MSI A88X-G45 Gaming Motherboard Review

We tested system power consumption via a calibrated wall meter. The monitor is not factored into the overall figure, just draw from the main system itself.

The AMD A10-7850K that I used is a 95W TDP part. During my 3D Mark testing the power draw at the mains socket varied from 70W-100W at stock speeds. Cinebench 11.5 delivered some rock solid figures and I could see that at stock speeds the system drew 104W, rising to 130W at 4.25GHz and 158W at 4.5GHz.

The vast majority of the power draw is the APU as the only other components to consider are the system memory and the Samsung SSD.

During my tests the MSI A88X-G45 was effectively silent, thanks to the Noctua NH-L12 which never made an audible noise above 30dBA, even when the APU was overclocked.

It was a similar story with the Be quiet! Straight Power 400W PSU, where I could see the fan rotating but was unable to hear any noise. The system was effectively silent.

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