The update in question is version 4.6.7, which is in beta currently, and can be downloaded from MSI's official Afterburner website . As you can see in the screenshot above, once installed, the software will throw a warning message at you if it detects a fault in the 16-pin connection. The infamously fragile nature of the 12V-2×6 connector (or 12VHPWR ) has been documented for years at this point , so this is just the latest entrant in the ever-growing list of hopeful countermeasures .
GPU Safeguard+ only works on the new MPG Ai1300TS and MPG Ai1600TS power supplies; the cheaper MAG A1200PLS and MAG A1000PLS models have the basic non-plus GPU Safeguard, which doesn't have the pop-up capability synced with Afterburner. They'll still sound an audible alarm because the underlying active monitoring system is the same across all four units. Either PSU will lower the card's power limit to 75% to prevent overheating — or worse — by loading a predefined emergency profile automatically.
MSI introduces GPU Safeguard tech on its latest PSUs to fend off RTX 5090 meltdowns — warns users with pop-up and buzzer when abnormal current is detected on the 12V-2×6 connector
MSI teases new power supplies with 'instant protection' against melting RTX 5090 cables
Load-balancing Ampinel adapter can save an Nvidia connector meltdown — new adapter is finally on sale after three-month delay
This will happen on both Nvidia and AMD GPUs with the 16-pin connector , thanks to the new PSU.dll monitoring plugin that plugs into these smart PSUs. It will read telemetry data pertaining to voltage and temperatures coming from the power supply and communicate with Afterburner to keep everything in check. Alongside this new feature, MSI Afterburner's latest update also adds support for the company's RTX 5090 LIGHTNING series GPUs aimed at extreme overclocking.
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/msi-afterburner-adds-16-pin-power-connector-warning-for-its-mpg-ai-psus-new-update-could-save-your-expensive-gpu-from-melting#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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