Unleashing Power: The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090’s 600W Gaming Potential

Leading up to the release of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, there was overwhelming conjecture that the new gaming GPU could feature a power rating of 600W or greater. However, when it was finally officially announced, the RTX 5090’s power marker was fixed just below that threshold, at 575W. Zotac, nevertheless, appears to have taken this leaked figure as a challenge, as its Gaming GeForce RTX 5090 Amp Extreme Infinity boasts a power consumption rating of 600W.

As the expected successor to the top graphics card title, the RTX 5090 is poised to be an exceptionally powerful card, featuring 50% more CUDA cores compared to the Nvidia RTX 4090, enhanced ray tracing capacity, support for the new DLSS 4 Multi Frame generation, and much more. However, for those still using a modest power supply and aiming to upgrade, this Zotac card is clear evidence that an upgrade will indeed be necessary.

Noticed by technology site Videocardz, the specifications for these new Zotac cards are readily available on the company’s website, marking the first occasion that any official RTX 5090 graphics card specifications have displayed a figure exceeding 575W.

While Zotac does not explicitly clarify the rationale behind this elevated power rating, the card indeed possesses a higher engine clock speed than the company’s other two RTX 5090 models, the Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 5090 Solid and Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 5090 Solid OC. However, the difference is not significant.

The Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 5090 Solid features an engine clock speed recorded at 2,407MHz, while its OC variant boosts this to 2,422MHz. The Gaming GeForce RTX 5090 Amp Extreme Infinity, however, raises this to an impressive 2,467MHz. This allows for a 2.5% overclock in exchange for a 4.3% increase in power consumption, or more precisely, in power rating.

Although Zotac has yet to announce pricing, we would speculate that the Extreme Infinity will come with an elevated price tag. Thankfully, this premium gets you more than merely an overclock. The card includes a significantly more prominent strip of RGB lighting along its upper edge and features an illuminated front end as well. The Solid cards have an RGB Zotac logo, but that is the extent of their lighting.

Meanwhile, all three cards are considerably larger than Nvidia’s own RTX 5090 Founders Edition card, sporting three-slot-width coolers that are also very lengthy and tall. The RTX 5090 FE’s innovative flow-through cooling system permits the card to maintain a thickness of only two slots; however, its cooler design necessitates keeping adjacent slots empty as well.

Regarding powering these cards, all three Zotac cards, along with all RTX 5090s, come with a suggested power supply rating of 1,000W. Power for these cards is supplied via a conventional 16-pin connector, as opposed to the angled connector found on Nvidia’s card.

Considering the substantial power requirements, it’s advisable to procure the most efficient power supply feasible for the RTX 5090, ideally an 80 Plus Titanium-rated unit. However, such supplies tend to be quite pricey – for example, the Be Quiet! Dark Power 13 1000W is available here for $249. Instead, an 80 Plus Gold supply, such as the Corsair RM1000e available here for $155, may be a more reasonable option. For additional PSU purchasing guidance, check out our best power supply guide.