NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition Review – GeForce RTX 4080 Ti Super with Blackwell genes

1 - Introduction and details of the Blackwell GB203-400-A1 GPU 2 - Test system and equipment 3 - Gaming: Full-HD 1920x1080 Pixels (Rasterization Only) 4 - Gaming: WQHD 2560x1440 Pixels (Rasterization Only) 5 - Gaming: Ultra-HD 3840x2160 Pixels (Rasterization Only) 6 - Gaming: WQHD 2560x1440 Pixels, Supersampling, RT & FG 7 - Gaming: Ultra-HD 3840x2160 Pixels, Supersampling, RT & FG 8 - DLSS4 and MFG: Cyberpunk 2077 in detail 9 - DLSS4 and MFG: Alan Wake 2 in detail 10 - PCIe Gen5 problems, power consumption and standards 11 - Load peaks and power supply recommendation 12 - Cooler, temperatures, thermography, noise development 13 - Summary and conclusion

Detailed view of gaming in Ultra HD

In Cyberpunk 2077, the graphics card requires peak performance of up to 330 watts at native resolution in UHD and extreme settings. These values are caused in particular by the enormous demands on the GPU’s computing power when high resolutions and maximum details are used without the support of AI-based scaling or efficiency technologies. Such peak loads require a reliable power supply, as although they do not demand the full power reserves of the 12V2X6 design, they still place high demands on the stability of the power supply units.

Measuring the power consumption and current levels at 20 ms intervals allows precise analysis of the energy flows and the load on the individual power supply lines of a graphics card. The short intervals ensure that even rapid changes in load dynamics can be recorded, such as sudden power peaks or transitions between different load states. This method makes it possible to draw a detailed picture of the card’s behavior under real operating conditions. This graph shows the power consumption, which is calculated as the product of the measured currents and the corresponding supply voltage. It illustrates how much electrical energy the graphics card consumes in real time. This graph is crucial to understand the overall level of power consumption as well as peaks that may occur during sudden loads. It provides a basis for assessing whether the card’s energy management is working effectively and whether the PCIe specifications are being adhered to.

The second graph, on the other hand, focuses on the pure currents that flow through the various power supply rails, for example through the PEG slot and the external connections such as 12V2X6. This diagram provides an insight into the distribution of loads between the individual power sources. This makes it possible to see how heavily the mainboard slot is used and to what extent external power connections take over the supply. Of particular interest here are sudden current peaks that can occur when the GPU needs more power for a short time, for example during complex ray tracing calculations or patch tracing scenarios.

The combination of both graphs provides a comprehensive view of the graphics card’s energy flows. While the power consumption provides an overall picture of the energy efficiency and stability, the analysis of the pure currents allows an evaluation of the load on the various supply channels. This information is crucial for identifying weak points in energy management and checking compliance with standards, particularly with regard to the load on the PEG slot and the distribution of loads across the external connections. Such data is not only important for developers, but also for enthusiasts who want to understand the behavior of their hardware in detail.

The next two graphs provide a high-resolution analysis of a single one of the previously considered 20 ms intervals, this time resolved in 10 µs steps. This level of detail allows a precise insight into the behavior of the power supply during short-term load changes, which in practice are triggered by sudden GPU requirements, for example during render spikes or frame changes. The first graph shows the power consumption during this extremely short period. It reveals the subtle fluctuations and peaks that are typical for the operation of modern high-performance graphics cards. Such peaks can be many times higher than the average value in the short term and place high demands on the response speed and stability of the power supply unit. We measure up to 900 watts here and get a little fright.

The second graph shows the current flowing through the power supply cables at these 10 µs intervals. The abrupt changes that occur with highly dynamic loads become particularly clear here. These fine details are crucial to understanding how short-term load changes are compensated for by the power supply architecture and what impact they can have on overall system stability. These measurements also clarify the meaning of the ATX 3.1 standard, in particular the requirement for 200% power reserve at load peaks in the range of 1 millisecond. As the graphics card has very high performance requirements in peak load situations, it is essential that the power supply unit not only remains stable in the short term, but also has sufficient reserves to absorb such fluctuations without causing voltage dips.

Load behavior in the torture test

Furmark is often used as an extreme load test for graphics cards, as it pushes the GPU to an atypically constant and maximum load that far exceeds what occurs in most real-world applications or games. The software uses intensive computation of graphics processes that fully utilizes both the GPU’s shader and memory controllers. This creates a thermal and electrical load that serves as a worst-case scenario to test the stability and performance of the graphics card and power supply. In this test, the power consumption of the card can even exceed the specified TDP of 360 watts and reach peaks of up to 500 watts. This is because the TDP of a graphics card describes the average thermal power dissipation under normal operating conditions, while Furmark generates a maximum and sustained load that pushes the limits of power consumption. Possible short-term load peaks are also included in these values.

The test is particularly relevant for checking the power supply components of the system, such as the power supply unit and the voltage converters, for their load capacity and efficiency. Since Furmark generates an almost unrealistically high load, it is not considered representative for everyday usage scenarios, but it is extremely useful for uncovering possible weak points in the hardware or cooling. The fact that the card reaches the 600 watt mark also shows how important it is that the power supply unit is sufficiently dimensioned, as it must not only cover the nominal TDP, but also offer sufficient reserves for such peak loads. Furmark thus serves as a kind of stress test, which ensures that the entire system remains stable even in extreme situations. In addition, the image of the flowing currents:

The high-resolution measurements during a Furmark test provide crucial insights into the behavior of the power supply and the power consumption of the graphics card in extreme situations. Furmark generates a constant thermal and electrical load through its continuous maximum utilization of the GPU, which can be analyzed with the highest precision in these measurements. Data recorded at intervals of just a few microseconds show how the power consumption and currents vary over time. Particularly noticeable are the short-term load peaks that become visible in the measurements and can significantly exceed the average power consumption. Such peaks are caused by rapid changes in the utilization of individual GPU components, such as shader arrays or memory controllers, which Furmark specifically stresses.

These measurements are particularly relevant in the context of the ATX 3.1 standard, which requires power supplies to be able to compensate for short-term peaks of up to 200% of the nominal load for a duration of up to 1 millisecond. The high-resolution data clearly shows that such peaks in Furmark are not just theoretical considerations, but actually occur and can sometimes even come critically close to the limits of the power supply designs.

Summary of the load peaks and a power supply recommendation

A power supply unit with a rated output of 1000 watts that meets the requirements of the ATX 3.1 standard is a suitable choice for reliably covering the power consumption values and load scenarios described. The maximum peak loads of the graphics card, which can reach up to 370 watts in extreme situations such as Furmark or very demanding games, make a high power reserve necessary. Together with the load of the rest of the system, such as the CPU, RAM and other components, this results in a requirement that can be up to around 530 watts in very short peak times.

A power supply unit with 850 watts not only offers sufficient scope in such scenarios, but also enables short-term load peaks to be absorbed, which are covered by the ATX 3.1 standard. This standard requires the ability to cope with short-term power requirements of up to 200% of the nominal load for a duration of up to one millisecond. The selected power supply can therefore also handle peak loads of up to 1700 watts without stability problems or voltage dips.

The dimensioning of 850 watts also ensures that the power supply works in an efficient load range in typical operating scenarios, ideally between 50 and 70 % of the rated power. This optimizes both the energy efficiency and the longevity of the power supply unit. 80 PLUS Platinum or Titanium certification also ensures high efficiency and low heat generation. Another advantage of this choice is that it is future-proof. By supporting modern standards such as the 12V2X6 power design, the power supply is equipped for current and future high-performance graphics cards. It offers sufficient capacity for future hardware upgrades without the need for replacement and ensures long-term stability and reliability even under demanding conditions.