Conclusion
The MSI MPG A850GF is the first MSI power supply we have seen here at TheFPSReview. However, while power supplies from MSI have been rare over the years, MSI is a huge name in the enthusiast DIY market as well as the OEM space. So, with not much to go on in regards to performance in the PSU realm, we are basing much of our expectations today on MSI’s general reputation. So, will MSI shine bright today? Or is the A850GF more of a fading star (get it? It’s a joke. The companies name is Micro-Star International)? Let’s see.
Build Quality
Today’s MSI A850GF starts things off with a build quality that is excellent. The finish that this unit has is generally very good but the branding is a bit so-so. However, externally, this unit does feature a fully modular design and all flat FlexForce style cables. The topology is very modern, and the component selection is generally very high quality.
Among these components, we find Nippon Chemi-con solid and standard capacitors as well as FPCAP solid capacitors. The fan is another high point as we see an FDB fan included with this unit. The actual integration is excellent as is the soldering. Lastly, this unit is covered by a 10-year warranty but the documentation is kind of terrible.
Load Testing
Today’s MSI A850GF provides us with excellent results overall. Indeed, we saw voltage regulation of up to 0.08v on the 12v rails, 0.03v on the 5v rail, and 0.05v on the 3.3v rail. In a relative sense, this unit was mixed with the Enermax REVOLUTION DF 850W and the ASUS ROG THOR 850W. The efficiency is excellent by absolute numbers as the unit’s efficiency ranged from 87.59% to 90.71% at 120v and 86.08% to 89.85% at 100v. Lastly, this unit passed our Torture Test in fine shape which is good to see from this unit.
When we look at the Transient Load Tests results for the MSI A850GF today, we see results that are very good. When directly loaded, the 12v rail showed a peak change of ~380mV, and the 5v rail had a peak change of ~60mV. During the 12v load, the unloaded 5v rail saw a peak change of ~40mV. In absolute terms, these results are very good. In relative terms, this unit does trail both the Enermax REVOLUTION DF 850W and the ASUS ROG THOR 850W.
DC Output Quality
The DC Output Quality results for the MSI A850GF were passing and, overall, excellent. Indeed, we saw peak values of just ~25mV of ripple/noise on the 12v rails, ~15mV on the 5v rail, and ~15mV on the 3.3v rail. When it comes to absolute values, these values are well within specification limits with the minor rails being the worst overall. When it comes to relative values, this unit tied the Enermax REVOLUTION DF 850W and barely trailed the ASUS ROG THOR 850W. As such, this is another very solid set of results for MSI today.
Noise
Today’s MSI A850GF is a middle-of-the-road-to-upper-end capacity unit. That means that quiet is normally not the name of the game. However, this unit does have a large overhead fan type that is known for being quiet and it has a very open design along with very good efficiency. Those items together mean that this unit could be quiet even though the unit is an 850W unit. Was could all it achieved?
No, it did better than that. In our testing, this unit was very well behaved. It was not until the full load tests that we could discern the fan adding noise to our load testing environment. Given the circumstances required to reach that noise output, this unit seems to be well behaved and should work out well for most users.
Final Points
The MSI MPG A850GF is an excellent unit today as MSI has come back from past PSU outings with a very solid unit. The A850GF gave us excellent build quality, excellent voltage regulation, excellent DC Output Quality, and very good Transient Load results while also being relatively quiet. Indeed, this unit seemed to score very well across the board and it is right up there with the best 850W power supplies we have seen to date. Now, that does leave us with the question of price. Price is always tricky and, of late, it has gotten just downright bizarre because of the market. But, let’s see.
Today, we find that the MSI A850GF can be had for $139.99 (regularly) and is actually on sale on the day of this publishing at a very appealing $112.06. At $112 this price is an amazing deal, and you should grab it. It is $139 at Best Buy. At $139 normal pricing it turns out, that is a very solid price since it is basically what the Enermax version of this unit sells for but with a 5 year longer warranty. Not too shabby. All in all, then, that means this unit is definitely a winner and hopefully a sign of things to come from MSI if they continue in the PSU market this time.
Discussion
