MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850W 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular

Our analysis

The smaller MSI MAG A650GLS PCIE5 rates its 12V-2x6 cable at 300 W and brings two 6+2-pin PCIe connectors; this 850 W model doubles both, 600 W on the 16-pin and four 6+2-pin, in a body 10 mm shorter, 140 mm against 150. That is why it is the supply we point to when someone is choosing between an RTX 5070 and an RX 9070 XT: it has the plugs for either one, plus some headroom.

What stands out

• Connectors for either brand. MSI lists one 16-pin 12V-2x6 rated up to 600 W plus four 6+2-pin PCIe. The ASUS Prime RX 9070 XT needs three 8-pin plugs, and MSI says it supports RTX 40 and 50 cards on the 16-pin cable.
• ATX 3.1 and Cybenetics Gold. MSI rates it 80 Plus Gold (up to 90%) and Cybenetics Gold, and says it can take power spikes of up to twice its rating for 100 microseconds.
• Compact and tidy. 140 mm deep with flat modular cables, so you only plug in what your build uses.
• Fluid dynamic bearing fan. A 120 mm fan with the bearing type MSI lists for this model.

Where it falls short

• The 10-year warranty comes from MSI's US store, not from the product page on msi.com. If you buy outside the US, confirm it with the seller.
• 850 W covers one mid-range or high-end card, but if you are planning an RTX 5090, run your numbers through our PSU calculator first.

Look elsewhere if

• You want a fan that stops at low load: the Corsair RM850e has the same 850 W, Cybenetics Gold rating and 140 mm body, and adds a Zero RPM fan mode that MSI does not list for this model.

For me, this is the sensible supply for a 1440p gaming PC with one graphics card: enough power, the right cables and no extras you will not use.