With the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 so difficult to find a place to buy and with shortages likely to continue for months, one option is to wait for the next generation of flagship graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD. However, new rumors suggest that you may need to make sure your power supply is up to the task.

Twitter-based leakers @kopite7kimi and @greymon55 have suggested that the Nvidia AD102 GPU, which is likely to be the basis for the Nvidia Lovelace next-generation GPU, could consume over 400 watts by itself. In contrast, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 is rated to consume 320 watts, while the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is rated to consume up to 350 watts.

Equivalent models from AMD may also consume more power. Piecing together a tip from Beyond3D forum user Boondrewd, who seems to have inside knowledge, German site 3D Center calculated that an AMD Navi 31 processor could consume up to 420-450 watts. [Power consumption can change during development, and kopite7kimi tweeted that he "doesn't know exactly" how much power the Nvidia AD102 will require I don't know much about Boondrewd, but this is a reliable category for a PC hardware leaker. It falls into that category.

Still, the creeping power requirements may remain a concern for PC owners using inexpensive PSUs. While you won't always run up against a card's TDP (thermal design power, the maximum thermal output (in watts) of its components) in everyday GPU use, it is good practice to use a power supply that can properly feed the various parts of your rig when fully loaded.

That is why Nvidia recommends a 750W PSU for the GeForce RTX 3080. Alone it won't consume even half of that, but you will need headroom for the CPU, motherboard, cooling, storage, and everything else. But you need to have room for the CPU, motherboard, cooling, storage, and everything else. Many PC configurations can get away with a 650W power supply. However, if your next-generation graphics card requires more power, you may need to upgrade the PSU to run the new GPU at its best.

In any case, potential buyers will have time to think: both Nvidia and AMD are not expected to announce their next-generation GPUs until 2022, and AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su recently confirmed when to expect RDNA and Zen 4 hardware.