This work presents the first numerical validation/sensitivity study of a new bio-heat equation, the tissue convective energy balance equation (TCEBE) in an unheated tissue with a simple but physiologically realistic 3D arterial blood vessel network. The validation of the TCEBE is performed by comparing its predictions of the tissue temperature field with the predictions of a test case in which the 3D conduction energy equation is solved in the tissue and the 1D convective energy equation is solved in the embedded blood vessel network. To perform the sensitivity analysis of the TCEBE, the effects of size of the vessels, and the inlet temperature of arterial blood on the tissue temperature distribution are presented. The relationship between the Pennes’ perfusion related term and the true tissue perfusion has also been investigated. Results show that 1) the TCEBE has a potential to replace the Pennes’ equation as a new, more accurate bio-heat equation, and 2) the Pennes’ perfusion related term is dominated by the heat transfer from larger vessels through their overall heat transfer coefficients, i.e. their ‘UA’ values, and the effect of true tissue perfusion on Pennes’ perfusion related term is negligible.