What power supply does the GTX 1050 Ti need?

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is rated 75 W. How big a power supply it needs depends on the processor beside it: at their makers’ limits, processors draw anything from 81 W to 253 W. Each size below is at least a quarter more than the whole PC draws at full load.

Worth knowing

• Most versions draw all their power through the motherboard slot and need no power cable, so the smaller power supply in a pre-built PC usually manages it.
• Factory-overclocked versions can be rated above 75 W. If the card's box asks for a bigger power supply than this, go by the box.
• Many motherboards lift Intel's power limits by default. With them lifted, the Intel processors above can draw more in heavy all-core work such as rendering, though rarely in games. If yours is set that way, go one size up.

More on the GTX 1050 Ti

• Best CPU for the GTX 1050 Ti
• Power supply for the GTX 1650 SUPER
• Power supply for the GTX 1650

How this is worked out

Each figure is the most the part draws at its maker’s default settings: the graphics card’s board power, and the processor’s package power limit (AMD) or maximum turbo power (Intel). About 60 W is added for the rest of the PC — motherboard, memory, drives and fans — and the size is the smallest common one at least a quarter above that total, so the power supply runs at no more than 80% of its rating even then. Games rarely load both parts fully at once, so this is the most the PC will ask for, not what it draws all the time.

The wattage on the label only means something on a good power supply: choose a maker you know, and look for a review of that exact model.