MSI's world's first active, instant protection for power supplies protects GPUs

When it comes to the new 16-pin PCIe power connector for modern GPUs, we've seen no shortage of cables melting and connection points on both the GPU and PSU sides damaged by overheating. It's a definite concern when you get into the realm of flagship cards like the GeForce RTX 5090, which is rated at 575W but can draw up to 1000W over two 16-pin PCIe power connectors, as seen in MSI's new GeForce RTX 5090 32G LIGHTNING Z.

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And when it comes to safe power delivery and safety measures for MSI's new beast, and all other GPUs that use the 12V-2x6 connector, MSI's new MPG Ai1600TS, MPG Ai1300TS, MAG A10000PLS, and MAG A1200PLS PCIe 5 power supplies feature an innovative solution.

These PSUs, announced at CES 2026, offer active protection against overheating and cable melting, thanks to GPU Safeguard and Safeguard+ technology, which includes the world's first active, instant protection for power supplies.

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Both GPU Safeguard and GPU Safeguard+ monitor the electrical current delivered to the GPU via the 16-pin power connector, and according to MSI, if it even deviates "slightly" from safe parameters, it will be shut off. These PSUs will also emit an audible warning sound to notify users so they can save or shut down.

The only difference is that GPU Safeguard+ offers software tools via MSI Center that allow users to monitor the real-time current of every pin on the GPU connector, plus on-screen warnings when issues occur. This is exclusive to the flagship MPG Ai1600TS and MPG Ai1300TS models built for cards like the LIGHTNING.

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The more affordable MAG A10000PLS and MAG A1200PLS models support GPU Safeguard, which doesn't have these features but still has full hardware protection.