In an unexpected reveal, power supply manufacturer Seasonic may have just spilled the power requirements of NVIDIA’s upcoming GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs, codenamed “Blackwell.” The information surfaced via Seasonic’s PSU wattage calculator, a handy tool for building PC configurations, which now includes entries for the RTX 50 family. If accurate, these leaks offer a sneak peek into the power consumption of NVIDIA’s next-gen cards, revealing both incremental improvements and higher TDPs across the board.
From RTX 5050 to RTX 5090: What the Leaks Reveal
The leaked data outlines the TDPs for all SKUs in the Blackwell family, from the entry-level RTX 5050 to the flagship RTX 5090. Here’s the breakdown:
GPU Model |
Blackwell TDP |
Equivalent Ada Lovelace TDP |
TDP Increase |
| RTX 5050 | 100W | N/A | N/A |
| RTX 5060 | 170W | 115W | +55W |
| RTX 5070 | 220W | 200W | +20W |
| RTX 5080 | 350W | 320W | +30W |
| RTX 5090 | 500W | 450W | +50W |
The RTX 5060 has the most significant generational jump, rising by 55W from its predecessor. This suggests that NVIDIA addresses criticisms about the RTX 4060, particularly the performance and pricing gap between the 4060 and 4070 models. If true, the RTX 5060 may also feature 12GB of VRAM, returning to a standard gamers have been clamoring for.
Power Unification with a 12+4 pin Connector
NVIDIA is unifying its power delivery across the entire GPU lineup for the Blackwell generation. All cards, from the entry-level RTX 5050 to the top-tier RTX 5090, will use the 12+4 pin 12V-2×6 connector, updated to comply with PCIe 6.0 CEM specifications. This marks a shift from previous architectures where only higher-end models adopted this power standard.
While this move simplifies cable management and ensures compatibility with future PCIe standards, the increased power demands—particularly for the RTX 5090, which could require up to 500W—raise questions about efficiency and thermal design. Enthusiasts will be eager to see how NVIDIA balances these higher power thresholds with performance gains.
Release Timeline: What to Expect
According to rumors, NVIDIA will kick off the Blackwell architecture rollout in late 2024, starting with the high-end RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 models. The RTX 5070 is expected to launch in January 2025, followed by the mainstream RTX 5060 later in Q3 or Q4 of 2025.
As we approach NVIDIA’s official announcements, the leaked TDPs provide an intriguing glimpse into what’s to come. If these figures are accurate, the RTX 50 series could set a new bar for performance while challenging gamers and PC builders to upgrade their power supplies and cooling systems.
Stay tuned for updates as we continue to follow the developments around NVIDIA’s Blackwell GPUs. Will the performance gains justify the higher power requirements? We’ll find out soon enough.
