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The Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti could draw way more power than the RTX 3090

Jacob Roach
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Nvidia’s RTX 40-series graphics cards are already in the works, but it seems Nvidia has a few more cards to release before the next-gen GPUs arrive. According to a new rumor from VideoCardz, Nvidia is working on an RTX 3090 Ti that features PCIe 5.0 support, extra cores, and a PSU-shredding 450W rated power draw.

The RTX 3090 Super has been rumored for a while, but the most recent rumors suggest Nvidia is sticking with RTX 3090 Ti as the name. The card could feature as high as a 450W TDP, which is 100W higher than the RTX 3090. Multiple leakers have pointed to higher power draw on next-gen Nvidia cards, but it seems the RTX 3090 refresh will have a higher power draw, too.

Branding on the RTX 3090.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

That’s a lot of power. The RTX 3090 already demands at least an 800W power supply — Nvidia recommends 750W, but that’s cutting it really close — and the card can jump up to 400W for brief moments. The recent reports of New World bricking RTX 3090 graphics cards seem related to power, too. You’ll need one of the best power supplies around if you want the RTX 3090 Ti.

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To deliver this power, Nvidia is reportedly using a new power connector. RTX 30-series cards use a 12-pin Molex Microfit connector, but the RTX 3090 Ti is rumored to come with a 16-pin Molex Microfit connector. This is reportedly behind an embargo for electrical specs of PCIe 5.0 motherboards, which should launch later this year with the release of Intel Alder Lake processors.

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Otherwise, the report from VideoCardz confirms a lot of what we already knew. The card is rumored to max out the GA102 chip with 10,752 CUDA cores, 84 RT cores, and 336 Tensor cores. That’s only a small bump over the RTX 3090, but the updated model is rumored to ship with faster memory — 21Gbps over 19.5Gbps on the base model.

Originally, rumors pointed to a launch in late 2021, but early 2022 seems more likely at this point. There are two big events coming up at the end of the year into the next where Nvidia could announce the card. The GPU Technology Conference (GTC) is beginning on November 8, and Nvidia could announce the card there. We suspect to hear more at CES 2022, though.

It’s important to reiterate that the RTX 3090 Ti is just a rumor right now. Nvidia hasn’t announced the card, confirmed specs, or even hinted at when it will announce the GPU (if it does at all). If the card is real, specs are subject to change, too. Nvidia is currently rumored to announce it alongside a 16GB version of the RTX 3070 Ti and a 12GB version of the RTX 2060 Super.

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Jacob Roach
Jacob Roach
Senior Staff Writer, Computing
Jacob Roach is a writer covering computing and gaming at Digital Trends. After realizing Crysis wouldn't run on a laptop, he…
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