The RTX 5090 is set to topple the 4090 for the crown of GPU king, and we couldn’t be more excited. When it comes to the RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090, there’s a significant difference in TDP. The 5090 comes in at 575W – much more than the RTX 4090’s 450W TDP, meaning that you may need to upgrade your PSU to get the most out of the new card.
With the RTX 5090 set for release this month, we’ve gone ahead and selected some of our best reviewed PSUs that we think will work well with it, based on the card’s specs. We also plan on updating this selection, should we discover anything more in our RTX 5090 review, so stay tuned.
You’ll see that the PSUs we’ve recommended here are all from Corsair. The reason for this is that out of the PSUs we’ve reviewed, we found that these three were the best value for wattage, with other options coming in with higher price tags, but essentially delivering the same thing. If budget is no option, we’d recommend checking out our other PSU reviews, which include brands such as Thermaltake, Seasonic, and more.
Let’s dive in.
Best PSUs for RTX 5090
- Best PSU for RTX 5090
Corsair HX1000i
- Wattage: 1000W
- Form Factor: ATX (180mm length)
- Rating: 80+ Platinum, Cybenetics Platinum
- Design: Fully modular + iCUE link
- Best runner-up PSU for RTX 5090
Corsair RM1000X Shift
- Wattage: 1000W
- Form Factor : ATX
- Rating: 80 Plus Gold, Cybenetics Gold
- Design: Fully modular, side connectors
- Best mid-range PSU for RTX 5090
Corsair RM750x
- Wattage: 750W
- Form Factor: ATX
- Rating: 80 PLUS Gold, Cybenetics Gold
- Design: Fully Modular
How we picked
It isn’t surprising that PSUs don’t get the limelight that CPUs or GPUs get because they lack the bells and whistles or simply the “wow” factor. That said, a PSU is the most important component in any build as it ensures that every component gets the necessary power and saves them in case of a surge.
So, considering its purpose, we consider each PSU’s efficiency, fan size, capacitors, form factor, and modularity, test them in-house, and present you with a list of contenders. If you’re interested in learning how we test our CPUs, GPUs, routers, and printers, check out our PC Guide Testing Lab, where we explain the process in detail. Besides that, we’ve also explained how we test and review products to provide the utmost clarity to our readers.
Our top picks
- Wattage: 1000W
- Form Factor: ATX (180mm length)
- Rating: 80+ Platinum, Cybenetics Platinum
- Design: Fully modular + iCUE link
- Top-tier efficiency for great long-term costs especially with 10 year warranty
- Limits standard PCIe to just two cables, and leaves extra SATA ports
- Top quality build and FDB fan that is virtually silent
- Very expensive compared to base choices of 1000W Platinum PSUs
- A longer ATX PSU than standard choices
- Rapid flashing LED on back but will be hidden away so seems unnecessary
Looking at the RTX 5090’s power requirements, we recommend using the Corsair HX1000i. It meets the 1000W requirement and also has excellent efficiency and performance.
This is an ATX power supply unit, which is the standard. It has an 80+ and Cybenetic Platinum rating, which, according to Corsair, means that at 100% load, it is 89% efficient, at 50% load, 92% efficient, and 90% efficient at 20% load.
Besides that, it supports ATX 3.0, comes with a 12VHPWR connector, and is fully modular, meaning you can make the required connections and keep the others free, which results in easier cable management and less clutter. It also has a 140mm FDB (fluid dynamic bearing) fan, which has a long life due to less wear and tear on the bearings. Combined with the Zero RPM mode, which kicks in where there isn’t much load, you shouldn’t be experiencing any issues with its fan.
A great aspect of this PSU is that it is PCIe 5 compliant. Previously, this wasn’t required as there were no PCIe 5.0 GPUs, but that changes with the RTX 50-series lineup. So, you can easily use it with the RTX 5090 without any compatibility or power issues.
The Corsair HX1000i is an overall impressive power supply, with the power behind it and a long 10-year warranty making it a desirable long-term solution. Especially with the Platinum ratings it has ensured your system running costs are limited as well.
PC Guide
Regarding its performance, we paired the RTX 3090 and Ryzen 9 7950X together, which totals 520W. We then ran Furmark 2 for the CPU and GPU to put them under the most amount of stress. In that scenario, the power draw was 706W, and the efficiency peaked at 93.93%, but hovered around 90% during lower loads.
While the combined TDP of the two components is lower than the 575W of the RTX 5090, even if you pair it with the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, which has a 170W TDP, you’ll still have a 255W overhead, which should be more than enough for the rest of the components.
Overall, this is an excellent power supply unit with high-grade Japanese capacitors and top-notch built-in safety features. So, it should be able to handle RTX 5090 just fine and deliver a stable and efficient power supply.
What users say
According to Amazon reviews, it has excellent performance and efficiency. The Zero RPM mode results in super quiet operation, and being fully modular means easy cable management. One reviewer said, “The Corsair 1000w power supply is a high-performance, fully modular power supply that stands out for its reliability and ultra-low noise operation. The compatibility with ATX 3 and PICE 5 makes it future-proof. I assembled an i9-14900kf PC along with a 4090 video card for a computer needed to do 3D rendering.”
- Wattage: 1000W
- Form Factor : ATX
- Rating: 80 Plus Gold, Cybenetics Gold
- Design: Fully modular, side connectors
- Looking for a long-lasting power supply for many years
- Need 1000W for your build including the top-end hardwar
- Want quiet and efficient performance
- If your recommended power is below 1KW
- Looking for a better efficiency
- After a more cost-effective model
Since the RTX 5090 has an angular connection, if you’re looking for a PSU that offers a different way to make the connections, check out the RM1000x Shift. This power has a 1000W capacity but has all the connections to the side rather than the opposite of the main power connection.
This makes it much easier to make the required connections, as you can see them, instead of reaching around and having to move the other wires out of the way. In addition, it performed excellently in our RM1000x Shift review, which is great as you need a highly efficient PSU to pair with the RTX 5090.
This power supply unit has an 80+ and Cybenetics Gold rating, meaning that at 100% load, it is 87% efficient, and 90% efficient at 50% load. This is only a 2% difference from a Platinum-rated PSU and shouldn’t make much of a difference, as it is still very highly efficient.
This is also a PCIe 5 PSU, which is great because you won’t run into compatibility issues. It comes with a 16-pin power connector. Its fully modular nature is also a great aspect, as it reduces clutter, and fewer wires mean better airflow for the PSU.
An innovative yet simple change, the RM1000X Shift makes building, upgrading, and managing those pesky cables. With a great load of power and strong efficiency, it provides a great choice for your next build, as long as you’re willing to pay the premium for it.
PC Guide
The RTX 5090 is a huge card; to house it, you’ll most likely already have a large PC card, but just to be sure, this ATX PSU measures 180mm, and we suggest getting a casing with a 210mm wide PSU compartment.
As for its performance, Cybernetics has its noise output as “A,” meaning it ranges between 20 dB(A) to 25 dB(A), which is generally believed to be quieter than a whisper. At 115V, it has an average efficiency of 88.494% and a noise output of 23.62 dB(A). On the other hand, operating at 230V increased its efficiency to 90.176%, and the noise output reduced slightly to 23.59 dB(A).
Overall, this power supply unit is no joke as it has everything you’ll need to handle the gaming beast, RTX 5090. We generally recommend products looking at future upgrades as well, but there is no GPU to upgrade to after the RTX 5090. However, it should still be a viable option even after a couple of years as more powerful GPUs are released.
What users say
According to Amazon reviews, this PSU is easy to install and has excellent durability, functionality, and build quality. One reviewer said: “It works great — feeds 3 PCIE plugs straight into my GPU. Thanks to the plugs being on the side of the PSU I have room for another fan where the cables would have come out from any other power supply.”
- Wattage: 850W
- Form Factor: SFX-L
- Rating: 80 Plus Gold, Cybenetics Platinum
- Design: Fully modular
- It weighs around 2.5 pounds or 1.1kg
- It has 100% Japanese 105°C-rated capacitors
- It has a 90%+ efficiency
- The fan noise is higher than in other models
- Minor rails have high OCP values
1000W PSUs and above can get expensive unless you’re buying them on sale, so if you’re looking for an option that can get the job without burning a hold in your pocket, we recommend the Corsair SF850L.
In our SF850L review, we rated this PSU 4.5/5. It has excellent features like ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5 connectivity and outstanding efficiency. This unit has an 80+ Gold and Cybenetic Platinum rating. That being said, the main attraction is its SFX-L form factor, which makes it smaller than an ATX PSU.
It measures 125 x 63.5 x 130mm, so it doesn’t take up much space and is perfect for smaller PC cases and builds. However, what makes it an excellent PSU is that despite being smaller in size, it doesn’t cost more than the ATX counterparts and does a good job keeping the internal components cool. This is a concern for small products, as the components are cramped and don’t have enough space to adequately dissipate the heat.
It has a 120mm FDB fan, and to keep it cool, it has to run at a high RPM, which generates relatively more noise than other options. According to Cybenetics, it has a noise certification of Standard+, meaning it ranges from 35 dB(A) to 40 dB(A).
The Corsair SF850L doesn’t drop much even as a small factor choice. Keeping costs similar to those of ATX supplies means you’re not paying over the top for it. Along with that, you get many years out of it, with a 7-year warranty but also with an ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5 native connection, you can get many years out of it.
PC Guide
Regarding its performance, we’ll take the Cybenetics testing as a reference. At 115V, it had an average efficiency of 90.577% and 36.09 dB(A). At 230V, the efficiency bumped up to 92.333% while the noise decreased to 35.92 dB(A). So, the noise output is exactly at the level that Standard+ dictates, and so is the efficiency.
So, it takes less space, doesn’t cost more, and delivers an excellent, stable, and efficient output, which should be enough for the RTX 5090. The only aspect you’ll need to be careful of is not to go overboard with overclocking.
The 5090’s base TDP is 575W, and if you were to overlock the CPU, such as the Ryzen 9 9950X, which has a 170TDP, it might go over 745W, nearing the 850W limit. However, it does feature overvoltage, Overpower, Overcurrent, and other protection protocols that’ll keep it and your components safe.
What users say
According to Amazon reviews, this power supply unit has great performance and quality. One reviewer said: “I have this PSU for around 3-4 months now. I can say it is the beast. The quality and the cable selection is good. The best part is, even in the tiny ITX case with, Ryzen 7700X, 96 GB ddr5, 3 x NVME Drives, 5 Sata SSD’s and 1 Sata 2.5″ 7K2 disk + Nvidia RTX 2080Ti, PSU fan is not even turning fir the all idle and most of the workloads.”
How to pick the best PSU for the RTX 5090
Before you settle on any one power supply, there are a couple of factors that you need to consider. Keeping those in mind should help you narrow down your list of options and select a PSU with a good performance-to-value ratio that is the perfect fit for you. We’ve listed some of the factors below.
Power requirements
The most important factor you need to consider is the RTX 5090’s power requirements. This flagship, power-hungry GPU is rated for a 1000W PSU as it alone has a 575W TDP. So, without even factoring in overclocking, you’ll need a minimum 1000W PSU. While you could also get away with 950W, more is merrier in this case, and you need as much overhead as you can get for the CPU and other components.
Efficiency
Power supply units have different efficiency levels and have two main standards: 80 PLUS and Cybernetics.
- 80 Plus
- 80 Plus Bronze
- 80 Plus Silver
- 80 Plus Gold
- 80 Plus Platinum
- 80 Plus Titanium
- Cybernetics Bronze
- Cybernetics Silver
- Cybernetics Gold
- Cybernetics Platinum
- Cybernetics Titanium
- Cybernetics Diamond
The efficiency of the PSU increases the higher up you go, meaning a Diamond class power supply unit will have much better efficiency than a silver or bronze PSU as there’ll be less power lost in transition, which also means a lower impact on the electricity bills in the long run.
