So, you've picked up a shiny new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. Congratulations. You're at the bleeding edge of gaming and graphics power. But before you start maxing every setting known to man, there's a power-related detail you absolutely need to know. It seems that how you power this beast can directly impact its performance. And not in a subtle way.
The 8-Pin Power Cable Conundrum
It's a pretty simple thing: power cables. But, as it seems from recent findings, skimping on them with the RTX 5090 may leave some serious performance on the table. Tech pros at ComputerBase put the RTX 5090 through its paces, testing it with both 3x 8-pin and the recommended 4x 8-pin power connectors. The results? A pretty clear performance hit when running with fewer cables.
"Supplying 100W less power than the optimal number results in a performance decrease of around 5% in rasterized tests." - ComputerBase Test Results
Yes, you read that right. Just by using one less 8-pin power cable, you could be losing around 5% of your GPU's potential in standard gaming scenarios. In the high-stakes world of enthusiast PC gaming, 5% is not exactly chump change.
Testing the Limits: 575W, 450W, and 400W TDP
The testers at ComputerBase didn't stop there, testing the RTX 5090 at various power targets: 575W with presumably 4x 8-pin, 450W, and even 400W with 3x 8-pin. And yes, while it surprisingly still functioned with only three connectors, the performance was noticeably worse. The RTX 5090 apparently refused to even boot on just two 8-pin connectors – so that 300W operation is off the table for sure.
Why 4x 8-Pin is the Sweet Spot
With 4x 8-pin connectors, you could be feeding this RTX 5090 with up to an insane 600W of power. And to those big ol' aftermarket cards like the ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090, which like to suckle on the proverbial power nipple, that's headroom the card needs to breathe. It's good that NVIDIA allows operation at 450W with 3x 8-pin, but it's a welcome safety net to ensure the card *works* if you're not fully cabled up. But let's be clear here: to unleash the full might of your RTX 5090, 4x 8-pin power is the way to go.
Echoes of the 12VHPWR Saga
This might sound familiar to those who still remember the saga of 12VHPWR connectors. Power delivery to high-end GPUs has become so hot that ensuring stable, sufficient power is more critical than ever. Especially with brand-new architectures like NVIDIA's Blackwell, hitting the market, one pays by being extra cautious and informed.
The Takeaway: Cable Up Correctly
The bottom line is very simple. With the RTX 5090, check your power cables. Running four 8-pin connectors down to feed that beast is the smallest step in making tangible differences in gaming and graphical performance. You don't want to leave any performance on the table due to a missing cable.
