When I first built my gaming PC, I was told by someone to never skimp on the power supply, this is because the power supply is crucial to the performance of the system. I have to ensure that my PC has enough wattage and that the power supply is of high quality.
The RTX 3070 and the 3070 TI have different power needs, the RTX 3070 has a TDP of 220W, and the RTX 3070 TI has a TDP of 290W. So a 70W difference between the two graphics cards.
To answer your question, an 850W power supply is more than enough for the RTX 3070 and the 3070 TI. An 850W power supply is enough for overclocking and handling additional PCI-E components.
What Are The RTX 3070 & 3070 TI Power Requirements?
The RTX 3070 and the RTX 3070 TI have different power requirements, the RTX 3070 has a TDP of 220W, and a recommended PSU of 550W, and the RTX 3070 TI has a TDP of 290W, and a recommended PSU of 600W.
When building a PC, it’s a good idea to have a surplus of power, so an 850W power supply could be a good idea for the RTX 3070 and the 3070 TI. This prevents the GPU from being underpowered which can result in stuttering, FPS drops, and crashes.
The RTX 3070 and the 3070 TI both require at least a 12 pin power connector, and both of the cards are dual slots.
The power requirements of your system completely depend on how you utilize your computer. For example, if you like overclocking a lot, and running your computer at high settings, then you will require a larger power supply.
| Specs | RTX 3070 | RTX 3070 TI |
|---|---|---|
| Cuda Cores: | 5888 | 6144 |
| Clock Speed: | 1500 MHz/1725 MHz | 1575 MHz/1770 MHz |
| TDP: | 220W | 290W |
| Suggested PSU | 550W | 600W |
Also Read: Best 850W Power Supplies
Recommended Build For RTX 3070 & 3070 TI
When building a PC, do not rely on TDP, this is merely an estimate of how much power a component will consume at maximum load. It’s simply an operation ceiling, the actual power draw in a real-life scenario is different.
The table down below doesn’t give an accurate estimation to how much power your system actually needs. The sum of the TDP of the components below will be significantly larger than 550 or even 600W, so it’s not accurate for real-life situations.
So, if you plan to build a system using the RTX 3070/3070TI, then I recommend you have at least a 100W buffer, this ensures that everything is powered correctly.
This will also enable you to augment the number of PCI-E components, maybe incorporating a liquid cooling system, allowing you to install more drives and fans. Flexibility is a crucial component of having a healthy PC, this is because it allows you to add desirable components without having to upgrade the PSU.
| Component | Estimated Power Draw (TDP) |
|---|---|
| RTX 3070 | 220W |
| RTX 3070 TI | 300W |
| Mid Tier CPU (I7 13700K) | 253W |
| Motherboard | 50W |
| Optical Drive | 5W |
| 3.5 Drive | 15W |
| M.2 Drive | 5W |
| Case Fans(X3) | 15W |
What If I Want To Overclock?
Supplemental power is required when overclocking, this is because the power draw is significantly increased as the correlation between clock speed and power draw is approximately linear. Along with needing a bigger power supply, you will also need a better CPU cooler as temperatures will increase.
Also, if you plan on overclocking all your components, that includes the CPU, GPU, and RAM, then you may require an even bigger power supply. I’d recommend at least 850 watts of power if you’re going this far with the RTX 3070 and 3070 TI.
Indeed, overclocking your RTX 3070 or 3070 TI can easily necessitate an additional 100-150W of power. Having an unpowered system isn’t ideal, I’ve had to upgrade power supplies just to have my components work properly, so it’s ideal to get it right the first time.
What Power Supply Efficiency Is Best For 850W Power Supplies?
The best power supply efficiency for 850W power supplies is 80+ Gold, and 80+ Platinum. It’s rare you will find an 80+ Titanium 850W power supply, and going for anything below gold generally isn’t recommended.
Power supplies have many efficiency ratings, for an 850W power supply, you will usually come across 80+ Gold, 80+ Platinum, and rarely 80+ Titanium power supplies. Usually, I’d just go for an 80+ Gold power supply as I find anything more unnecessary unless I’m building a server.
Additionally, more efficient power supplies are customarily safer, this is because they necessitate superior components such as Japanese capacitors. This is how they attain such high-efficiency ratings as 80+ Titanium.
| Certification Level | 20% | 50% | 100% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80+ PLUS: | 80% | 80% | 80% |
| 80+ PLUS BRONZE: | 82% | 85% | 82% |
| 80+ SILVER: | 85% | 88% | 85% |
| 80+ GOLD: | 87% | 90% | 87% |
| 80+ PLATINUM: | 90% | 92% | 89% |
| 80% TITANIUM: | 92% | 94% | 90% |
What Cables Are Necessary For RTX 3070 & 3070 TI
Required Power Supply Cables:
- 24 pin for the motherboard
- 4/8 pin for the CPU
- SATA power connector for storage devices
Do ensure that your power supply comes with all the necessary cables to power your graphics card, this saves you from having to buy additional cables. Higher-end fully modular power supplies will usually come with all the cables you need.
More affordable nonmodular power supplies will usually give you the bare minimum to run your system, this is why I always advise that you never skimp out on a power supply. This is the most essential component responsible for powering your high-end components such as the RTX 3070.
Before buying a power supply, check the documentation of the RTX 3070 and 3070 TI graphics cards for what cables they use, and ensure that the power supply you’re buying comes with these cables.
Generally, the RTX 3070 and 3070 TI will need a 1x12pin power connector.
Should I Get A Modular Power Supply?
It is not requisite to have a fully modular power supply, but they do boast a very attractive advantage being that they are better for reducing clutter which will usually inhibit airflow. Modular power supplies will allow you to remove cables you are not using.
If you intend on using minimal PCI-E ports, then you can remove the cables you aren’t using, this will help significantly with cable management, it will keep your build dust free, and your overall build will look more presentable.
As I said previously, I always tend to go for the highest quality power supplies, and the highest quality power supplies always tend to be fully modular. So I usually end up having a clutter-free build as I can freely remove unnecessary cables such as some SATA cables and PCIE cables.
Conclusion
850W is quite simply overkilled for the RTX 3070 and the 3070 TI, heck, it’s even overkill for the RTX 3080 TI. The recommended power supply for the RTX 3070 is 550W, and for the 3070 TI, it’s 600W.
This is a huge difference between 850W of power, so you are definitely getting more than you need, and this will aid with overclocking, and adding additional components.
Also Read: Is 850W Enough For RTX 3080 & 3080 TI
