Teardown: PCB layout and components
I have already discussed the changes in the load change behavior and the power consumption, but more about that later in this review. First, let’s start with the board itself. NVVDD is still the main voltage and MSVDD has been buried for good. This also results in the voltage transformer design with a total of 13 phases and the resulting 26 control loops for NVVDD alone (two in parallel per phase). The GeForce RTX 3090 Ti still relied on 8 phases and a total of 24 voltage converters, so three per phase in parallel, and the RTX 4090 Founders Edition on 10 phases and 20 voltage converters. And then MSI comes in at 26. Somehow you had to fill up the free space. 😉
That one relies on a solid parallel circuit instead of phase doubling makes perfect sense, because with the now also higher switching frequencies the double number of phases would only be a hindrance due to the inertia of the coils and caps. Cheaper cards still rely on doubled 8-phases, because the PWM controllers and also the DrMOS cost hard cash. But MSI has really let it rip here.
The joint PWM controller for NVVDD (GPU core) and FBVDDQ (memory) in the form of Monolith’s MP2891 is currently one of the top models among PWM controllers. It is a digital, multi-phase dual-rail controller that primarily provides power to the NVIDIA PWM VID core and is also compatible with the AVSBus interface. The MP2891 can (and should) also work with MPS’ Intelli-PhaseTM products to complete the multi-phase voltage regulator (VR) solution with a minimum of external components.
The MP2891 is even underpowered with the 13 phases on rail 1, because it could even drive up to 16 directly! Track 2 is then used to control the four phases for the storage (the VU uses three). It is located on the back of the board. Right next to it is a uPI uS5650Q for monitoring the four 12V rails (3x Aux and 1x PEG).
All power stages used, including those for the memory, are also Monolith products. The MP86957 is a monolithic half bridge capable of driving up to 70A per phase. The integration of drivers and MOSFETs (DrMOS) results in high efficiency due to optimal dead time and reduction of parasitic inductance. This small, 5 mm x 6 mm LGA device can operate at frequencies from 100 kHz to 3 MHz, making it a perfect match for the MP2891.
The coils used for NVVDD have an inductance of 120 mH, those for the memory one of 150 mH. MSI has made an effort to improve the quality, especially in the larger models, but it is still never possible to be completely without noise, unfortunately. To make matters worse, the coils’ approximately 0.5 watts of power dissipation are also dissipated via the cooling frame and thus actively cooled. I wouldn’t have done it that way, because unfortunately the cooler coils are, the louder they get (consider expansion coefficient). This is also usually stated in the specs as the optimal temperature window. Just a tip 😉
The three 12V rails on the 12+4 12VHPWR connector are combined into one rail after the three shunts (one per rail), another is connected to the PEG but is not used for NVVDD. The dual BIOS is in the usual place and the generation of the remaining extra-low voltages is also as usual. So there are no more special features. The BIOS switch is labeled and is set to Silent (450 watts) ex-factory.
Teardown: The cooler
The actual heatsink including pump cools the GPU and half of each RAM module, the rest is done via the thermally connected massive support structure, which also cools the voltage converters and was additionally equipped with its own 10 cm fan. The permanently connected hose measures approx. 47 cm and you have to reckon with a total installation height of the card of at least 20 cm due to the bending radii. This is very tight in many cases without vertical risers.
The pads used are extra class, well malleable, but still somewhat brittle. Since they adhere very well, disassembling the card is not without its problems, as the pads are damaged for the most part and have to be completely replaced when reassembling. Very good, reasonably soft pads with a thickness of 1.5 to 1.75 mm should be used here.
We already know the two 12 cm fans on the radiator from our review.
You can read this very detailed test here:
MSI MEG Silent Gale P12 im exklusiven Test – dieser Lüfter könnte neue Maßstäbe setzen!
- 1 - Introduction, technical data and technology
- 2 - Test System and the igor'sLAB MIFCOM-PC
- 3 - Teardown: PCB and Cooling System
- 4 - Gaming Performance
- 5 - Power Consumption and Load Balancing
- 6 - Load peaks, capping and PSU recommendation
- 7 - Temperatures, Clock Rate, OC, Fan Speed and Noise
- 8 - Summary and Conclusion
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