Corsair announces its PSUs 'fully support the highly-anticipated next generation of graphics cards', showing how close we might be to the RTX 50-series line
A good PSU is such an important part of putting together a new gaming rig. Powering the entire machine, you need something with enough power draw to run that beefy graphics card and CPU, whilst being able to fit inside your case. If you are worried that your current PC can't handle the next major line of graphics cards, Corsair has you covered.
Corsair says its "award-winning range of power supplies will fully support the highly-anticipated next generation of graphics cards". Following this up, it says that the latest graphics card requirement of 12v-2x6 GPU power connector is expected to stay the same for the next generation of GPUs.
The same press release also says it anticipates rigs will take anywhere from 750 W up to 1500 W to run all the components within them. To reach that upper wattage, you would need a high-end graphics card, CPU, and more, but this is still indicative of a broader trend of increased power for the next generation.
Importantly, the confidence with which Corsair puts all of this information forward suggests that it knows something we don't about the next generation—or maybe just that Nvidia can't actually launch a graphics card with a TDP that much higher than an RTX 4090, right?
The RTX 4090, which is one of the most high-end cards right now, has a power draw of 450W, which is already pretty high and means you should be looking at a minimum of 800-900 W for the whole rig. Corsair notes a potential max of 1500 W, which could be a bit higher than needed to avoid any potential problems around release, and account for future CPU demands.
During the launch of the 40-series cards, the 12VHPWR connector for graphics cards was at fault for RTX 4090 boards overheating, so it seems likely that manufacturers will be keen to avoid any similar issues.
No new PSUs are being announced here. Instead, Corsair is reassuring customers that its RMe line, which goes up to 1000 W; Shift PSU line, which goes up to 1200 W; and top-of-the-line HXi series, which goes up to 1500 W, will all support future graphics cards.
Notably, AMD is also anticipated to launch new cards at the start of next year but they are expected to be more budget-friendly, and therefore not expected to have a huge power draw.
A company as large as Corsair wouldn't announce its PSUs were compatible with next-gen tech if it weren't. Importantly, the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 graphics cards are expected to be revealed at CES in January 2025 and these announcements could indicate that is all still due to go ahead. At least it feels like we're moving towards an official launch window, whereas previous RTX 50-series rumoured launch dates were met with a deafening silence from manufacturers.
If you've been holding out for an upgrade, and you're looking for a good PSU to support it, next-gen graphics cards could be here very soon.