RTX 2080 Power Consumption: How Much Power Does The RTX 2080 Use?
Last updated on February 25th, 2023 at 12:50 pm
The RTX 2080 is a pretty good GPU even for being a last-generation card. Although there are now 30-series and 40-series GPUs made by Nvidia.
The RTX 2080 still offers great performance at a decent price. Also, because it is an older price the power consumption of this card is lower than its newer counterparts.
In the article, we will go through the power consumption of the RTX 2080, and what kind of PSU you would need to buy if you want to use this card.
How Many Watts Does an RTX 2080 Use?
The RTX 2070 has a TGP of 225W. It typically produces 212W during gaming and only 11W when idle.
The wattage this card uses can change depending on how powerful your gaming setup is and the types of games and tasks you are doing.
For example, if you use more than one monitor expect your graphics card to have a higher idle power consumption.
Typically, with an extra monitor the idle power consumption will be under double what you would see with just one monitor.
In this instance, the Geforce RTX 2080 graphics card will produce around 15 Watts of power when idle in a dual monitor setup.
When looking at a GPU’s power consumption, you want to look at the TGP (Total Graphics Power) because this shows the maximum power draw you will usually get when using your GPU for intensive tasks such as gaming.
You might also hear the phrase “TDP” which can be used interchangeably with TGP. The difference is essential in that TDP is the total power consumption of a component, and TGP is the total power consumption of a GPU specifically.
However, it is not actually the valid maximum of the graphics card. The actual maximum of the RTX 2080 is around 280 Watts. However, this will only be achieved if the GPU is overclocked.
You can also see higher wattages when your GPU has a power spike. These power spikes only occur when you experience something that will cause an FPS drop such as an explosion in a game.
RTX 2080 Power Consumption Compared to Other GPUs
The GPUs power consumption is compared using TGP. It is essential to know and compare your graphics cards to other similar models because it will help you get a grasp on the amount of power your system is going to use.
Here is a comparison of a few graphics cards that are around the performance range of the RTX 2080.
| GPU | TGP |
| RTX 2070 Super | 215 Watts |
| RTX 2080 | 225 Watts |
| RTX 2080 Super | 250 Watts |
As you can see from this table, The RTX 2080 has a pretty high TGP for the 20 series GPUs, but compared to the next-gen 30 series GPUs it is still pretty low.
If you want to compare more graphics cards on their power consumption and TGP I have provided a database where you can look at dozens of different GPUs and their power consumption, that way you don’t have to do the research yourself.
Check out the Database.
I have also provided the average power consumption when gaming, as well as the average power consumption when idle, that way you can get a better understanding.
What Power Supply Do I Need to Use For an RTX 2080?
I would recommend that you try to get a power supply unit that is 700 watts. If you go on Nvidia’s page you can see that they say that the RTX 2080 would be able to run on a 650-watt power supply, however, that is the bare minimum.
When purchasing a power supply for your computer you want to keep in mind that every piece of hardware in your system also has a certain level of power consumption, not just your graphics card.
Although not as powerful as a graphics card, all of these little components add up and can exceed the wattage of your PSU very quickly.
That’s why you want to be safe and grab a PSU that has around a 20% increase in extra wattage than you planned for your system. This usually equates to a PSU that is around 50-100 watts more than what the manufacturer which in this case is Nvidia recommends.
By doing this you will not only know for sure that your PSU will be able to support powering your whole system but it will also be safe from any power spikes that happen when you are gaming.
If you also want to save on your electricity bill, then you should purchase a power supply that is at least 80 plus Bronze certified, with the best rating being 80 plus Gold certified.
You should read: “How Do Power Supply Ratings Work?”
RTX 2080 FAQ
Is a 500W PSU Enough For an RTX 2080?
No, a 500-watt PSU is not enough for a computer using an RTX 3080 GPU.
The minimum recommended would be a 650-watt PSU.
Is The RTX 2080 a high-end GPU?
When the RTX 2080 first came out it was considered a very high-end GPU. It was actually one of the best graphics cards on the market. However, because this is an out-of-date card it is no longer a top-tier GPU.
Don’t let this discourage you though because this card is still very good and is now considered a mid-tier card, and still provides great performance.
Is 600W Enough For an RTX 2080?
You might be able to squeeze by using a 600-watt PSU, but I would not recommend it. I would actually recommend using a 700-watt PSU that way you will be able to overclock and future-proof your computer.
However, if you do end up using a 600-watt PSU you could just barely squeeze by if the other components in your computer have very low power consumption.
Is The RTX 2080 Still Worth It?
If you are looking for the best of the best graphics cards, then maybe the RTX 2080 isn’t worth it for you. However, if you are looking for a decent-performing card with a reduced price then the RTX 2080 GPU is the card for you.
This card still has really good performance, but because it is an out-of-date card the price is lower than newer GPUs that perform just as well as this one.
