Best PSU for RTX 5090

NVIDIA has officially announced the 50 Series of RTX GPUs, and as expected, they will require a lot of power to run. (575W for the 5090 as it turns out.) Luckily, the 5090, along with the rest of the 50-Series GPUs only needs a single 12v-2x6 cable.

That being said, it’s making more use of the 600W maximum this cable is capable of than we’ve seen a GPU manage before, so it’s still worth checking if your PSU is up to snuff. (Our PSU calculator has you covered there.) Let’s see what exactly the RTX 5090 needs.

• PCIe 5.0 x16 slot (For best performance)
• 1000W Power supply or greater.
• PSU with a native 12V-2x6 connection OR 4x 8-pin PCIe connectors and adapter.

Given that the 5090 is the new crown of NVIDIA’s lineup, the particularly indulgent 575W TGP is among the highest we’ve seen, though not high enough to cause a total panic. Luckily CORSAIR has a few options that can handle this absolute nugget with ease. Let’s take a look at them.

Yes, we know that the 5090’s power draw + a regular PC’s worth of components comes in way below 1500 Watts. However, given the 5090’s extreme price and power, it’s likely to become the centrepiece of totally overkill custom builds. Builds that require cases such as the 9000D, builds with dual watercooling loops, 20+ fans, multiple motherboards etc. That’s the stuff you’ll need a CORSAIR HX1500i for. Plus, it’s 80 PLUS Platinum and Cybenetics Platinum certified. And of course, it comes with the all important 12V-2x6 cable that the 5090 needs.

Those hungry for raw specs will be pleased to find the HX1500i Power Table and cable list below. Those who are un-hungry will still find the following useful.

Assuming that you’re planning a regular build in a mid or full-tower case, with a regular quantity of other components, a 1200W PSU will do fine here, and we’re continuing the theme of efficiency with the CORSAIR HX1200i. Here we see the same double platinum efficiency, but with less total capacity the price is significantly more accessible. Don’t worry though, it still ships with the cable you need for the 5090, or any GPU from the 40-series onwards.

As above, you'll find the HX1200i power table and cable listing below.

Yes, the other two options are fully modular, too, however, the RMx SHIFT lineup is always worth considering. In addition to the 80 PLUS and Cybenetics Gold certifications, Zero RPM mode, and 10 year warranty, it’s a SHIFT PSU.

This means that the cables connect on the side near the back of the motherboard tray, not the end opposite the power switch. This makes for easier building, cable management, and upgrading down the line.

Below you'll find the specs for the RM1200x SHIFT. The power yable is useful for nerds, and the cable configuration is useful for everyone.

For those keen on getting a 5090, or indeed any of the 50-Series GPUs, we've made a couple of handy images to clear up the widespread confusion about powering modern NVIDIA GPUs. The 12VHPWR / 12V-2x6 explanation is universal, but the cable diagram is just for CORSAIR PSUs.