MSI PSU buying guide: a round-up of the power supplies offered by the company
We help you find the best MSI power supply for your needs in 2024
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The MSI line of PSUs has some absolute belters this year, and covers the full range of Wattage for PC builds with different power demands, plus options for different budgets. We have the latest premium-end MEG Ai1300P, which has a tonne of unique features, plus more affordable mid-range options like the MAG A850GL.
If you want to get your head around what the different specs mean before we dive into our selections then do take a look further down this page at the ‘Things to consider when buying a power supply’ section.
- Watt: 1300W
- Modularity: Full Modular
- Efficiency: 80 PLUS Platinum
- Fan Size: 120mm
- Dimension: 160 x 150 x 86mm
Top of the line in the MSI PSU range is the Ai1300P: a truly premium power supply that will future-proof your build, give you all the juice you need for some high performing components. As the first ATX 3.0 compatible power supply in the market, MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 is built according to Intel Power Supply Design Guide for ATX and as name suggest complies with the latest PCIE5 standards, providing native 16 PIN PCIe connector for latest NVIDIA RTX 40 graphics cards, along with many interesting new features.
There’s a port in the PSU that can connect via mini USB cable to a socket on a MSI motherboard to allow for MSI G.I. (Gaming Intelligence) features. These features include a real-time power monitor, to see what Wattage, Voltage, and temperature is being output by the PSU at any one time, plus the power that is being supplied to each component; an intelligent fan mode which allows adjustment of fan speed to reduce noise depending on loading, and a multi/single rail switching feature, which can change to either depending on the current output and the user’s needs.
Besides this, the PSU is rated to a Platinum 80 Plus efficiency standard (the best there is). It comes with extra large (twice the normal size) heatsinks, which feature Japanese-made 105°C capacitors. The SILENT GALE 120mm fan has blades that are constructed from liquid crystal polymer for improved stability, strength and heat resistance, plus it runs on a hydrodynamic bearing that both reduces fan noise and should extend its lifespan. You get a nice 10 year limited warranty for extra piece of mind and even get a couple of cable management inserts included! If you are looking for a PSU to support your RTX 4090 or 4080 SUPER, it is quite a decent option.
A high-quality, upper-mid range PSU: MPG A1000G PCIE5 & A850G PCIE5
- Watt: 1000W
- Modularity: Full Modular
- Efficiency: 80 PLUS Gold
- Fan Size: 135mm
- Dimension: 150 x 150 x 86mm
If you’re looking for a great quality, upper mid-range power supply then the MPG A1000G has the bells and whistles, plus the build quality to meet your needs.
To start with, this PSU has a Gold efficiency rating under both the 80 Plus and Cybernetics award standards, which is very nice indeed. The capacitors in this product are again 100% high-quality, Japanese-made 105°C components and this, along with the high build quality in general, mean MSI guarantees it with a 10-year warranty.
Again, the design is based on LLC Half Bridge Topology with DC-DC, and you get industrial level protection from the following mechanisms: OCP, OTP, OVP, OPP, UVP, and SCP. You also get 2x total power excursion and 3x GPU power excursion.
If you want to save a bit more money and don’t quite need 1000W of power for your PC, you can also get the 850W, A850G variant. In general, these two models would be an ideal match if you are looking to build a high end RTX 4070 SUPER or above gaming PCs.
A more affordable, but flexible PSU: MAG A850GL & A750GL PCIE5
- Watt: 850W
- Modularity: Full Modular
- Efficiency: 80 PLUS Gold
- Fan Size: 120mm
- Dimension: 140 x 150 x 86mm
The MSI MAG A850GL is fully modular, comes with PCIe 5.0 and Intel PSDG support, a DC-DC full bridge design, active PFC, and a Gold 80 Plus & Cybernetics efficiency rating. You get a 120mm cooling fan with a fluid dynamic bearing (meaning reduced noise). As with the models above, it can handle up to 2x total power excursion and 3x GPU power excursion.
Compared to the above MPG G models, these PSUs sacrifice some of the extras like the silent fan mode, Japanese-made capacitors, and the 10 year warranty (you get 5 years with the ‘MAG GL’) for a lower MSRP. They are however slightly more compact than the G versions though, and smaller than most other ATX 3.0 power supplies on the market, giving you a bit more room for cable management in the back of your case, and the flat cables it comes with further facilitate this.
In terms of colour options, you can also pick up a white version of the PSU, if you’re looking to put together an all-white build.
Additionally, you can get the lower-powered 750W version if your rig doesn’t need quite as much juice and you want to save a bit more money.
The entry-level option: MSI MAG A750BN and MAG A650BN
- Watt: 650W
- Modularity: Full Modular
- Efficiency: 80 PLUS Bronze
- Fan Size: 120mm
- Dimension: 140 x 150 x 86mm
The MSI MAG A750BN & MAG A650BN are true entry-level options for those looking to put together their build on a tight budget. They have a Bronze 80 Plus efficiency rating, which is the lowest on this list, but it still has a 5 year limited warranty so if there are any problems it can easily be replaced/repaired, along with the peace of mind offered by its integrated OCP, OTP, OVP, OPP, and SCP protection mechanisms.
Cooling is powered by a 120mm fan which only emits low levels of noise thanks in part to its sleeve bearing. Once again, it’s based on a 12V single rail with a DC to SC circuit design, and active PFC.
If 650W will cover your needs, you want an ATX size PSU, and you’re happy with the Bronze efficiency rating, then this is a great way to save some cash.
Things to consider when buying a power supply
If this is your first time buying a PSU or if you just want to brush up on your knowledge a bit before making your purchase, cast your eyes over the below features you need to be aware of.
Wattage rating
The initial thing to consider is the wattage rating you’ll need your power supply to be. This figure will need to be sufficient to meet the needs of all the components in your PC build, particularly power-intensive ones such as the graphics card and processor. It’s wise to invest in a PSU with a higher wattage than what your current build demands, allowing for potential future upgrades and providing a buffer for increased power requirements. If you are looking for a PSU calculator, you can try MSI’s Power Supply Calculator.
ATX and PCIE standards
As the power draw of the new graphics cards increase, the power requirements also increase. Note that even if your graphics card says it required 500 Watt, the power excursion, that is the instantaneous power draw at a limited time can be 3x the rated wattage. If your PSU cannot handle that, even a 1000 Watt PSU might not suffice to keep your system running. That is why new ATX 3.0 / PCIE5 power supplies comes with extra components to compensate for the extra power surges.
Another thing to keep in mind if you are looking for a PSU to handle new RTX 40 series graphics cards is to make sure the PSU comes with a native 16 pin power cable. While you can make it work with a 8-pin PCI to 16-pin PCIE5 adaptors, having a 16-pin cable under warrant out of the box will be more convenient than looking online for an alternative solution.
Efficiency rating
The efficiency of a power supply unit is essentially a measure of what amount of the electricity it draws from the mains power outlet is effectively utilized by the computer it powers. Higher efficiency PSUs not only waste less power but also generate less heat, resulting in quieter operation as they require less fan cooling.
Over the last couple of decades the 80 Plus rating system has been the most common standardized rating system used to help consumers assess PSU efficiency. PSUs within this system must deliver at least 80% power efficiency under 20%, 50%, and 100% loads. The rankings in the system range from Standard/White to Titanium, with higher-rated PSUs typically come at a higher cost. You can find detailed information about these ratings on our power supply ratings guide. Additionally, there’s a newer and more precise efficiency standard from Cybernetics Labs that you’ll increasingly see quoted with a similar range of ranks, which considers variations in regional mains power outputs (such as those in the US, EU, UK, etc.).
Semi-passive vs Passive
Either passive or semi-passive cooling technologies can be used in PSUs to regulate temperature, though the latter is much more common. Passive PSUs operate without any moving parts, meaning they have no fans and rely solely on heatsinks for cooling, so run virtually silently.
Entirely passive PSUs do struggle to adequately cool high-power builds however, and so every power supply on this list is semi-passive, meaning they feature a fan but activate it only when required under medium to high loads, maintaining near-silent operation during low-usage scenarios.
Modularity
Modularity in power supplies refers to the ability to detach cables, as opposed to having them permanently soldered onto the PSU. Fully modular PSUs allow you to remove all cables, offering flexibility in cable management within your PC build. Most examples here will be fully modular.
