MEG Ai1300P PSU - Unusual Heat That's [Supposedly] Intended

[weemscree15dd02e8]

Recently built a new computer with the following components:

Board: ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
VGA: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 24GB GDDR6X
PSU: MSI MEG Ai1300P (plugged into motherboard via G.I. Port, Mini USB to JUSB 9-pin)
CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K
MEM: Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) 5600MHz C36
COOLER: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360
OS: Windows 10 64bit Professional, 22H2

Temperatures for all components other than the PSU are as expected. When idle/light internet browsing, CPU doesn't exceed 35 C and GPU doesn't exceed 42 C. Benchmarking in CBR32, the CPU does not exceed 88 C. Benchmarking in Unigine Heaven, the GPU does not exceed 58 C (it's also power limited to 70%). No undervolting nor underclocking has been applied to any component.

Physically, my computer feels cool near the intake and exhaust fans. However, I do feel a good deal of warmth coming from the back of my case near the PSU. To the point where I'm physically noticing it without going out of my way to check. And only in the back, not at the bottom near the PSU intake fan.

Monitoring data in MSI Center during light/medium internet browsing (Firefox, ~15 open tabs, no media playing), the PSU is temperature reads 48 C. To me, that seems warmer than it should be, especially given my experience with other PSUs in similar builds. However, MSI Support told me that's normal.

Even if I sit idle at the desktop when nothing is open, and Output Wattage is 60-80W, PSU temperature is over 40 C.

I'm confused because I found a picture that someone posted on this forum from when they were playing New World (game) and their PSU temperature is much less than mine while I'm simply browsing the internet, and their Output Wattage is much higher.

But again, according the MSI Support my idle/internet browsing temperatures are normal.

The perhaps bigger issue is that the fan never kicks on, even while pushing the PC. While I ran Unigine Heaven, the Output Wattage never exceeded ~480W. And as I'm running Unigine Heaven, every minute or so the PSU temperature increased. No matter how high it increased, the PSU fan never started.

I eventually stopped the software at around 68-69 C because I wasn't interested in seeing how hot it would get before it shut itself off.

MSI Support has told me so much conflicting information that I'm simply not sure what is true. One support member told me the PSU would turn itself off at 70 C, another told me that's at 105 C. One support member told me the fan would start once the PSU reaches 70 C, another told me that it won't start until power output is greater than 1000W. All the while, every time this information is being communicated to me, I kindly ask them to confirm [due to so much conflicting information], I'm put on hold, then I'm told it's confirmed. When I raise previous conflicting communications, I'm told the last support member must have been mistaken.

This PSU is already a replacement from the first MEG Ai1300P that I purchased because of a factory defect in which transistors put in the wrong location were physically preventing cables from being plugged in. I'm now trying to determine if I have another defective unit, but it's difficult for me due to all the conflicting messaging from MSI Support. Either way, according to them, after providing all of this information, they're telling me that there's no issue. But there's so much heat coming from this unit, in temperature readings but more importantly to me, physically, that I can't imagine there's no issue here.

I found the following image posted in a different thread:

Since it appears to be a marketing material, perhaps this is the truth?

In terms of setting a "Customized" fan speed, couple notes on that. First off, MSI Center itself is quite buggy and exhibits inconsistent behavior. For example, I set the Fan Speed to Customized, then set it back to Auto, however every time I opened the software it would be switched back to Customized. No matter what I tried, the setting would not stick/carry forward. Then the issue started happening the other way around. Eventually I had to reinstall the program just to reset it. It's not soley me with this issue because I found others reporting similar elsewhere, for example:

That's from about a month ago but I've seen others that date further back. I've yet to see a comment from MSI addressing the software issues.

There's also no way to set a fan curve or anything of that nature, so even if I did specify a manual RPM, I'd then have to make further adjustments depending on my scenario. For example I set it to X speed continuously, but then there's a scenario in which it should be running faster. At the end of the day, setting a "Customized" fan speed isn't really a solve here.

Due to my work in AI and other areas, I'll need to push this computer, so to say.

Could someone please answer the following:
1) MSI is claiming my idle/light internet browsing PSU temperatures (generally 43 - 47 C) are normal. Is that actually the case? If so, how does that make sense given the example image that I provided from someone else on this forum in which New World was being run?

2) Had I kept Unigine Heaven running, would the fan have eventually started? That's still not clear to me.

3) Does anyone have a recommendation into addressing the heat exhibited by the unit, whether that's idle or internet browsing or AI work or gaming or whatever? I've got a 1200W PSU from a different company and no matter how hard I push the output wattage, physically it never feels as warm as this unit does while it's idle. Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to return this PSU, so that's not an option.

4) Any other comments/suggestions in general.

 

[darkhawk]

Comparing any given computer to another, isn't just as simple as looking at a single temperature.
What's the ambient temperature?
What's the case look like? How about airflow within the case?
What other physical things could possibly play a part?
Is the case close to a wall, with the back nearly touching it? causing air flow to be impeded?
Honestly.....is it possible? Sure. But its not just as simple as you have laid out. Even a few degrees difference in ambient temp can change it much more than 10 degrees, all things depending.

 

[weemscree15dd02e8]

What's the ambient temperature?

21 C

What's the case look like? How about airflow within the case?

Fractal Design Meshify 2 - 9.4 x 22.3 x 23.6" (W x H x D)
There is a healthy amount of airflow within the case. Air is cool other than from near the PSU.

What other physical things could possibly play a part?
Is the case close to a wall, with the back nearly touching it? causing air flow to be impeded?

Nothing to my knowledge. It's sat in the same spot since I've built it. Middle of a table with nothing surrounding it other than a monitor next to it.

 

[C0de]

Recently built a new computer with the following components:


Temperatures for all components other than the PSU are as expected. When idle/light internet browsing, the CPU doesn't exceed 35 C and GPU doesn't exceed 42 C. Benchmarking in CBR32, the CPU does not exceed 88 C. Benchmarking in Unigine Heaven, the GPU does not exceed 58 C (it's also power limited to 70%). No undervolting nor underclocking has been applied to any component.

View attachment 169762
Even if I sit idle at the desktop when nothing is open, and Output Wattage is 60-80W, PSU temperature is over 40 C.

I'm confused because I found a picture that someone posted on this forum from when they were playing New World (game) and their PSU temperature is much less than mine while I'm simply browsing the internet, and their Output Wattage is much higher.
View attachment 169764

View attachment 169771

I have a similar set up which is:

MOBO - MSI Z690 Carbon Wifi (DDR5)
CPU - 17-12700k
RAM - Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 32GB DDR5 @5600Mhz
GPU - Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 Master 24GB GDDR6X
PSU - MSI MEG Ai1300p

My Ai1300p PSU was running at 46c when everything else was idle

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.

Though I do wish or hope in the future some update would allow us to set a Custom Fan Curve

My biggest issue is the Weekly consumption, as you can see it Skips some days and doesn't bother recording the data to the graph at all, even though my PC is on 24/7.

I also see in yours, that it hasn't recorded any daily consumption data.

Getting back to the temps issue,... as you can see, temps are now fine, but I do also agree that it shouldn't be getting that high in the first place!... right?
Or every other PSU I have had over the years has never done so.

 

[citay]

When talking about PSU temperature, you cannot define a "normal" range for it without knowing where the temperature sensor is placed. Some parts will get hot and that's normal, other parts are not supposed to get as hot.

In this review, you can see the fan coming at just over 500W power consumption at 21°C ambient temperature: https://www.anandtech.com/show/18679/the-msi-meg-ai1300p-pcie5-1300w-psu-review/3

So that would explain this:

The perhaps bigger issue is that the fan never kicks on, even while pushing the PC. While I ran Unigine Heaven, the Output Wattage never exceeded ~480W. And as I'm running Unigine Heaven, every minute or so the PSU temperature increased. No matter how high it increased, the PSU fan never started.

The threshold for active cooling to start gets shifted lower with 45°C ambient temperatures, more around the 400W mark: https://www.anandtech.com/show/18679/the-msi-meg-ai1300p-pcie5-1300w-psu-review/4

When looking at other people's screenshots, they will have a different situation inside their case, you can't compare it directly when variables like the intake/ambient temperature aren't controlled.

With a semi-passive PSU such as this, today's case designs are actually not ideal for it, banishing the PSU into a place below some shroud, so it is completely out of sight. Because for the passive part of the operation, you would want to have it mounted with the holes on the top side, so hot air can rise out of it.

If you look at completely passive PSU designs such as from my PSU, they are very open on top and you have to mount them accordingly, otherwise they heat up a lot.

So for situations where the PSU is mounted holes-down below a shroud, i prefer the solution that be quiet! are employing, with a silent low-RPM fan being on at all times.
With an old-school case like mine (Fractal Define R4), where i can mount the PSU on the bottom with the air vents facing upwards, i feel confident in using a fanless PSU.

 

[weemscree15dd02e8]

I have a similar set up which is:

MOBO - MSI Z690 Carbon Wifi (DDR5)
CPU - 17-12700k
RAM - Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 32GB DDR5 @5600Mhz
GPU - Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 Master 24GB GDDR6X
PSU - MSI MEG Ai1300p

My Ai1300p PSU was running at 46c when everything else was idle

Thanks so much for your response. I appreciate you providing those details. It's encouraging to know that it isn't just me.

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.

Appreciate the recommendation. I'll give MSI Center another shot and hopefully the fan settings persist upon restarting the program. My concern is that maybe there's a reason, from a hardware perspective, that they aren't having the fan start until there's an extreme amount of heat. Perhaps it isn't rated to run that often. If that is indeed the situation, I wonder if running it 24/7 (or always when the PC is on) will cause issues in the short - medium term. I suppose, at least for me, it's better to do it and run that risk than to be too hot, physically, at my desk. I just can't think of any other reason why it wouldn't be running at these higher idle temperatures unless there was some kind of [unusually high] increased hardware risk over time.

For MSI Center, do you know:
1) Does it have to start with Windows upon booting in order to get the fan started? Or does the program not have to run for that to persist upon boot?
2) Do you have to manually set the RPM every time the program boots, or does that setting persist for you?

My biggest issue is the Weekly consumption, as you can see it Skips some days and doesn't bother recording the data to the graph at all, even though my PC is on 24/7.

I also see in yours, that it hasn't recorded any daily consumption data.

Sorry that's not working as intended. Seems like another issue with the software but I haven't even explored those metrics in MSI Center so I don't have much insight.

Getting back to the temps issue,... as you can see, temps are now fine, but I do also agree that it shouldn't be getting that high in the first place!... right?
Or every other PSU I have had over the years has never done so.

Agreed. That's what threw me off in the first place. This is unlike anything I've ever experienced with any other PSU.

Thanks again for all of your input.

 

[weemscree15dd02e8]

When talking about PSU temperature, you cannot define a "normal" range for it without knowing where the temperature sensor is placed. Some parts will get hot and that's normal, other parts are not supposed to get as hot.

In this review, you can see the fan coming at just over 500W power consumption at 21°C ambient temperature: https://www.anandtech.com/show/18679/the-msi-meg-ai1300p-pcie5-1300w-psu-review/3

Thanks for your response and that information.

Throughout this post we've seen scenarios where output power is high and PSU temperature is low, and we've seen situations where output power is low and temperature is high. Given that there's so many factors behind those realities, why is whether or not the fan starts based on power and not temperature?

And if temperature is a indeed determinant (perhaps it starts at greater than 70 C, still not clear if that's even the case), why is it so high before the fan starts? That 70 C threshold is far too high before the fan should be starting.

When looking at other people's screenshots, they will have a different situation inside their case, you can't compare it directly when variables like the intake/ambient temperature aren't controlled.

A direct comparison, sure, I don't disagree at all. When we're talking 39 C vs 69 C, it's certainly seems worth raising at the very least.

With a semi-passive PSU such as this, today's case designs are actually not ideal for it, banishing the PSU into a place below some shroud, so it is completely out of sight. Because for the passive part of the operation, you would want to have it mounted with the holes on the top side, so hot air can rise out of it.

If you look at completely passive PSU designs such as from my PSU, they are very open on top and you have to mount them accordingly, otherwise they heat up a lot.

So for situations where the PSU is mounted holes-down below a shroud, i prefer the solution that be quiet! are employing, with a silent low-RPM fan being on at all times.
With an old-school case like mine (Fractal Define R4), where i can mount the PSU on the bottom with the air vents facing upwards, i feel confident in using a fanless PSU.

This has never been an issue that I've experienced prior to this specific PSU, whether that be with this case or others in which the PSU is also mounted holes-down below a shroud. The MEG Ai1300P behavior in terms of fan functionalities could and should be similar to the be quiet! functionality that you're referencing, even if the fan in the MEG Ai1300P isn't a "silent" fan. Have it run low-RPM at all times, especially give how hot this specific PSU runs even in idle, then have it ramp up as temperature increases.

Why is that not possible to set through software such as MSI Center?

 

[citay]

And if temperature is a indeed determinant (perhaps it starts at greater than 70 C, still not clear if that's even the case), why is it so high before the fan starts? That 70 C threshold is far too high before the fan should be starting.

The marketing material you showed suggests that it based on power draw and/or temperature, meaning, either one of those parameters could make the fan spring into action. So they probably figured out a power draw threshold at which the fan should always come on, but a hotter temperature reading will force it into action below that point already.

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.

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.

I've had other units in the past, for example a Seasonic Prime Ultra Platinum 550W, which had a button on the back to switch from semi-fanless mode into fan-always-on-at-a-low-RPM-mode (which was hindred a bit by a clicking noise of the fan). So yeah, for people that get higher readings in semi-fanless mode, it would be a good move by MSI to offer more control over the fan curve.

 

[C0de]

For MSI Center, do you know:
1) Does it have to start with Windows upon booting in order to get the fan started? Or does the program not have to run for that to persist upon boot?
2) Do you have to manually set the RPM every time the program boots, or does that setting persist for you?

Sorry that's not working as intended. Seems like another issue with the software but I haven't even explored those metrics in MSI Center so I don't have much insight.

You're welcome!

As to your questions:
1- MSI Center, The actual program doesn't need to start, as the MSI services auto-run in the background (as long as the program is installed) Just tested now!
2- Set it and forget it, It'll auto-start the fan without having to open the program and manually set it.

again, we can only hope MSI will fix the data logging issues in a future update and hopefully add a 3 or 4-point fan curve option as we do with our case fans

 

[badboy2k]

the person with the 12700k is only pulling 74W while the OP is pulling over 110W and upto 480W and temps do not go up liner with Power Draw and the temp they are getting is very normal as its below the point the Fan will even start up at 70C and is not that hot you stopped just before the Fan would start up when you Chickened out at 69C as you where 1C off the Fan Start up range and it cuts back out once it drops to 55C.

 

[C0de]

the person with the 12700k is only pulling 74W while the OP is pulling over 110W and upto 480W and temps do not go up liner with Power Draw and the temp they are getting is very normal as its below the point the Fan will even start up at 70C and is not that hot you stopped just before the Fan would start up and it cuts back out once it drops to 55C.

It's the overall issue of these PSU which seem to be running warmer overall even when the PC's are Idle.
No matter what your pulling these PSUs do run hotter than any other I've ever seen.

When I first installed mine, It was around 46c at Idle and it was between 50c to 56c when pulling only 135Watts.

My old 1000w SuperFlower and Corsair HX1000 both ran around 60c to 70c pulling around 500-600w.

 

[badboy2k]

It's the overall issue of these PSU which seem to be running warmer overall even when the PC's are Idle.
No matter what your pulling these PSUs do run hotter than any other I've ever seen.

When I first installed mine, It was around 46c at Idle and it was between 50c to 56c when pulling only 135Watts.

My old 1000w SuperFlower and Corsair HX1000 both ran around 60c to 70c pulling around 500-600w.

trying to Compare one PSU to another's temperature readings they send is a false Errand as you have no Idea where they Place there temperature sensor like others have Said they may have the sensor just picking up Ambient Temperature in the PSU where another may have it sat on lets say the +12V Regulator (the hottest Part) so its impossible to compare the 2. unless you know exactly where the sensor is its hard to say what the real temp actually is and you would have to test each one in the same location inside to find out where each is detecting temperature to be able to compare as there is no Location everyone Places the sensor and is very Variable.

 

[weemscree15dd02e8]

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.

Appreciate your response and that information. It does give me peace of mind in terms of the PSU accommodating those temperatures in the long run. I do still have two related thoughts, though. The first relates to longevity surrounding the fan and running that all of the time whenever the PSU is running, and wondering if there's a good reason why it doesn't do that already. However, similar to your other points, if it's possible in the software, and the unit has that lengthy of a warranty, then I guess it's nothing to worry about. The second is that even though the PSU may very well be fine operating at the temperatures that it's operating at, physically with the heat, that doesn't really help me. That's the only reason why I started down this path in the first place. My office isn't too large and I've never experienced this type of heat from a computer in there. Based on a response from another member, I'll set a manual fan RPM and reevaluate.

1- MSI Center, The actual program doesn't need to start, as the MSI services auto-run in the background (as long as the program is installed) Just tested now!
2- Set it and forget it, It'll auto-start the fan without having to open the program and manually set it.

Thanks so much! That's very helpful to know. I'll experiment with the software again tomorrow.

again, we can only hope MSI will fix the data logging issues in a future update and hopefully add a 3 or 4-point fan curve option as we do with our case fans

Indeed!

trying to Compare one PSU to another's temperature readings they send is a false Errand

Thanks for your responses and the information.

While I understand that is true - in terms of comparing temperature readings from different PSUs - what I can compare this PSU to, relative to other PSUs, is the fact that no others that I've used in my office (even in systems with similar specs) have made me feel physical heat in this way. And certainly not to the point where I'm investigating to this extent. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't some buyer's remorse in that respect. It was an unexpected byproduct of this build, though certainly my own fault for not investigating as much as I could've.

The vastly different information on this topic that I've been provided by multiple MSI Support employees is also a bit bewildering to me. Not sure why I received so much conflicting information, especially for questions that, to me, should have pretty straightforward answers. Such as, "at what point does the fan kick on?" I don't exactly spend all day calling different component manufacturers' support lines, but my experiences with MSI Support have been very different than those from other companies, unfortunately in a negative way. I'm very appreciative for the information provided by you and others.

Ultimately this thread has helped me understand the situation and a path forward. I'll give MSI Center another shot, hope that I don't experience further issues setting a manual fan RPM, and use this as a learning opportunity for my next build.

 

[citay]

While I understand that is true - in terms of comparing temperature readings from different PSUs - what I can compare this PSU to, relative to other PSUs, is the fact that no others that I've used in my office (even in systems with similar specs) have made me feel physical heat in this way.

The reason for this is not the PSU. If we look at your this screenshot of yours, we have all the important numbers there regarding the PSU. At that point in time, all the attached components draw a combined 480W of power, and the PSU is running at 91.9% efficiency. The other 8.1% to make up 100% are going to waste as heat within the PSU itself. That amounts to 42W of heat generated inside the PSU from its own losses. So the rest of the components need 11.4x as much power than just the PSU here, and it all turns into heat!

You have built a PC with the Core i9-13900K, the most power-hungry desktop CPU ever (let's bunch the -KS in here as well, it's just a binned and tuned 13900K), with a ridiculously high power consumption upwards of 300W when unlimited (which even Intel admitted and MSI confirmed is borderline uncoolable, so it's better to restrict it to something less). And a GeForce RTX 4090, the most power-hungry desktop GPU ever, with an equally ridiculous up to 450W under full load. Whenever you get one or both of those working up a sweat, then it shouldn't be a surprise where all the heat is coming from.

Now, you say that neither your CPU nor your GPU get to worrying temperatures, but that's only one side of the coin. They still generate a bunch of heat, it's just that your cooling is quite capable to get rid of it fast enough. So don't be mistaken about the temperatures suggesting a relatively low power draw. I bet when you look at the sensors like i describe here, then you will see that the power draw is indeed very high, and it says so there black on grey in MSI Center as well.

So why, i hear you ask, does it only feel this hot with this PSU? The only explanation can be airflow. We know the power draw of the attached components (it will not change between PSUs, if the other one is equally capable), we know the efficiency of the PSU because it shows it, and the efficiency is as high as you can get, more or less. So another PSU can't have lower losses than maybe 40W at that kind of power draw. One big variable that changed in regards to the heat radiating from the PC is therefore the PSU fan not spinning under such load. A spinning fan, even though the PSU a bit covered down there in the "PSU tunnel" (although i've since looked at a more detailed picture of the case, and it seems like there are lots of ventilation holes down there), can perhaps create a sort of "draft/vortex effect" when the air is accelerated out of the PSU, taking some hot air from further above in the PC with it more behind the PC. Something like that.

One thing is for sure, the total wattage turning into heat hasn't changed much at all from using this PSU, if the efficiency is similar to another PSU you had before. Only the way the heat is distributed into the room has changed, so the hot air lingers more around the PC now. That's the logical explanation.

 

[weemscree15dd02e8]

The reason for this is not the PSU.
...
...Core i9-13900K...GeForce RTX 4090...Whenever you get one or both of those working up a sweat, then it shouldn't be a surprise where all the heat is coming from.

If that were the case, then I'd be feeling heat from other areas of the case. But that's not the situation. I only feel heat directly behind the PSU. I'm not denying that the other components are power hungry, nor am I denying that they contribute to the heat. However, if they were major contributing factors to this situation, then I'd feel heat in other places such as near the exhaust fans. That's not the situation. Everything else feels very cool.

So why, i hear you ask, does it only feel this hot with this PSU? The only explanation can be airflow.

I'm not utilizing the drive storage bay section of the case as the user is in the picture that you linked. See the following:
View attachment 169853
There is plenty of room for air to flow freely throughout the case and I do not believe that airflow, nor lack thereof, is significantly contributing to the heat that I'm feeling. There are three intake fans blowing straight at the CPU, GPU, and PSU. The only heat felt from the rear of the case is directly behind the PSU, nothing else.

That's the logical explanation.

Well, another logical explanation is simply that this MSI PSU runs warmer than other PSUs.

 

[weemscree15dd02e8]

I have a similar set up which is:

MOBO - MSI Z690 Carbon Wifi (DDR5)
CPU - 17-12700k
RAM - Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 32GB DDR5 @5600Mhz
GPU - Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 Master 24GB GDDR6X
PSU - MSI MEG Ai1300p

My Ai1300p PSU was running at 46c when everything else was idle

View attachment 169812

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.

Though I do wish or hope in the future some update would allow us to set a Custom Fan Curve

My biggest issue is the Weekly consumption, as you can see it Skips some days and doesn't bother recording the data to the graph at all, even though my PC is on 24/7.

I also see in yours, that it hasn't recorded any daily consumption data.

Getting back to the temps issue,... as you can see, temps are now fine, but I do also agree that it shouldn't be getting that high in the first place!... right?
Or every other PSU I have had over the years has never done so.

Wow - what a difference this made. The fan on my PSU is running at ~706 RPM and now that area behind my case is nice and cool. Temperature reading is now showing 29 C which is the lowest I've seen it since building this PC. Also can't even hear the fan running. And just as you stated, I don't even need MSI Center to start upon booting Windows.

Thanks so much for this advice! Guess I'll see what happens in the long run.

 

[citay]

There are three intake fans blowing straight at the CPU, GPU, and PSU.

Yes, the bottom intake fan blows at the PSU, but the PSU is not blowing the hot air out. It accumulates and has time to slowly heat up.
Let me illustrate what i think is going on.

So what you have there at the bottom inside the PSU shroud is a slow heat-up, just from the 40W of heat inside the PSU that is not carried out by any fan. And the air will take the path of least resistance, meaning, a lot of the bottom intake fan air will be pulled upwards by the four fans working as exhausts. Only when you create a proper airflow down at the PSU will the hot air get removed quickly from it, instead of having time to heat up and radiate the heat that you can feel.

Well, another logical explanation is that this MSI PSU runs warmer than other PSUs.

Again, i can assure you, this is impossible. We exactly know the efficiency, and thus how many Watts are turned into heat inside the PSU. This will be more or less identical between PSUs of similar efficiency. So the one and only explanation is the airflow.

 

[darkhawk]

Honestly, this is one of the few supplies that provides any actual info the user.
Comparing how one supply feels vs one that provides precise, direct feedback, isn't really qualitative.

That being said, if you are that incredibly concerned about temperatures leaving the supply to run on it's own, then setup a custom fan setting and leave it go?
Any increased airflow is going to keep that exponentially cooler. And given it's currently not using the fan at all, even setting it up at 25% or so will make things a ton better.

 

[weemscree15dd02e8]

Yes, the bottom intake fan blows at the PSU, but the PSU is not blowing the hot air out. It accumulates and has time to slowly heat up.
Let me illustrate what i think is going on.

View attachment 169855

So what you have there at the bottom inside the PSU shroud is a slow heat-up, just from the 40W of heat inside the PSU that is not carried out by any fan. And the air will take the path of least resistance, meaning, a lot of the bottom intake fan air will be pulled upwards by the four fans working as exhausts. Only when you create a proper airflow down at the PSU will the hot air get removed quickly from it, instead of having time to heat up and radiate the heat that you can feel.



Again, i can assure you, this is impossible. We exactly know the efficiency, and thus how many Watts are turned into heat inside the PSU. This will be more or less identical between PSUs of similar efficiency. So the one and only explanation is the airflow.

Thank you for that information.

That does make sense. Manually enabling the PSU fan has helped tremendously, which seems to align with the dynamics of the airflow/heat that you described. The rear of my case near the PSU now feels very cool. And there's also no added noise that I can personally hear.

Hopefully down the road MSI will allow for additional configurations such as fan curves.

Honestly, this is one of the few supplies that provides any actual info the user.
Comparing how one supply feels vs one that provides precise, direct feedback, isn't really qualitative.

That being said, if you are that incredibly concerned about temperatures leaving the supply to run on it's own, then setup a custom fan setting and leave it go?
Any increased airflow is going to keep that exponentially cooler. And given it's currently not using the fan at all, even setting it up at 25% or so will make things a ton better.

I appreciate your response. As you advised, manually enabling the PSU fan (currently ~706 RPM) has cooled down the rear area of my case. Downside is that now I'll have to keep in mind the PSU fan is not automatically controlled so in the future if the PSU fan would otherwise be running faster than 706 RPM, now it won't be.

 

[Nichrome]

@weemscree15dd02e8
Whats up with the edits? You just made all replies irrelevant which might have served other users having similar questions