MSI GeForce RTX 5090 SUPRIM LIQUID SOC Review – Grilling is now done away from case

1 - Introduction, overview and technical data 2 - Test system and equipment 3 - Teardown: PC, components and cooler 4 - Material analysis and TIMs 5 - Gaming performance 6 - Power consumption, transients and PSU recommendation 7 - Temperatures und clock rates 8 - Thermal imaging and modding 9 - Fan curves and noise 10 - Summary and conclusion

Teardown

Disassembling the RTX 5090 SUPRIM Liquid is significantly more complex than with classic air-cooled cards, which is primarily due to the integration of the AiO water cooling. The card is not only mechanically more complex, but also relies on a combination of pump module, additional fan, dedicated VRM cooler and a bolted, multi-layer cooling block. Accordingly, care should be taken during disassembly so as not to damage any seals, heat pads or sensitive sensor surfaces. This time, however, I have contented myself with removing the complete cooler unit and will not disassemble it any further.

Circuit board and components

The PCB has a solid and fairly durable design, corresponds to the air-cooled version apart from the missing RGB connector and, like NVIDIA’s reference design, uses three large voltage rails and several smaller ones. The 16 voltage converters for the NVDD as the actual GPU core voltage are nothing new. However, similar to Intel and AMD, NVIDIA now uses separate voltages for the GDDR7 memory (6 voltage converters) and the frame buffer (7 voltage converters). While the voltage rails for the GPU cores and the memory are familiar, the frame buffer is new to NVIDIA in this form.

The frame buffer in a graphics card is a special area of the memory that is responsible for storing the pixel information of the displayed image. It contains data such as color depth, transparency and image resolution and is continuously updated by the GPU to enable image output on the monitor. The frame buffer is directly connected to the graphics memory, which operates under the voltage MSVDD. This memory provides the physical resource that the frame buffer accesses. The 7 voltage regulators could certainly supply an entire high-resolution monitor array, but there are also 4 powerful graphics outputs. In short: FBVDD ensures the stability and accuracy of data transfers between GPU and memory, especially at high clock rates.

The MSVDD voltage, on the other hand, regulates the operation of the memory chips themselves. This voltage directly influences the speed and stability of the memory, as it meets the electrical requirements of the memory cells and the memory controller logic. MSVDD and FBVDD work closely together, as the memory logic and the frame buffer must communicate with each other in order to exchange image data efficiently between GPU and memory. The separate regulation of MSVDD and FBVDD enables precise adjustment of the voltages to the respective requirements. The circuit board is not witchcraft:

The power supply of modern graphics cards such as the MSI RTX 5090 SUPRIM is based on the precise coordination of several control and power components. The MP29816 is a highly efficient and complex PWM controller that takes over the voltage regulation for the GPU core voltage (NVVDD) as well as for the voltage of the memory (MSVDD) and the frame buffer (FBVDD). These components are crucial for the stability and efficiency of the graphics card, as they supply the main load of the GPU and the memory. The MP29816 controls a multi-phase system (IntelliPhase), which distributes the electrical and thermal loads and at the same time enables precise voltage regulation.

The actual power regulation is carried out in all control circuits with higher loads by the MP87993 DrMOS modules from Monolith, which convert the signals controlled by the PWM controllers into the corresponding output voltages. These modules integrate the high-side and low-side MOSFETs as well as the gate drivers in a compact housing and are capable of efficiently processing the high currents of the NVVDD, FBVDD and MSVDD rails. Their design not only minimizes switching losses, but also saves space on the circuit board. The DrMOS components also ensure that the graphics card is protected by integrated safety mechanisms such as temperature and short-circuit protection. There is also nothing sensational to be found on the rear. However, MSI, like NVIDIA, has only installed MLCC under the socket and no polymer caps. I already discussed the reasons for this years ago:

Here is a high-resolution microscopic view of all the important components:

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The cooler

The AiO pump unit, which sits directly on the GPU die, is located under the central fan. This is firmly screwed in place via a copper base plate with micro-channels and seal and enclosed by an aluminum plate with O-ring. The retaining plate also clamps onto the voltage converters of the VRM stage and is held in place by lateral compression springs. This means that the cooling block can only be carefully lifted off the PCB once the complete pump and cooling unit have been released. Caution is required here, as both the GPU die and the memory ring are supplied with thermal pads and PTM pads.

The cooling system of the RTX 5090 SUPRIM Liquid is similar to its predecessor, the RTX 4090, and represents a slight further development and yes, the radiator cover is also supplemented with LED elements that actively support the cooling. Not. Disassembling the MSI RTX 5090 SUPRIM LIQUID is therefore not for beginners or the impatient. The card is multi-layered, thermally sophisticated and mechanically very tightly constructed. All parts appear to be precisely manufactured, the AiO unit is firmly integrated into the design and cannot be replaced or serviced without damage.

Anyone who nevertheless dares to attempt a teardown should only do so with suitable tools and sufficient experience – spare parts are not available ex works, and even minor errors during reassembly can cause thermal problems or leaks. In short: This is not a card to tinker with, but a system with a factory setting.