The MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 1300W PSU Review: The ATX 3.0 Era Has Begun
by E. Fylladitakis on December 8, 2022 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- PSUs
- MSI
- PCIe 5.0
- ATX v3.0
Cold Test Results (~22°C Ambient)
For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts. For a thorough explanation of our testing methodology and more details on our equipment, please refer to our How We Test PSUs - 2014 Pipeline post.
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 its efficiency under very low loads is quite high, at above 83% for a 5% load.
The fan of the MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 is thermally controlled by default, with the unit keeping it disabled until the load was over 430-440 Watts. Regardless, the internal temperature of the PSU is quite low considering the massive power output. Once the fan does start, it is very quiet at first but then speeds up very quickly as the load increases, making the Ai1300P clearly audible when the load is greater than 800 Watts.
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PeachNCream - Friday, December 9, 2022 - link
That's a lot of bullshit to go through just to amuse yourself though. There are less power intensive and expensive ways to get the same amount of entertainment.Threska - Saturday, December 10, 2022 - link
I imagine vibrators don't use that much. :-DTheinsanegamerN - Saturday, December 10, 2022 - link
yeah but in the summer I'm outside doing things, not playing bideo gamies.Those are for winter when its too Fing cold to go outside.
flyingpants265 - Wednesday, December 14, 2022 - link
So don't buy it. IMO these manufacturers are leaving a lot of performance on the table, there's just too much overheard built into both the hardware and software. Maybe if these things were redesigned from the ground up (like Apple's M1, but better) we'd see much better performance gains.My question is this: after every card out there can do 4k 120fps, what exactly is left? 8k doesn't even seem worth it at all, and neither does raytracing really. VR still sucks a decade later. Personally I'm a big supporter of ultrawide/surround gaming. But I can't really think of anything else.
watersb - Thursday, December 8, 2022 - link
Excellent review.It occurred to me that you might want to link to your discussion of the ATX 3.0 power excursion testing challenges somewhere on the "Conclusion" page, perhaps the third paragraph there.
It's new, and for those readers who skim the first page then jump to the last, it's worth their time to read it. (It's worth their time to read every word, but habits need a push to change in this case.)
hansmuff - Thursday, December 8, 2022 - link
For $350, this unit is too loud. There should be an offering with a larger chassis and a 140mm fan. Others can do it, so can you MSI.Samus - Friday, December 9, 2022 - link
Very disappointed in the fan myself. They should have made the case longer to put in a 140mm. Really odd design choice to restrict themselves on a flagship product with a short length PSU chassis.Oxford Guy - Friday, December 9, 2022 - link
These things should have 200mm Noctua fans.Tomatotech - Sunday, December 11, 2022 - link
Why is a (too small) 120mm fan or a (too large) 140mm fan acceptable but a (right size) 135mm fan forbidden due to patent issues?Can you patent a specific size of fan? Or a specific size of any commonly used item?
GreenReaper - Tuesday, December 20, 2022 - link
I tried reading this Chinese one, which does mention a 135mm fan in one dimension, but the wording is impenetrable. It expires in 2024, so perhaps if it is relevant it will permit expansion later. https://patents.google.com/patent/CN100498151C/en