Future Juice: Intel Unveils New ATX 3.0, ATX12VO 3.0 Specs for PC Power Supplies

pcmag.com:

As computer components have evolved, the amount of power required to run the most muscular new hardware has also trended upward. Even so, the core standards and connections used to push juice to PC parts have been stable for a long time. But Intel is signaling that it’s time for some changes.

Today, Intel unveiled the new ATX12VO 2.0 and ATX 3.0 specifications. These two new specs outline some significant changes to PC power delivery, including a new connector for graphics cards that can supply up to 600 watts of power. These standards have already started to seep into the PC world, in the form of two new MSI desktops that employ the specs. But more are sure to follow.

It’s important to note that we are talking about two different power specifications here. ATX 3.0 is the most notable update in the long-running Advanced Technology eXtended (ATX) standard that was first launched by Intel in 1995. This was followed by ATX12V 1.0 in 2000, which was then replaced by the revised ATX12V 2.0 standard in 2003. (ATX12V is short for "Advanced Technology eXtended 12-Volt.") Beyond a definition of motherboard sizing and PC case fitment, ATX also defines parameters for standard desktop PC power supplies.

These standards are often referred to as ATX 1.0 and ATX 2.0 for short. Several revisions of ATX12V 2.0 have been created since 2003, but little has changed in the grand scheme of things, notably around physical connectors or things that PC upgraders or builders had to be concerned with.

Then there's ATX12VO, which is the short form of "Advanced Technology eXtended 12-Volt Only." The first rev of this related standard, known as ATX12VO 1.0, was developed and released in 2019 in an attempt to get ahead of incoming efficiency