Asus has announced its new ROG Thor III series of PSUs, built to handle the demands of emerging power-hungry components like Nvidia’s upcoming RTX 5090 GPUs, which are said to draw up to 600W of power. With PCIe 5.0 connectors, ATX 3.0 compatibility, and a wattage range of 1000-1600, it’s clear that the Thor III series is more than capable of powering the next generation of computing components.
A notable feature is Asus’ “GPU-FIRST” voltage sensing technology. As the name suggests, this means that the PSU will prioritize the GPU over the CPU. This seems sensible, considering it’s the new GPUs that can eat up the watts. This feature is paired with a patented “intelligent voltage stabilizer,” which Asus claims improves voltage delivery by up to 45%.
The Thor III series promises high energy efficiency and minimal power loss, with the 1000W and 1200W models rated 80 Plus on Platinum and the 1600 model rated Titanium. It also features Lambda A+ acoustic ratings (the highest), which hopefully means the PSUs are virtually silent, even under load. The PSUs are cooled by a 135mm axial fan and they also have a 0dB mode, which optimizes cooling without unnecessary noise. If you hate the sound of gaming PCs whirring their fans when the action gets going, the ROG Thor III series PSUs could be a great investment.
For a simple, smoother installation, the ROG Thor Series III features native 12VHPWR connectors, so you don’t have to worry about adapters or keeping your build neat and tidy inside. The PSU comes with an integrated OLED display, which allows you to monitor power consumption in real time. The PSU also features ARGB lighting, and you can customize it to your liking via Aura Sync, ASUS’s lighting control software.
Following leaks of Asus’ flagship ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme motherboards (which cost over $1,000), designed to take aim at Ihntel’s flagship Arrow Lake CPUs and Nvidia’s RTX 5090 GPU, it was clear that ASUS would be releasing an equally powerful PSU to complement these builds. Judging by the specs, the Thor III series delivers.
PSU Prices and Lightning, Very Scary
We don’t know how much these will cost you yet, but what we do know is that it won’t be great for your power bill, as these are designed to pump out the kind of wattage that would impress the God of Thunder himself.
While that’s great for running powerful components at full capacity, it can lead to a spike in your power usage, and at a time when many people’s bills are already rising, you’ll want to think carefully about spending money when they do come out, which should be soon.
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