In the MSI catalog, the A1000G PCIE5 model is the senior representative of the MPG series, which is designed for the mass consumer, but has all the regalia of a modern power supply – from support for the ATX 3.0 standard to passive cooling under low load.
⇡#Technical characteristics, design, price
The MPG A1000G PCIE5 is 80 PLUS Gold certified and certified Gold by Cybenetics. The power supply can deliver a full power of 1,000 W over the 12 V line and must withstand power surges of all consumers up to 2,000 W. The estimated power of the video card connected with a 12+4 cable is 600 W, and the short-term maximum is 1,800 W.
The PSU case is 150 mm deep and is blown by a 135 mm fan. The latter begins to rotate only when a certain load is reached, but will operate in constant mode if the switch button is pressed.
The MPG A1000G PCIE5 test sample has a connector of the already outdated 12VHPWR standard. In the updated version of the power supply, which is sold under the same name, it was replaced by a more reliable 12V2x6. However, this is not a critical upgrade, because the well-known problem of loose contacts most often occurs on the video card side. At the same time, ATX 3.0 certification, unlike ATX 3.1, imposes more stringent requirements for the time of correct voltage regulation in the event of a power failure under full load (17 instead of 12 ms).
In addition to the 12VHPWR, the MPG A1000G PCIE5 has only four 12-volt connectors. In a high-performance system, three of them will be occupied by EPS and additional motherboard power cables. Fortunately, MSI added an adapter from 12VHPWR to two old-style eight-pin plugs, so connecting AMD video cards with three connectors is possible without additional splitters and not in a daisy chain.
All cables, except 12VHPWR, have a ribbon shape and a cross-section of the main cores of at least 18 AWG, and in video card power cables it has been increased to 16 AWG.
At a minimum cost of 18,199 rubles. During the period of work on the review, the MPG A1000G PCIE5 does not stand out from the general range of kilowatt power supplies with a 12VHPWR or 12V2x6 connector and “golden” energy efficiency.
⇡#Internal organization
The power supply is assembled on the OEM CSZ platform from Channel Well Technologies, which is often found in mid- and high-end devices. The MPG A1000G PCB design is typical of modern 80 PLUS gold certified power supplies. On the front side there is a cascade EMI filter, a varistor for surge protection, a combination of a thermistor with a relay to limit inrush currents and, of course, an active PFC unit.
The 12V line converter has a half-bridge topology with LLC. Synchronous rectifiers are installed on the reverse side.
Small voltages of 3.3 and 5 V are generated from 12 V using DC-DC converters.
Electrolytic capacitors are represented by products of Japanese companies Nichicon, Nippon Chemi-Con and Rubycon.
The insides of the power supply are cooled by a Hong Hua fan model HA13525H12SF-Z on a hydrodynamic bearing.
⇡#Testing methodology
The testing methodology adopted in 3DNews is described in a separate article, which is recommended for reading to understand the design of computer power supplies and their most important characteristics. Refer to it to find out why it is needed and how this or that component mentioned in the review works, and how to interpret the test results.
⇡#Test results
MPG A1000G PCIE5 confirmed the claim for “golden” energy efficiency in the power range available to the test bench up to 840 W, but only under the condition of a dominant load on the 12 V line. Small lines undergo additional voltage conversion, which sharply reduces the overall efficiency.
In “hybrid” cooling mode, the power supply fan begins to rotate only when the total load power reaches 400 W (again on the 12 V line). Even with a power of 800 W, which includes small lines, the fan speed does not exceed 950 rpm. If you turn off the “hybrid” mode, the rotation speed curve under a load of 400 W will not change, but even at lower power the fan will maintain a low speed of about 400 rpm.
The MPG A1000G PCIE5 demonstrated impeccable 12 V voltage regulation: with a corresponding line power of up to 720 W, the voltage does not deviate from the standard by more than 1%. In turn, the voltage deviation of 5 V is within 2%. Only on the 3.3 V line under high load does the regulation error exceed the critical value of 5%, but this line is a legacy of previous versions of the ATX standard and is inactive in modern desktop computers.
The voltage swings on the 12 and 5 V lines at a load of 840 W are 20 and 16 mV, respectively, which is an excellent result.
⇡#Conclusions
MSI MPG A1000G PCIE5 is another above-average power supply that has high power – 1,000 W – and earns its value with such qualities as “golden” efficiency, quiet operation and passive cooling at loads less than 400 W. Low ripple range and impeccable stability of 12 and 5 V voltages are also mandatory attributes of a modern power supply. Perhaps the only drawback of the device is the poor regulation of the 3.3 V line, but high current on it has long been a theoretical situation for a gaming computer or workstation.