What makes the RX 9070 XT Red Devil require more power compared to other GPUs

1. Factory Overclocks: The Red Devil variant is known for its high factory overclocks, which increase power consumption. In this case, the RX 9070 XT Red Devil has a boost clock of 3.0 GHz, significantly higher than standard models. Overclocking increases the GPU's performance but also its power draw.

2. Multiple Power Connectors: The card features three 8-pin power connectors, providing ample power for overclocking and ensuring stable operation under heavy loads. This setup allows for more power to be delivered to the GPU, contributing to its higher power consumption.

3. High-Performance Design: The Red Devil series is designed to be among the top-performing variants of any GPU model. This means it is optimized for maximum performance, which typically comes at the cost of increased power consumption.

4. System Requirements: The 900-watt power supply recommendation is for the entire system, not just the GPU. This includes other components like the CPU, RAM, and storage, which also contribute to the overall power draw. For example, AMD's recommendations often consider systems with powerful CPUs like the Ryzen 9 series.

5. Comparison to Other Models: While the RX 9070 XT Red Devil requires a 900-watt PSU, other variants of the RX 9070 XT may have lower power requirements. For instance, a reference RX 9070 XT might require around 750 watts, and the vanilla RX 9070 could need as little as 650 watts**[7]. This highlights how custom, overclocked models like the Red Devil stand out in terms of power consumption.

In summary, the combination of high factory overclocks, multiple power connectors, and a design focused on maximizing performance makes the RX 9070 XT Red Devil one of the most power-hungry GPUs available, necessitating a substantial power supply to ensure reliable operation.