Asus' new 3,000-watt power supply requires its own circuit breaker and doesn't work everywhere

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Republic of Gamers brand, Asus is launching the ROG Thor 3000W Titanium III Edition 20, a particularly powerful power supply. It's designed to power four GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards plus various accessories inside the case.

The power supply can also operate in a lower voltage mode. Asus calls this "Dual Voltage Adaptive Design", which can operate at both 220-240 volts and 100-115 volts. In the latter case, however, the maximum output is limited to 1,600 watts. This is particularly relevant for use in countries that use Type A connectors. The lower voltage at comparable amperage limits the wattage output.

Situation in the U.S. and Switzerland

That doesn’t mean, however, that the power supply can be used at full power in the US. During Computex, Asus pointed out that this would require a 240-volt outlet. Such outlets do exist, but they are rarely found in standard rooms. The situation is quite complex, as Technology Connections explained in a well-researched video five years ago. So, if the necessary connection technology is lacking, the high-performance power supply effectively becomes a 1,600-watt power supply.

This can also happen in Europe. Switzerland is one example. Despite its three prongs, its plug is very compact. A typical Schuko socket can often accommodate three Type 13 sockets. However, these are only rated for a maximum of 10 amps. Type 23 sockets (PDF), which are protected by a 16-amp fuse, are then required. The Swiss have fewer distribution problems with this than Americans do. Nevertheless, Type 23 outlets are not found everywhere.

With its 3,000-watt power supply, Asus has clearly gone far beyond what is generally considered standard. And even if the power supply is operated at close to its maximum capacity from a properly fused wall socket, there's not much headroom left for other devices. A computer and its accessories would then need their own dedicated circuit. A LAN party with several of these computers would likely be impossible for an apartment to power.

Of course, other manufacturers also face similar issues with similar products, which have so far been marketed as professional power supplies for the AI sector.