The RTX 2080 Ti graphics card is a great card if you want plenty of performance, without the sky-high costs of a similar 30-series card. Of course they still aren’t exactly cheap, but since you’re likely building your PC to some kind of budget, aiming for a 2080 Ti could help you afford a top-end processor and RAM instead of making sacrifices there.
When you’re working on the spec for your new PC, it’s important to consider power consumption, because if you don’t get a power supply that’s capable of providing enough juice to your system, it’s going to be underpowered and either not work at all, or keep overloading and forcing the PC to reset.
So, let’s take a look at how much power an RTX 2080 Ti uses.
How Many Watts Does An RTX 2080 Ti Use?
When gaming, an RTX 2080 Ti will use 265 watts of power. That’s quite high compared to a lot of older graphics cards which use between 110 and 220 watts generally. The card is actually rated for a max of 262 watts but often exceeds this to 265.
Of course, that’s only when you’re pushing the card to its limits. When you’re using the PC for something that doesn’t require the graphics card, then the RTX 2080 Ti draws a lot less power. It still uses some watts in order to remain ‘on standby’ almost – about 14 watts in this idle state.
If you’ve connected more than one monitor, then the card will use an average of 19 watts, though this might be higher if the resolutions are different. And when you use the card to stream views, expect it to draw around 23 watts.
It’s important to note that all graphics cards – and indeed all PC components – will occasionally have a spike in power consumption. These last milliseconds but they will briefly draw a lot more than their usual max power, so it’s important that your power supply can handle that. The RTX 2080 Ti has been recorded as spiking at 287 watts (source).
How Many Watts Does An RTX 2080 Ti Use Per Hour?
An RTX 2080 Ti graphics card will use 265 watt-hours per hour, or 0.265 kilowatt-hours. The average PC gamer uses their system for games around 8.5 hours per week, which puts the weekly usage at 2.25 kilowatt-hours, or 117.13 kilowatt-hours per year.
If you assume an average electricity cost of $0.14, that means that the graphics card alone will cost you over $16 per year to run. Of course, you actually need to factor in the total electricity consumption of all your PC’s components. While the RTX 2080 Ti will be the biggest power draw, you may have chosen a processor and motherboard that also use a fair amount of power.
Read more: How Many Watts Does A Gaming PC Use?
What Is The Difference Between RTX 2080 And RTX 2080 Ti?
The RTX 2080 Ti is an upgraded version of the RTX 2080, offering extra power to give you a better frame rate and smoother performance in the latest games. As such, the 2080 Ti does use a lot more power than its less powerful relative. An RTX 2080 is still an excellent graphics card, so if you find one for a much lower price than a 2080 Ti then it might be something to consider.
| Graphics Card | Idle | Idle (multi-monitor) | Streaming video | Gaming | Max-rated | Spikes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 2080 | 11 watts | 15 watts | 16 watts | 212 watts | 212 watts | 243 watts |
| RTX 2080 Ti | 14 watts | 19 watts | 23 watts | 265 watts | 262 watts | 287 watts |
As you can see, the RTX 2080 uses around 80% of the power of the RTX 2080, which means that it would cost you around $13 a year to run, compared to the $15 of the Ti version. Over the course of a year, the $3 difference is pretty minimal.
RTX 2080
- 8GB GDDR6 (256-bit) on-board memory
- 2944 CUDA processing cores and up to 448GB/sec of memory bandwidth
- 1800MHz boost clock speed to help meet the needs of demanding games
RTX 2080 Ti
- The world’s first Ray Tracing gaming graphics card
- 4352 CUDA processing cores and up to 616GB/sec memory bandwidth
- Dual-axial 13-blade fans coupled with a new vapor chamber for ultra-cool and quiet performance
What Power Supply Do I Need For An RTX 2080 Ti?
The minimum recommended power supply for an RTX 2080 Ti is a 650-watt one, though it will depend on the rest of your build. If you have an extremely high-spec PC, you may need a better power supply to manage everything properly, and to prevent issues from power spikes.
This might sound over-cautious but it’s better to plan ahead with a bigger power supply. Remember that your RTX 2080 Ti is using almost 300 watts alone when it spikes. If you pair it with a top-tier Intel Core processor (around 200 watts), a high-quality gaming motherboard (80 watts) then you’re already getting close to 600 watts alone.
And best practice is to always have a power supply that offers 20% more than your PC needs – that way it can definitely cope with power spikes. Assuming you’ve got a PC that totals around 650 watts as a top-end build, you’re going to want an 800-watt power supply to be safe.
Also when you’re dealing with this much power, you absolutely have to get one that’s at least 80+ Gold rated for efficiency, otherwise, you could be wasting up to an extra 20% in wattage just on running the power supply alone.
Read more: Power Supply Ratings Explained
The Best Power Supply For An RTX 2080 Ti
The best power supply for an RTX 2080 Ti is one that has an 800-watt capacity, is modular, and is rated at least 80+ Gold or better. That way you’re getting an efficient power supply that will last, and can definitely be used for a top-spec PC or if you decide to upgrade later down the line.
Thermaltake Power Supply
- 80 Plus Gold rated for high efficiency
- Ultra quiet 140mm hydraulic bearing fans
- High quality capacitors keep temperatures low
This Thermaltake power supply is actually 850 watts, so you’ve got even more capacity to play with, and it’s great value for the quality of the brand. It’s fully modular, so you’ll only need to install the cables you want to use, and it’s got a 10-year warranty for extra peace of mind.
What RTX 2080 Ti Power Cable Do I Need?
An RTX 2080 Ti needs two 8-pin PCIe power cables running from the power supply. It’s best to use two completely separate cables, rather than one with a splitter – this risks underpowering your GPU, and could even cause the cables to overheat.
If your current power supply doesn’t have sufficient PCIe cables then you’ll need to upgrade.
RTX 2080 Ti FAQs
A 750-watt power supply should be enough to handle a 2080 Ti, even with the rest of your PC being high-spec. If you go for an absolutely top-end machine then you might be pushing it on occasion, but generally, 750 watts should always be enough.
You shouldn’t run a 2080 Ti on a 550-watt power supply. The graphics card alone will use up more than half your available power, and if you were to pair it with any decent processor then the PSU will stand no chance of running the machine properly.
A 650-watt power supply is the minimum manufacturer recommendation for an RTX 2080 Ti, and in a mid-range PC, it will probably be just enough to handle everything. If you can afford to, then aim for one with a larger capacity to be safe.