3 Best Power Supplies for GTX 1080 Ti (2022)
Jacob Tuwiner
- Top 3 Power Supplies for 1080 Ti Graphics Card
- Powering a GTX 1080 Ti Crypto Mining Rig
- Power Supplies: How to Make The Right Choice
- Types of Power Supplies
- Power Supply Wattage
- Efficiency Rating
Top 3 Power Supplies for 1080 Ti Graphics Card
| Power Supply | Image | Type | See Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corsair RM650x |
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| Raidmax Scorpio 535W |
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| Seasonic S12II |
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Your power supply can make or break your PC.
Grab a power supply with a wattage that’s too low?
You might overdraw power and kill your new power supply, if not your other components as well.
Buy a power supply with too much wattage?
You’ll needlessly spend extra dollars that you could be allocating towards other aspects of your computer.
If you want the best power supply for the GTX 1080 Ti, we recommend the Corsair RM650x. It has plenty of power, it’s fully modular, and its 80+ Gold certification makes it incredibly power efficient.
Wattage
650
Rating
Gold
Modular
Fully
Color
Black
SATA
9
Noise
Quiet
If you’ve decided to opt for a fully-modular power supply for whatever reason, it’s hard to go wrong with Corsair’s RMx series of PSUs.
The RM650x 650W PSU provides enough power for most, if not all, 1080 Ti-based systems.
If that’s not the case for you, however, feel free to opt for the RM750x or RM850x if you really think you need it.
650 watts is most plenty for any system – even with a 1080 Ti – and can be overkill at times.
At least you’ll have a bit of overclocking headroom and won’t have to worry about it dying anytime soon, and hey those cable braids are pretty sexy to boot.
Read Reviews on Amazon
Wattage
535
Rating
Bronze
Modular
Semi
Color
Blue
SATA
5
Noise
Quiet
Swooping in for our best semi-modular spot is actually a PSU that flies pretty low under the radar, the Raidmax Scorpio 535W.
I’ve actually had the chance to get hands-on experience with the Scorpio being that it was my main power supply for almost 2 years, and I still use it to this day for component testing.
Let me tell you, this thing can take a beating.
Not only does this bad boy sport a whole 535W (enough for most systems), the sheer amount of times this thing has been dropped or had things dropped on it is staggering, and it’s still chugging on.
That doesn’t mean go throw it down the stairs though.
Please don’t do that…
Read Reviews on Amazon
Wattage
430
Rating
Bronze
Modular
Non
Color
Grey
SATA
6
Noise
Average
Going for a budget build and don’t need the extra baggage? The Seasonic S12II 450 80+ Bronze comes to the rescue!
Coming in at only $45USD (that’s 10 watts per dollar!) the Seasonic S12II offers almost unrivaled reliability at a compelling price point, and 430 watts is enough for any budget or even mid-range build.
The 80+ Bronze efficiency rating may not be the greatest of all but you’ve got to cut some corners somewhere, and they sure don’t cut the corner of quality.
Seasonic is so confident in the quality of this power supply that it includes a whole 5 year warranty! Geez.
But here’s the thing:
If you’re buying a power supply for a GTX 1080 Ti, don’t buy a non-modular model.
A 1080 Ti is a top tier graphics card, one that’s meant to be paired with a top-tier power supply like one of the two mentioned above.
That being said, you don’t need a modular power supply, so it’s really up to you.
But if I was building a gaming PC with a 1080 Ti, I’d be going fully modular and 80+ Gold certified all the way!
Read Reviews on Amazon
Powering a GTX 1080 Ti Crypto Mining Rig
In some cases, you may be looking to use your 1080 Ti for cryptocurrency mining instead and don’t worry we’ve got you covered with the EVGA Supernova 1600 T2.
The quality of your power supply when crypto mining is absolutely detrimental to success.
Just think about how fast you’ll lose money if your PSU dies, for example.
So you need something you can rely on and the Supernova T2 series doesn’t disappoint.
At 1600 watts with a mouthwatering 80+ Titanium rating, the 1600 T2 provides plenty of power for your rig and considering the 1080 Ti can hit a power draw upwards of 200 watts you’re gonna need it if you’re running a sizeable rig.
If you are running a smaller rig we suggest opting for the 1000 T2 or the 850 T2 since they provide the same great reliability as the 1600 without the extra wattage or cost.
Power Supplies: How to Make The Right Choice
Choosing the right power supply can be tricky – luckily, this video is here to help:
Types of Power Supplies
There are three different types of power supplies:
- Non-modular
- Semi-modular
- Fully modular
Each type has a varying degree of customization in the sense that they have interchangeable cables, and the names pretty much speak for themselves.
Non-Modular
A non-modular power supply is generally the cheapest out of the three types because of its lack of customizability.
Non-modular power supplies come with all of their cables attached to the power supply box unable to be removed, unlike the other two types.
This, of course, means that whatever cables are there is all you have to work with.
One of the other downsides to non-modular power supplies is that since it comes with the cables pre-attached, any extra unused cables are kinda just stuck there and you’ve got to find a way to get them out of the way for cable management.
Also, many non-modular power supplies don’t come equipped with enough PCIe power cables to power higher-end graphics cards.
A good situation to pick a non-modular power supply would be for a lower budget build, or if you know for sure you have the right cables.
Luckily, most good and cheap non-modular power supplies fall under the 80+ Bronze efficiency rating which we’ll talk about later.
Semi-Modular
Semi-modular power supplies are like the best of both worlds when it comes to power supplies, they include the main cables that every motherboard and (almost) every graphics card needs.
This includes the 24-pin ATX power connector for the motherboard, the 4+4-pin CPU power connector, and a 6+2-pin PCIe power connector.
The modular portion comes in with the optional included cables.
Semi-modular power supplies tend to have 3 optional peripheral slots and a second PCIe power connector slot in case your graphics card needs more than 8-pin power.
These optional slots can be fitted out with SATA power connectors for HDD and SSD power, or Molex connectors for various power use cases.
Semi-modular power supplies are what we recommend for any build since they’re often cheaper than their fully modular counterparts as you go up the efficiency ladder, while still offering just as much ease of use and reduced cable hassle.
Fully-Modular
Finally, we reach the fully-modular power supply options.
Fully-modular power supplies are for the user that absolutely needs maximum possible customization because with a fully-modular power supply, you can remove every cable from the power supply as you wish.
Unfortunately, this does mean that the extra engineering that goes into these power supplies can be explicitly seen in the cost as fully-modular power supplies cost a helluva lot more than the other two types.
This does come with one added benefit, however, in that the cost also reflects their reliability.
We wrote an awesome guide abou whether or not you need a modular power supply, which you can read by clicking here.
Power Supply Wattage
A power supply’s wattage is fairly self-explanatory.
Whatever wattage your PSU is rated for, is the maximum power output it can sustain, so don’t go pairing a 250W PSU with a system drawing 300W.
Don’t go thinking you can pair a 400W power supply with a system drawing 400W though, because any fluctuation that might put that power draw above your PSU’s limit can fatally damage your components.
Efficiency Rating
The efficiency rating of a power supply is just what the name implies; a rating on how power efficient a power supply is.
In short, the higher the efficiency rating on your PSU, the more electricity makes it from the wall to your computer as opposed to being lost to heat or other outlets.
For a more in-depth look, check out this article we wrote that’s all about power supply efficiency ratings.
Choosing the Best PSU for Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GPU
Learn about what to look for when choosing a power supply for Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GPU.
In this article, I’ll go over the things you should consider when choosing a power supply for your computer with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics card.
Check out my Recommended Power Supplies for GTX 1080 Ti GPUs below.
Best 750–1650 Watt PSU
Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 Series 80+ Gold Full Modular ATX 3.0 PCIe Gen 5 Power Supply
Check Price on Amazon
Amazon Affiliate Link
Best 450–750 Watt PSU
Corsair SF Series 80+ Platinum Fully Modular Power Supply
Check Price on Amazon
Amazon Affiliate Link
How to Choose a Power Supply for the GTX 1080 Ti GPU
The main job of a power supply is to convert the alternating current (AC) from your wall outlet into the direct current (DC) needed by the components inside your computer.
Power Output
An important factor when buying a PSU is the supported wattage.
You can estimate your power needs by using the following chart.
| Component | Peak Power Usage |
|---|---|
| GTX 1080 Ti GPU | 250 W |
| Top-Tier CPU (e.g., Intel Core i9 13900K) | 253 W |
| Mid-Tier CPU (e.g., Intel Core i5 13600K) | 181 W |
| Motherboard | 80 W |
| Optical Drive | 30 W |
| 3.5″ Hard Drive | 9 W |
| M.2 or 2.5″ SSD | 9 W |
| 140 mm Case/CPU Fan | 6 W |
| 120 mm Case/CPU Fan | 6 W |
| 80 mm Case/CPU Fan | 3 W |
By adding up these numbers, you can estimate peak power usage. Check out the top-tier and mid-tier example builds below.
It’s generally a good idea to add a 100–150 W buffer to your expected usage. This buffer will give you some flexibility in case of miscalculations and will allow you to add more drives, fans, or add-in cards in the future.
In most cases, buying a little more wattage than you need is a safer choice for ensuring system stability.
Don’t forget to account for the additional power required for overclocking if you intend to overclock your CPU or GPU. Overclocking could require roughly an extra 50–100 W, depending on how much you overclock these devices.
Check another Nvidia GPU:
GeForce RTX 4090 GeForce RTX 4080 GeForce RTX 3090 Ti GeForce RTX 3090 GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GeForce RTX 3080 GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GeForce RTX 3070 GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GeForce RTX 3060 GeForce RTX 3050 TITAN RTX GeForce RTX 2080 Ti GeForce RTX 2080 Super GeForce RTX 2080 GeForce RTX 2070 Super GeForce RTX 2070 GeForce RTX 2060 Super GeForce RTX 2060 GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GeForce GTX 1660 Super GeForce GTX 1650 Super GeForce GTX 1650 TITAN X Pascal TITAN Xp GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GeForce GTX 1080 GeForce GTX 1070 Ti GeForce GTX 1070 GeForce GTX 1060 GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GeForce GTX 1050 GeForce GT 1030 GeForce GTX TITAN X GeForce GTX 980 Ti GeForce GTX 980 GeForce GTX 970 GeForce GTX 960 GeForce GTX 950 GeForce GTX TITAN Z GeForce GTX TITAN Black GeForce GTX TITAN GeForce GTX 780 Ti GeForce GTX 780 GeForce GTX 770 GeForce GTX 760 Ti GeForce GTX 760 GeForce GTX 760 192-bit GeForce GTX 750 Ti GeForce GTX 750
Top-Tier Estimate:
| Top-Tier Components | Peak Power Consumption |
|---|---|
| GTX 1080 Ti GPU | 250 watts |
Top-Tier CPU (e. g., Intel Core i9 13900K) |
253 watts |
| Motherboard | 80 watts |
| 4 M.2 or 2.5″ SSDs | 36 watts |
| 3 Case Fans (120 mm) | 18 watts |
| 2 CPU Fans (120 mm) | 12 watts |
| Total Estimate: | 649 watts |
| Recommended Power Supply Wattage: | 800 watts |
Check the latest price of the 750–1650 watt Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 ATX 3.0 Power Supply on Amazon (affiliate link).
Check out my Recommended Power Supplies for GTX 1080 Ti GPUs below.
Featured 1000 Watt PSUs ›
Amazon Affiliate Links
Corsair RMX Series (2021), RM1000x, 1000 Watt, Gold, Fully Modular Power Supply,Black
Check Price on Amazon
ASUS ROG STRIX 1000W Gold PSU, Power Supply (ROG heatsinks, Axial-tech fan design, dual ball fan bearings, 0dB technology, 80 PLUS Gold Certification, fully modular cables, 10-year warranty)
Check Price on Amazon
Mid-Tier Estimate:
| Mid-Tier Components | Peak Power Consumption |
|---|---|
| GTX 1080 Ti GPU | 250 watts |
Mid-Tier CPU (e. g., Intel Core i5 13600K) |
181 watts |
| Motherboard | 80 watts |
| 2 M.2 or 2.5″ SSDs | 18 watts |
| 2 Case Fans (120 mm) | 12 watts |
| 2 CPU Fans (120 mm) | 12 watts |
| Total Estimate: | 553 watts |
| Recommended Power Supply Wattage: | 700 watts |
Check the latest price of the 450–750 watt Corsair SF Power Supplies on Amazon (affiliate link).
Check out my Recommended Power Supplies for GTX 1080 Ti GPUs below.
Featured 750 Watt PSUs ›
Amazon Affiliate Links
Corsair RMX Series (2021), RM750x, 750 Watt, Gold, Fully Modular Power Supply
Check Price on Amazon
ASUS ROG Strix 750 Fully Modular 80 Plus Gold 750W ATX Power Supply with 0dB Axial Tech Fan and 10 Year Warranty
Check Price on Amazon
Power Efficiency
PSUs with higher efficiency ratings use less energy and produce less heat, improving their reliability and reducing noise.
The 80 PLUS certification program for power supplies helps to promote energy efficiency by indicating its efficiency rating.
Higher efficiency power supplies may have a higher upfront cost. However, they could potentially save you money on electricity in the long run.
Lower wattage PSUs will be more power-efficient even when idle. For this reason, you may be able to save more on electricity by getting the correct wattage of PSU than by getting the one with the best 80 PLUS rating.
| Certification Level | 10% Load | 20% Load | 50% Load | 100% Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 Plus | 80% | 80% | 80% | |
| 80 Plus Bronze | 82% | 85% | 82% | |
| 80 Plus Silver | 85% | 88% | 85% | |
| 80 Plus Gold | 87% | 90% | 87% | |
| 80 Plus Platinum | 90% | 92% | 89% | |
| 80 Plus Titanium | 90% | 92% | 94% | 90% |
Cables
Connectors
Make sure your PSU has the correct connectors to support the hardware in your system.
Cheaper PSUs may cut costs on connectors and cables by offering fewer options and shorter lengths.
Check with your motherboard and graphics card documentation to determine which connector types are needed. Buy a popular, recently-released PSU; it will likely have the necessary connectors for a new PC build. However, if you use old components or an old power supply, you may find some incompatibilities.
Here are some common connector types that power supplies support:
- 24-pin connector for the motherboard
- 4/8-pin connector for the CPU
- 6/8/16-pin connectors for graphics cards
- SATA Power connector for each SATA HDD or SDD storage device
The latest graphics cards and ATX 3.0 PSUs support a new 16-pin PCIe 5.0 connector that replaces multiple 8-pin connectors.
Modular Cables
Typical power supplies come with various cables to connect your components. However, extra unused power cables can work against you by interrupting airflow.
In comparison, modular and semi-modular power supplies allow for attaching only the cables you need. As the name implies, semi-modular power supplies have some wires soldered on, while you can optionally connect others.
Cable Lengths
Most power supplies will have cables long enough to support mid-sized towers comfortably. If you have a full-size tower, you may want to check reviews and documentation to ensure that the cables are long enough to allow good cable management.
Power Supply Form Factors
Various form factors are available for power supplies. However, a standard-size desktop PC build will use an ATX power supply.
Small form factor PSUs allow for usage in many computer case shapes, including mini-PCs.
Power Supply Features
Overvoltage protection and short circuit protection can help to save your components in the case of a surge or accident.
LED lighting is another feature you might consider, depending on your PC goals.
Choosing a Cost-Effective Power Supply for the GTX 1080 Ti
Perhaps you live in a dorm or a family member’s house and don’t pay the power bill. Or maybe you don’t expect the computer to have heavy daily usage. In those cases, the lower upfront cost of a less efficient PSU may be the better choice.
On the other hand, if you care more about the electric bill or the environment and plan to maintain higher CPU or GPU usage, then a more efficient PSU may be better.
Don’t go too far over 150 W above your expected power needs. Rightsizing your power supply will keep electricity costs to a minimum, as higher wattage PSUs will consume some additional power, even when idle.
Recommended 750-1650 Watt ATX 3.0 PSU
- The Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 ATX 3.0 Power Supply on Amazon (affiliate link) is our recommended 750-1650 watt ATX 3.0 PSU.
- GOLD 80 PLUS efficiency ratings.
- ATX 3.0 standard for supporting newer graphics cards.
- Fully modular cabling allows you to optimize airflow and minimize clutter.
- Ultra quiet design.
- 10-year warranty.
- This series of power supplies comes in power outputs including 750, 850, 1000, 1200, 1350 and 1650 watts.
Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 Series 80+ Gold Full Modular ATX 3.0 PCIe Gen 5 Power Supply
Check Price on Amazon
Amazon Affiliate Link
Recommended 450–750 Watt PSU
- The Corsair SF Series Power Supply on Amazon (affiliate link) is our recommended 450–750 watt PSU.
- Platinum 80 PLUS efficiency ratings.
- Fully modular cabling allows you to optimize airflow and minimize clutter.
- Near silent during low usage.
- 7-year warranty.
- This series of power supplies comes in power outputs including 450, 600, and 750 watts.
Corsair SF Series 80+ Platinum Fully Modular Power Supply
Check Price on Amazon
Amazon Affiliate Link
Other Considerations When Building a PC
Want to brush up on other new technologies to consider when building a computer? Check out these articles:
- Cases:
- How to Choose the Best PC Case
- CPUs:
- Best CPUs for Gaming
- Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 5.
0? - Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 4.0?
- LGA 1700 CPU List
- LGA 1200 CPU List
- Look up an Intel or AMD CPU on TechReviewer for related recommendations:
- CPU Coolers:
- What is the Best Type of CPU cooler for a Gaming PC?
- How to Choose a CPU Cooler for Your PC
- Best LGA 1700 CPU Cooler for Intel’s 12th Gen Core Processors
- Best AM4 CPU Cooler for AMD Processors
- Storage:
- Can an SSD Improve PC Gaming Performance? and Does an SSD Increase FPS for PC Gaming?
- Storage Type Comparison: M.2, U.2, NVMe, SATA, SSDs, HDDs
- Memory:
- How to Choose the Best RAM for Your PC
- How Much RAM Do You Need for Gaming? and Is 32 GB of RAM Worth It for Gaming?
- DDR4 vs. DDR5? Which You Should Buy
- Is DDR5 Worth It? The Benefits of DDR5 and What Is DDR5?
- Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support DDR5?
- PCI-Express:
- Is PCIe 5.
- Is PCIe 5.
