appropriate.

 

[Archaic59]

Hi title says it all basically, just wondering if i could keep my Seasonic focus 550w 80+ gold psu when upgrading to a rtx 3070 gpu as i dont really want to spend more money on a psu if i can keep my current one, especially when splashing the cash on an rtx :c Thanks!

My current build is

Ryzen 3600
B450 F gaming motherboard
2x8GB TridentZ RAM
250GB Crucial SSD
1Tb Crucial SSD
Seasonic FOCUS GOLD 550w 80+ PSU

" i dont really want to spend more money on a psu if i can keep my current one, especially when splashing the cash on an rtx :c Thanks! "

This is the exact opposite of what you should be thinking. Consideration for the power supply comes before anything else, and the 550 will have to work pretty hard under full load which is not a great idea. If you get system instability and/or shutdowns don't be shocked.

 

[Reiv_4]

" i dont really want to spend more money on a psu if i can keep my current one, especially when splashing the cash on an rtx :c Thanks! "

This is the exact opposite of what you should be thinking. Consideration for the power supply comes before anything else, and the 550 will have to work pretty hard under full load which is not a great idea. If you get system instability and/or shutdowns don't be shocked.

ofc id spend more if it is a big problem, was just wondering if im able to save money by keeping my current one but if it means i do need to get a new one then i shall

 

[sizzling]

NVidia’s recommendation of 650w is based on using a 10900k if you read the small print and they do acknowledge you may be able to use less.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Graphics Card

The AI Revolution has Come to Gaming

www.nvidia.com

“2 - Requirement is made based on PC configured with an Intel Core i9-10900K processor. A lower power rating may work depending on system configuration.”

The 3600 uses less than 100w https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-5-3600-review,6287-3.html

The 10900k can peak between 200-250w https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-core-i9-10900k-cpu-review/2

So there is more than 100w saving in peak power requirements from just using the 3600.

The 3070 at stock takes <250w so let’s say 250w, add 80w for cpu and then 75w for the rest of the system and you have 405w peak. As you have a high quality 550w I doubt you will have any problem. I used a similar logic when calculating my own system which has a Gigabyte 3080 Gaming OC with a 3700x and 32GB RAM. I am using a Seasonic 650w Prime Ultra Platinum and have had zero issues. This setup has been running perfectly since September.

 

[Reiv_4]

I think it's a lot to expect that PSU to do...especially when NVidia is recommending 650 watts minimum.

I also wouldn't want the risk of potential problems due to using a weak supply for the application....which I think there is....

so I wouldn't use it and I get something that was appropriate.

what if the power supply is 600w gold? even though its missing the extra 50 should i still be concerned? and should i buy one with more wattage?

 

[jay32267]

what if the power supply is 600w gold? even though its missing the extra 50 should i still be concerned? and should i buy one with more wattage?

As was said up above the 650 watt recommendation is for the GPU used with a 10900k which I wasn't aware of....so you can get away with less than 650...and your 550 may do the job.
You could try it and see. If you have problems...then upgrade.

 

[Reiv_4]

NVidia’s recommendation of 650w is based on using a 10900k if you read the small print and they do acknowledge you may be able to use less.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Graphics Card

The AI Revolution has Come to Gaming

www.nvidia.com

“2 - Requirement is made based on PC configured with an Intel Core i9-10900K processor. A lower power rating may work depending on system configuration.”

The 3600 uses less than 100w https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-5-3600-review,6287-3.html

The 10900k can peak between 200-250w https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-core-i9-10900k-cpu-review/2

So there is more than 100w saving in peak power requirements from just using the 3600.

The 3070 at stock takes <250w so let’s say 250w, add 80w for cpu and then 75w for the rest of the system and you have 405w peak. As you have a high quality 550w I doubt you will have any problem. I used a similar logic when calculating my own system which has a Gigabyte 3080 Gaming OC with a 3700x and 32GB RAM. I am using a Seasonic 650w Prime Ultra Platinum and have had zero issues. This setup has been running perfectly since September.

Oh dang thank you for this information! if things do get problematic i shall upgrade my psu but for now i'll test it out with my 550w psu

 

[Reiv_4]

As was said up above the 650 watt recommendation is for the GPU used with a 10900k which I wasn't aware of....so you can get away with less than 650...and your 550 may do the job.
You could try it and see. If you have problems...then upgrade.

thank you! i'll test the 550w out first and then ye if i have problems i'll upgrade

 

[Jacozeelie]

If it was up to me, ill get a good 750w psu

 

[Bassman999]

3600 wont pull to much power if not overclocked.
But if you decide to upgrade CPU then it could change.
3070 draws 220watts from my reading at least.
Everything in your system will add up.
But video card and CPU alone around 300 watts.
I think it is doable, Seasonic is a good PSU brand and do rated power.
I would measure power draw at the wall to verify the PSU isnt getting overtaxed though.

 

[Bassman999]

If it was up to me, ill get a good 750w psu

Having headroom is nice

 

[Jacozeelie]

Always a good thing, and the psu might live longet

 

[sizzling]

Having headroom is nice

Agreed but by my calculations a 550w already has >30% headroom.

 

[Bassman999]

Agreed but by my calculations a 550w already has >30% headroom.

Agreed, and I meant in this case for future CPU upgrade.
I might not be typical user nut I upgraded from 3600 to 5900x.
I have a 600 watt psu and I feel safe unless I go to a top tier card