While NVIDIA's RTX series has had some of the best graphics cards until now, the RTX 3060 is the new budget gaming champion from NVIDIA. Being the go-to upgrade budget GPU now, those upgrading to it are bound to need a new power supply unit (PSU) as well. NVIDIA recommends at least a 550 W PSU for the RTX 3060. However, considering different AIB versions of the card (some of which are overclockable) and PSU efficiency figures, you would be better off with a 650 W PSU, which is our focus here.
The Best There Is
The EVGA SuperNOVA 650 P2 belongs to the SuperNOVA series, which pretty much makes EVGA the winner at nearly every wattage. It's 80 PLUS Platinum rated, which means you can expect about 92% efficiency at half load. Additionally, it's fully modular and has a fan control system called ECO Mode for relatively silent operation. The 650 P2 also comes with a 10-year warranty.
Silent performer
Corsair makes some solid PSUs, and for a 650W PSU, the RM650x is one of the better options out there. It's 80 PLUS Gold certified, and works quietly, even at full load. Furthermore, it has a 160mm-long casing, making it a good fit for different PC form factors. The RM650x is also fully modular and is backed by a 10-year warranty.
Picking the best PSU for NVIDIA RTX 3060
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The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 is not nearly as much of a power-hungry beast as the higher-end RTX graphics cards. The RTX 3060 has a power consumption rating of 170W. NVIDIA recommends that you use at least a 550W PSU. NVIDIA's testing for this GPU was done with an Intel i9-10900K, which is quite a power-hungry chip.
While most systems would require about 500W of power, with PSUs, it's recommended that you keep some headroom to account for the power efficiency, overclocking, and future hardware upgrades. Keeping this in mind, a 650W PSU seems like the best bet. Our pick is the EVGA SuperNOVA 650 P2, which brings in the best blend of price and performance. It is a fully modular PSU, which means better cable management. Additionally, it has 80 PLUS Platinum rating to ensure decent power efficiency, while carrying a price tag that won't burn a hole in your pocket, while offering a 10-year warranty.
If you're looking for more PSU recommendations, you can check our picks of the best PSUs for gaming. It's a bit tricky to buy an NVIDIA RTX 30 GPU right now, so make sure you're not paying the inflated prices to get your hands on that RTX 3060 GPU. Happy upgrading!
