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MSI Motherboards Powerful VRM Solution

Motherboards

With CPUs packed with more performance than ever before, the motherboard’s critical job is to consistently monitor and control the VRM voltages coming from the power supply and deliver the sufficient amount requested by the CPU itself. By sending a clean and steady flow of power to the motherboard, it ensures the VRM provides and enables the users to enjoy a dependable and durable system performance even when the CPU is overclocked.

Providing reliable and robust power starts at the base level and that is the component. The power delivery components supply the CPU with power for it to operate. With the sole purpose to control and manage the performance of the entire system so the quality of the PMW controller, chokes (inductors), capacitors, circuit design, and materials like 2oz Cooper and server-grade PCB is extremely crucial.

Better Efficient Power Delivery Components and Thermal Performance

MSI motherboard features high-quality power components for extra thermal headroom as well as stable and reliable system performance like advanced SMT capacitors from Japan, which are rated for thousands of hours. These Japanese capacitors are extremely durable across all MSI gaming motherboards and even more efficient at filtering noise on higher specifications models as well.

Ever since the Z100 series motherboards from Intel, MSI’s high-end, motherboards have used TI Choke, which is made from titanium alloy materials that are known for their durability, higher temperature, and current resistance. With its latest 4th generation TI Choke has become more efficient and much smaller, MSI has managed to fit more components onto the motherboard to help regulate the currents to provide a much more stable experience for the users. For example, R&D has very carefully designed the MEG Z790 GODLIKE’s VRM and evaluated the optimal space and routing to support the highest CPU Spec of 400A or higher current at overclocking.

Better Efficient Power Delivery Components and Thermal Performance
(MEG Z790 GODLIKE’s VRM Design)

For users that want to use a high-end CPU, the temperatures of the MOSFETs and VRM components are important as keeping a relatively low number during high load conditions; the system will be more stable and operate at a more optimal level. In addition to good efficiency, the benefits of maintaining and keeping the MOSFETs and VRM components at a lower temperature can also allow the components to have a much longer lifespan.

With our advanced circuitry design of the motherboards, MSI’s R&D team can avoid as much interference between the highly complex circuitry with each layer. The use of 2oz Cooper server-grade PCB materials to strengthen the signals, and transfer speeds, increase the thermal efficiency and spread the heat across the entire motherboard.

Better Efficient Power Delivery Components and Thermal Performance
(Thermal comparison between MPG Z490 GAMING CARBON WIFI and MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI)

As you can see above from the generation platform jump, other than using newer materials and components, MSI has also increased the number of power phases from 12 Phases 60A to 18 Phases 105A to deliver even more power while retaining a lower temperature across the entire VRM Design. The aluminum heatsink on the MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI helps alleviate the heat even more by spreading it across the entire block rather than on a specific area. Of course, because of the positioning of each segment, the materials used will be slightly different from motherboard to motherboard.

For example, the Z790 chipset models like MEG Z790 GODLIKE, MEG Z790 ACE and MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI adopts the 105A SPS while MPG Z790 EDGE WIFI and MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI uses a 90A SPS solution. It is just those higher-end models use better MOSFETs specifications and more components that could slightly lower the temperature even more.

For users who are looking for a more budget-friendly solution, the MAG B760 MORTAR MAX WIFI comes equipped with a 75A SPS configuration. Even though the B760 chipset does not support overclocking, this model has an OC Engine built onto the motherboard that allows the non-K series CPU to overclock to its maximum frequency.

Table for SPS (Smart Power Stage) Configuration by Models
Series
Models
SPS
MEG
Z790 ACE
105A
MPG
Z790 CARBON WIFI
105A
MPG
Z790 EDGE WIFI
90A
MAG
Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI
90A
MAG
B760 MORTAR MAX WIFI
75A


For example, the 105A SPS of Renesas not only can withstand the current specification of 105A, but its efficiency performance is also excellent which can correlate as the MOSFETs can be kept at a much lower temperature. MSI’s Z790 chipset motherboard power-delivery design from MEG to MAG Series is enough to handle Intel i9 CPUs. MSI uses the industry's highest standards of manufacturers for in-component selections, which have a life expectancy of 5 to 10 years unless abnormal phenomena occurs.

Although CPU architecture has shrunken in size, the increase of performance from generation to generation has significantly gone up hence the materials and components that are sourced are from the industry's highest quality materials to able to sustain the power that is pumping out of the latest generation CPUs on the motherboards are no easy task. As we can, look at the layers of heat pipes, heatsinks, and thermal pads to the power delivery phases and capacitors.

Graph One – CineBench R20 Single and Multi-Core scores
(Graph One – CineBench R20 Single and Multi-Core scores)

Graph Two – CineBench R23 Single and Multi-Core scores
(Graph Two – CineBench R23 Single and Multi-Core scores)

For example, the MEG Z790 GODLIKE comes equipped with a 26+2 Power Phase VRM design, which is to deliver fast and seamless power delivery during extreme CPU loading. In addition to that, the heat that comes out of the VRM is spread effectively between all of the power phases allowing the VRM to stay in a much cooler and providing the system to be more stable.

MEG Z790 GODLIKE
(MEG Z790 GODLIKE)

To achieve an even lower temperature, the VRM is cool by a large U-shape Direct-Touch Cross Heat-pipe cooling the MOSFETs directly and 7W/mK Thermal pads to keep the Chokes at the optimal temperature. The Wavy Fin Design aluminum heatsink and a large Metal Back-Plate are used to provide an even large surface area for the heat to spread across the entire motherboard to escape.

MPG Z790 EDGE WIFI
(MPG Z790 EDGE WIFI)

For those who want an ATX motherboard with a lot of features and performance, the MPG Z790 EDGE WIFI is a good pick in the MPG Series. It features a 16+1+1 VRM Design with dual power connectors for providing the necessary power for the CPUs. Just like the MEG Z790 GODLIKE, it also features a Direct Touch Heat-pipe connecting the two rows of MOSFETs to give a large surface area for heat dissipation. It offers a large Extended Heatsink with 7W/MK Thermal Pads for the chokes to make sure all the cores are running at high performance. It also has 2oz Thickened Copper and 6 PCB layers for even more heat dissipation and optimized bandwidth and transfer speeds.

MAG B760 MORTAR MAX WIFI
(MAG B760 MORTAR MAX WIFI)

For users who are looking for a smaller motherboard but still want all the performance power, the MAG B760M MORTAR MAX WIFI is the best choice. It has an aggressive VRM design for its mATX form factor, with a 12+1+1 Power Phase Design, the motherboard will be able to sustain heavy loads with no pressure. The MAG B760M MORTAR MAX WIFI has an Extended Heatsink, 7W/mK Thermal Pad & additional Choke Pad as well as 6 PCB layers and 2oz Thickened Copper for even more extra cooling. This mATX motherboard also features an OC Engine, which allows overclocking any non-K series CPU to unlock its maximum potential performance ensuring that users will experience the most out of it.

With years of experience, MSI is no stranger to building extremely high-performance motherboards. Our R&D and hardware engineering team spends countless hours designing and evaluating a wide selection of high-quality components to develop a product that is reliable and stable under any extreme circumstances.

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