MSI’s Newest 16-Pin “GPU Safeguard+” Safety Features Demoed, Protecting The Most Vital PC Component Against Unwanted Damage

MSI has added new 16-pin safety features in its AI PSU lineup, such as GPU Safeguard+, that help protect GPUs against unwanted damage.

Worried About High-End GPUs Running On 16-Pin Connectors? MSI's Latest PSU & Software Innovations Can Help Protect Your Vital Components

Yesterday, MSI launched its latest Afterburner update, which adds support for its new RTX 5090 Lightning Z graphics card and the latest AI PSU lineup. Today, we have decided to showcase some of these features and how they help in safeguarding your GPUs from unwanted operation/damage.

For starters, it's not just MSI Afterburner that receives support for the new MSI PSU lineup, but HWINFO gets it too. With Afterburner, the new safety algorithm intelligently detects abnormal 16-pin operation & can limit the power down to 75% across all RTX 50 GPUs, not just the flagship RTX 5090s, using the same connector.

For example, if a user is running an RTX 5090, which has a default TDP of 575W and an abnormal connection is detected, the power limit will be scaled down to 75% or 430W. The application will also showcase a prompt to the user suggesting to check the connection, and if the problem persists, change the cable with a newer one.

Similarly, HWINFO's latest BETA now shows the current of each 12V-2x6 (16-Pin) on MSI's MPG and MEG AI PSUs. The monitoring application also supports abnormal current alerts, similar to Afterburner.

GPU Safeguard+ to reduce GPU workload

• A new Afterburner version supports MSI GPU Safeguard+, which can lower the GPU Power Limit to 75% to reduce the workload when a current imbalance is detected by MSI MPG Ai1600TS PCIE5 and MPG Ai1300TS PCIE5.
• When the current of each 12V-2x6 pin is not balanced, GPU Safeguard+ will inform Afterburner to load the 75% Power Limit profile to reduce the workload of the GPU from 100% to 75%.
• A video shows that when a faulty 12V-2x6 cable is used, MSI GPU Safeguard+ works to reduce the NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU Power Limit to 75% when a current imbalance is detected.
• The GPU is reduced from around 575W to 430W. Afterburner also pops up a warning message to notify you to check the 12V-2x6 cable.

Alerts when abnormal 12V-2x6 current is detected

• Afterburner supports abnormal current alerts, which are triggered when the current on any 12V-2x6 pin falls outside the specified threshold range. The threshold range is customized by users.

HWINFO – 12V-2x6 current readout and abnormal current alerts

• Latest HWINFO v8.41 Build 5915 beta supports showing the current of each 12V-2x6 pin on MSI MPG 1600TS/1300TS PCIE5 PSUs. It also supports abnormal current alerts, the same as Afterburner.

Another important feature highlighted is the built-in buzzer, which will continue to beep for the first three minutes of detecting an anomaly. Users can also set up the alarm within Afterburner and HWINFO that shows a pop-up warning, and changes the status of the 12V-2x6 connector so that users know that something isn't right.

The Safeguard+ feature also adds forced protection, which, after the 3-minute alert, will show a black screen with the buzzer continuing to beep. The following is the full operation cycle of the Safeguard+ feature:

This active protection mechanism relies on our newest PSUs detecting anomalies (fault) on their end by constantly monitoring for potential problems. For example, if it detects too much current sent down a single pin or excessive power spikes that last more than a few milliseconds.

Once these anomalies trigger the safety mechanism, you’ll immediately hear beeps – alerting you to the issue.

This is Phase 1 of the protection.

For our MPG Power Supplies with GPU Safeguard+, you’ll hear the beeps and also see a pop-up warning from MSI Center that alerts you to this issue. This beeping will continue for up to 3 minutes, giving you enough time to save your work.

At this point, you should cut power immediately or force a shutdown by holding down your case power button for 5 seconds.

Now, if you aren’t around when this safety triggers, the Power Supply will intervene to prevent hardware damage once those 3 minutes pass and force a black screen, while continuing the beeping.

For our MAG Power Supplies with GPU Safeguard, this phase remains identical – the buzzer will continue beeping and the screen will go black – forcing you to shutdown and reseat the cable.

via MSI

With these features, MSI is safeguarding one of the most vital and most expensive components within your PC, the GPU. It's great to see such features being implemented in light of various reports of 16-pin connectors damaging or burning GPUs.

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