Asus ROG Thor III is a massive 1600W PSU that will handle the Nvidia RTX 5090 with ease - but could be a nightmare for your energy bills

1 week ago 6

Cartoon of Norse God Thor and the Thor III PSU

(Image credit: Shutterstock / rudall30 / Asus)

Asus has announced its new ROG Thor III series PSUs that have been built to meet the demands of upcoming power-hungry components like Nvidia’s expected RTX 5090 GPUs, which are rumored to consume up to 600W of power. With PCIe 5.0 connectors, ATX 3.0 compliance, and wattage ranging between 1000 and 1600, it’s clear the Thor III series should be more than up to the task of powering the next generation of computer components.

A standout feature is Asus’ “GPU-FIRST” voltage-sensing technology. As the name suggests, it means the PSU will prioritize the GPU over the CPU. This seems sensible, considering it’s the new GPUs that may eat up the watts. The feature is paired with a patented “intelligent voltage stabilizer”, which Asus says enhances voltage delivery by up to 45%.

The Thor III series promises high energy efficiency and minimal power loss, with the 1000W and 1200W models being rated at 80 Plus at Platinum, and the 1600 model is rated at Titanium. It also boasts Lambda A+ acoustic ratings (the highest) – which should hopefully mean that the PSUs are near silent even when under load The PSUs are cooled by a 135 mm axial-tech fan, and they also feature a 0dB mode, which optimizes cooling without unnecessary noise. If you hate the sound of gaming PCs whirring up their fans when the action heats up, the ROG Thor III series PSUs could be a great investment.

For easy, smoother installation, the ROG Thor series III includes native 12VHPWR connectors, so you won’t need to worry about adapters or keeping your build neat and tidy on the inside. The PSU comes with an integrated OLED display, with which you can monitor power usage in real-time. The PSU also has ARGB lighting, and you can customize it to your heart’s content through Aura Sync, ASUS’ lighting control software.

Following leaks of Asus’ flagship ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme motherboards (which will cost upwards of $1,000), designed to target Intel’s flagship Arrow Lake CPUs and Nvidia’s RTX 5090 GPU, it was obvious that ASUS would release an equally powerful PSU to compliment these builds. Judging by its specs, the Thor III series delivers.

PSU prices and lightning, very very frightening

How much this will set you back we don’t yet know, but what we do know is that it won’t be great for your energy bills, as these are designed to pump out the kinds of wattage that would impress the God of Thunder himself.

While that’s great for keeping powerful components running at their full strength, it could lead to a spike in your energy consumption, and at a time when many people’s bills are already rising, you’ll need to think carefully about spending money when they release, which should be soon.

Rosario Blue is a writer, playwright, and freelance journalist.

She is a Global Goodwill Ambassador for Postcards for Peace.

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