MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5

Product Information

The cables are a mixture of sleeved and custom sleeved to fit into a variety of builds. MSI also supply a MINI USB to USB cable as this power supply can be controlled via MSI software. The MEG power supply measures 86mm x 150mm x 160mm which is somewhat smaller in length than the larger 200mm units we have seen in recent months. MSI have worked with CWT in the design of this power supply and they allow the end user to switch between single and multi rail modes to cover a variety of possible system configurations. MSI support this unit with a 10 year ‘limited' warranty – depending on the region. Despite the exceptional resilience of the PSU against high ambient temperatures and its 80Plus Platinum efficiency levels, the losses of a unit this powerful sum up to over 100 Watts under high loads. These losses do increase the internal temperature of the PSU significantly but the cooling system of the MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 proves to be more than adequate, as the temperature of the critical components does not get anywhere near critical levels during our testing. As a matter of fact, the MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 delivers lower temperature figures than many units with significantly larger bodies and fans do. Electronic circuitry aside, the platform that the MEG Ai1300P is based upon is quite standard and proven. The filtering stage begins on the rear of the AC switch, with six Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. It is more than what specifications require but not overly large for such a design. The filtering stage leads to two large rectifying bridges, which are placed on their own heatsink.

The fan is hidden behind a shroud with another gold accented panel. We will take a closer look at this fan when we open the power supply shortly. Both of our approaches ultimately failed, as all of the PSUs we currently have available would shut down at most tests above 120% power excursion- therefore we need not worry about our loads being insufficient to test the MEG Ai1300P at 200% excursion (we are also currentlylimited to 2400 Watts on the 12V line). Theoretically, testing with the RMS-equivalent duty cycle times should work and the PSUs should not be shutting down, yet we cannot claim that the units are not technically capable of meeting their specifications when our equipment is not meant to be running such tests. The passive components of the APFC circuitry are two beefy 400V/680μF APFC capacitors made by Nichicon, followed by two filtering coils. The active APFC components are on the longest heatsink of the unit. Four transistors can be found on their own heatsink and these form the full-bridge inversion topology at the primary side of the unit. The output of the main transformer is connected to six power MOSFETs that generate a single 12V rail. The 3.3V and 5V lines are being generated via the DC-to-DC conversion circuits. All of the secondary capacitors, electrolytic and polymer alike, are made by Rubycon and Nippon Chemi-Con.The efficiency of the MSI MEG Ai1300P does meet the 80Plus Platinum certification requirements when it is powered from an 115 VAC source. However, when the main’s voltage is 230 VAC, the efficiency is raised by an average of 1%, which is not enough to meet the 80Plus Platinum requirements for that input voltage. The average nominal load efficiency (20% to 100% of the unit’s capacity) is 92.1% with the unit powered from a 230 VAC source, and drops down to 91.3% if the unit is powered by a 115 VAC source. It is also interesting to note that itsefficiency under very low loads is quite high, at above 83% for a 5% load. It might be worrying for the end user to see ~70°C there and the fan not coming to life, but if that's within the parameters they have set at the factory for this PSU model, and they provide 10 years warranty on it running like that, then it will probably do that. They used really high-quality components, including the capacitor models. That all doesn't explain the differences with other people's system using this PSU model, but as for MSI's parameters, it's still within the normal operating range, apparently. MSI placed a lot of effort into the uniqueness of the MEG Ai1300P in terms of appearance. The company went with a fully customized chassis and metallic side decorations, using contrasting body colors but not fancy lighting, for a seamless and elegant look. From a practical point of view, the chassis of the massively powerful unit is just 160 mm long, making it compatible with any ATX-compliant case. The odd point here is the two cables which are fully sleeved instead of having individually sleeved wires like the rest of them.

MSI are trying to attract the user base who love to tinker with their hardware via dedicated software. I appreciate the concept of being able to control a power supply via a program however MSI Center is a clunky, unpleasant tool to use at the best of times. While using MSI Center my only thoughts were to get it deinstalled as soon as possible. I would personally just run the power supply in a default single rail mode mode all the time and let the fans operate automatically without the need for a software install. The other capabilities of MSI Center such as real time monitoring will be interesting to a very niche audience, but perhaps for only a short while. What one can take away from the above table is the MSI MEG Ai1300P has everything you need for a powerful PC build. We don't have the means to measure ripple and other variations in power conversion, but we are able to monitor efficiency and how the power supply performs through use with a PC. We feel this design is going to split opinion. The Asian community tend to love gold accented tech products, the European audience, not so much. It is nicely finished, but I am not a fan of the gold touches. In light of the new ATX 3.0 standard, we took a shot at adding power excursion compliance testing into our articles. Given that this is the big addition to the ATX 3.0 specification– and indeed its very reason for being – it’s where we would like to see if PSUs are truly living up to the very high standards set by the new specification.We are at a point time in the PC hardware market where the power demand is rising consistently and from what we are hearing, things aren't going to stop. Enthusiasts PC builders and high-end gamers are constantly aiming for the highest-end products with CPUs sipping in an average power of around 200 Watts and GPUs now ending up around the 300-400W range. This along with all the combined hardware in one high-end rig is going to set you close to 800-1000W power requirement.

Correctly testing power supplies is a complex procedure and KitGuru have configured a test bench which can deliver up to a 2,000 watt DC load. Due to public requests we have changed our temperature settings recently – previously we rated with ambient temperatures at 25C, we have increased ambient temperatures by 10c (to 35c) in our environment to greater reflect warmer internal chassis conditions. As for 70°C being a high temperature for almost 500W power draw, this is not necessarily so, again, very much depending on where the temperature sensor is placed. When you look at some OTP (OverTemperature Protection) test results, often times they're at 100°C-200°C (!) on the heatsink of the 12V rail MOSFETs. On the Ai1000P, we can see OTP triggering at 168°C for example. The MOSFETs bolted onto those heatsinks are rated to provide their full performance at 100°C, so 70°C is nothing for them. The electrolytic capacitors, yes, you want to stay cool, because that will prolong their life. But with 10 years warranty, MSI feel confident about the longevity with how they have set it up. The efficiency of your power supply directly influences your system’s performance and your power consumption. The 80 PLUS Platinum certification promises lower energy consumption and higher efficiency. Electrolytic: 5x Nippon Chemi-Con (105°C, W), 1x Nichicon (2-5,000h @ 105°C, HD), 4x Nippon Chemi-Con (4-10,000h @ 105°C, KY), 1x Nippon Chemi-Con (2-5,000h @ 105°C, KZE), 3x Rubycon (4-10,000h @ 105°C, YXJ), 3x Rubycon (4-10,000h @ 105°C, YXF)Nevertheless, we took a shot at testing the power excursion capabilities of the MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE and of thefew ATX 3.0 compliant units that we currently have available. We took two approaches:one by assuming that our electronic loads are “ideal” and programmed the exact duty cycle figures that Intel dictates in their guide, and one by trying to take into account the real slew rate times of our loads and calculate the RMS equivalent duty cycle. Nevertheless, we took a shot at testing the power excursion capabilities of the MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE and of thefew ATX 3.0 compliant units that we currently have available. We took two approaches:one by assuming that our electronic loads are "ideal" and programmed the exact duty cycle figures that Intel dictates in their guide, and one by trying to take into account the real slew rate times of our loads and calculate the RMS equivalent duty cycle. We take the issue of noise very seriously at KitGuru and this is why we have built a special home brew system as a reference point when we test noise levels of various components. Why do this? Well this means we can eliminate secondary noise pollution in the test room and concentrate on components we are testing. It also brings us slightly closer to industry standards, such as DIN 45635. Kitguru says: The MSI MEG Ai1300P is a high performing power supply with interesting software enhancements that will appease the high end enthusiast audience. This modern design adopts quality internal components with 105c rated Japanese capacitors to help justify the eye watering asking price.

In addition to the MEG series, MSI has also introduced its MPG PSU lineup with the latest ATX 3.0 standard. This PSU lineup is designed with core enthusiasts & high-performance gamers in mind. For starters, the PSU is 80 Plus Golde Certified & comes equipped with 100% Japanese capacitors that are rated to run optimally up to 105C.Anyway, I just set a custom fan speed at 710rpm and as you can see it sits in the low 20s, Even when gaming with Zero Dawn max-out settings it never gets above 35c now. The resistance of the MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 unit to adverse ambient conditions is astonishing, with the unit hardly affected at all while operating inside our hotbox. There is a practically negligible efficiency degradation of 0.2-0.3% depending on the load, a figure four to six times lower than other similar designs. There is very little additional degradation under heavy loads, suggesting that the components of the MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 are not thermally stressed at all. The mysterious triangle is a symbolic icon of MEG's infinite power, with the triangle's slope further extending the three pillars of MEG's core characteristics: legendary, loyalty, and luxurious.