Will an RTX 3080 Run on a 600W PSU with Only 2 PCIe 8-Pin Connectors?

serein · 2025-01-10T23:19:20+0000

Hello! I’ve found a great deal on a second-hand 3080, but my PSU is only 600W and has just 2 8-pin connectors. If we do the math, it looks like the system might barely manage to power everything, but one of the connectors will be unused. So, do you think the system will still boot and run fine? Or am I asking for trouble I’m guessing it might work like an involuntary undervolting situation due to the lack of power… and with my R5 3600, maybe the GPU bottleneck will be a blessing in disguise to help balance things out? Let me know what you think!

Btw GPU is Palit Gamerock.

Scattergrunt · 2025-01-10T23:40:43+0000

Not worth it. Upgrade PSU. If everything isnt connected it simply wont boot, if I'm understanding you correctly. If the deal is still good, I'd grab the 3080 anyway, keep it for a bit and then upgrade PSU after to finally use it. 3080 is still a mighty capable card; so its worth the trouble imo. (if the deal is really that good)

Ware · 2025-01-10T23:40:58+0000

Nvidia listed a 750 watt PSU for a 10900K system, but noted "A lower power rating may work depending on system configuration"
I would guess that it might "boot and run", and if it's an issue it will show itself under a load.
PSUs may lose some capacity over time, so YMMV.
If you're lucky your PSU will just get hot.
If it's an "involuntary undervolting situation" it wont be a good one.
It's not a blessing to balance things out by reducing performance.

dgianstefani · 2025-01-10T23:51:32+0000

The wattage is fine but the amount of connectors isn't. It won't work.

serein · 2025-01-10T23:54:53+0000

Well, I know it’s not an ideal choice, but could it work for a short period of time? I’ve thought of it this way: if an 8-pin provides 150W, we’d get 300W from two connectors, and I could think of it as lowering the power limit, essentially underclocking the TDP. Since the CPU would never be enough, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? After all, performance isn’t directly tied to TDP, right? Also, how bad would the bottleneck be? And considering my motherboard is PCIe 3.0, maybe that could help with the bottleneck a bit. Do you think it would make sense to upgrade to a 5700X or 5600X later, or should I just switch to AM5 completely? Not sure which one makes more sense, but getting a new B550 just for PCIe 4 support would probably be the worst option.

dirtyferret · 2025-01-10T23:56:10+0000

it will boot and it will spike past what the PSU can provide once you start gaming
600w are usually more budget orientated platforms compare to 650w units so I would have some caution with the PSU pushed even without the RTX 3080

Marcus L · 2025-01-10T23:58:37+0000

You could "in theory" use a splitter though I would recommend upgrading your PSU to one that at least has the 3x8pin connectors

serein · 2025-01-10T23:59:50+0000

Scattergrunt said:
Not worth it. Upgrade PSU. If everything isnt connected it simply wont boot, if I'm understanding you correctly. If the deal is still good, I'd grab the 3080 anyway, keep it for a bit and then upgrade PSU after to finally use it. 3080 is still a mighty capable card; so its worth the trouble imo. (if the deal is really that good)

I’m not sure about prices around there, but it’s hard to find new ones, and second-hand ones are about $395.

Processor	Ryzen 5 3600
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Cooling	ID-Cooling SE-234
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Video Card(s)	Gigabyte RX 6600 Eagle 8 GB
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Display(s)	ASUS TUF VG24VQ+VG27AQ3A
Case	BeQuiet! 500DX
Power Supply	HighPower 600W 80+ Gold
Software	Windows 11

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Processor	Ryzen 5 3600
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Cooling	ID-Cooling SE-234
Memory	Patriot Viper Steel Dual 16 GB (2X8) 3200 MHz
Video Card(s)	Gigabyte RX 6600 Eagle 8 GB
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Display(s)	ASUS TUF VG24VQ+VG27AQ3A
Case	BeQuiet! 500DX
Power Supply	HighPower 600W 80+ Gold
Software	Windows 11

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Will an RTX 3080 Run on a 600W PSU with Only 2 PCIe 8-Pin Connectors?

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