Motherboard Reviews

MSI MEG Z390 Ace review – Not quite Godlike, but quite solid | igorsLAB

First of all, this time I measure the relevant places on (and not below) the board, because the radiator layout gives me enough “insight” so that the area directly around the Smart Power Stages, i.e. the highly integrated voltage converters, can be captured very well. In order to get the most accurate overview possible, I first use the optris PI640, which is also used otherwise, with a 33° x 25° interchangeable lens, i.e. a good compromise between normal focal length and wide angle.

In order to have a good comparison value, I first test the measuring points with the camera and compare the results with what the sensors of the motherboard report back to me. The 49 °C according to the sensor correspond quite well with the measured 48.2 °C next to it, the cooler temperatures were with the camera measurement at the surface at 44 to 45 °C and with the 45 °C determined by external sensors also fully on the same level.

In normal operation, an Intel Core i7 or Core i9 does not reach more than 150 to 160 watts and will be significantly lower. But I also want to explore the limits (and possible weaknesses) or to explore the limits. To find. With 77.5 °C on the board and 78 °C according to the sensor on the motherboard, this is also easy to achieve, especially since I cool everything with water and thus no or so. only a very low airflow helps with the cooling of the voltage converters. This can be described as acceptable, even if it does not seem to be entirely optimal.

That’s why I raised the bar a lot and let the Core i9-9900K sweat really at 225 watts. In long-term operation, you can’t squeeze out of this little one worry-free without there being roast piglets. And behold, I measure 104.5 degrees with the camera, while the internal sensor of the PLC returns 105.5 °C. At this point I stopped after about 30 minutes, because the temperature even then still rose. And no one really needs a full fire.

But what was the reason for this very high temperature?  I studied the heat sink construction more intensively and examined the heatpipe in more detail. For this measurement, I changed the optics on the Optris PI640 again to a 60° x 45° lens (normal lens) and thus looked for the optimal distance, which seemed useful to avoid mirroring on all the reflective surfaces. I also provided the heatpipe and the two coolers with black measuring varnish, the emission level of which is known.

Normally, one should be able to assume that the heatpipe is directly on the MOSFETs. Only when these PLCs glow quietly crying at 105 °C, I measure on the heatpipe only approx. 61 °C. This delta of well over 40 °C is inexplicable, especially since the cooler above the VRM has this temperature. However, a fully functional heatpipe would be much hotter and, based on the measurements of other motherboards, I would have expected a maximum delta of 10 to 20 °C (depending on the contact surface and type to the VRM).

It remains to be assumed that one has simply installed a hollow tube in heatpipe optics, but not a nimble heatpipe made of neat composite material. In any case, the temperature differences between VRM and cooler are far too high, even if of course hardly anyone is likely to operate such a CPU with well over 200 watts. The question, however, is what happens if it does? It’s going to be a fiasco, that’s for got going.

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About the author

Igor Wallossek

Editor-in-chief and name-giver of igor'sLAB as the content successor of Tom's Hardware Germany, whose license was returned in June 2019 in order to better meet the qualitative demands of web content and challenges of new media such as YouTube with its own channel.

Computer nerd since 1983, audio freak since 1979 and pretty much open to anything with a plug or battery for over 50 years.

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