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12 volt only power supplies - the future of PSUs? - ATX12VO

Bond007

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An ATX12VO (ATX 12 volt only) PSU was at the FSP booth at CES. Apparently it is a new Intel driven spec that may be coming out later in the year. I am not always on board with intel driven change, but this is one I can see a future for. Anything powered from a brick (laptop style) already runs off only 12v, so I see no reason this can't move forward. Obviously there will be an adjustment period while motherboards have to deal with powering other voltages in the short term (mainly USB and sata). Unlike computers of the past, almost nothing power hungry runs off any of the "minor rails", so this would simplify power supplies (and/or make them smaller), and reduce the cable clutter in cases.

We will see.


 

Izerous

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Not everything in a laptop is running off 12V. Laptops have extra internal circuitry to convert the 12V down to the 5V and 3.3V etc that is needed. All this would do is shift the cost from the PSU to the Motherboard.

Edit: And personally I think i'd prefer that to stay with the PSU for now. Rather replace a bad PSU then a motherboard. It also mens your motherboard would need to power any non-12V devices, IE sata power connectors still carry 3.3/5v signals etc. I don't want dozen extra cables coming FROM the motherboard.
 
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Entz

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About damn time. This basically replaces the ATX connector with something the size of EPS which makes routing massively simpler.

I don't see why they wouldn't keep power lines coming off the PSU for a while for legacy reasons. I also cant see them pulling PCI-e power from the motherboard either. But for simple installs this massively simplifies things (Board +M.2)
 

Marzipan

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About damn time. This basically replaces the ATX connector with something the size of EPS which makes routing massively simpler.

I don't see why they wouldn't keep power lines coming off the PSU for a while for legacy reasons. I also cant see them pulling PCI-e power from the motherboard either. But for simple installs this massively simplifies things (Board +M.2)
I agree Entz...I would see PSU supporting 3.3v and 5v for legacy purposes, but Izzy does have a point in that it would make motherboards more complex having to deal with DC-DC conversion. this could possibly generated a lot of new / extra electrical noise and a whole host of new problems.
 

Bond007

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Not everything in a laptop is running off 12V. Laptops have extra internal circuitry to convert the 12V down to the 5V and 3.3V etc that is needed. All this would do is shift the cost from the PSU to the Motherboard.

Edit: And personally I think i'd prefer that to stay with the PSU for now. Rather replace a bad PSU then a motherboard. It also mens your motherboard would need to power any non-12V devices, IE sata power connectors still carry 3.3/5v signals etc. I don't want dozen extra cables coming FROM the motherboard.

Agree with your points and that this won't be an overnight change, but it is showing focus on moving forward from the old.

SATA (IMO) is not going to continue in its current state forever, since technology has already massively exceeded its limits. I understand it is going to take a long time (a decade?) before it is phased out or upgraded to something more capable, but change in one way or another will happen with SATA. MOLEX is a prime example...it has been mostly obsolete for a while, but it is still on power supplies and occasionally used. I don't foresee widespread 12v only PSU in the short term, but I love the idea of no 24 pin cable at some point.
 

Shadowmeph

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I am not sure if this is the same but I have a older laptop that I would like to just leave in my truck since I am in it most of the time at my post but I have know idea as how to power it from my 12v is this what you ar etalking about or should I just make a new post asking if there was a way for me to do this on my own :?
 

Bond007

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I am not sure if this is the same but I have a older laptop that I would like to just leave in my truck since I am in it most of the time at my post but I have know idea as how to power it from my 12v is this what you ar etalking about or should I just make a new post asking if there was a way for me to do this on my own :?

I think you can get adapter for that, but I haven’t ever personally used one. Not the same as the OP though. Power supplies have 12,5,and 3.3 volt power outputs. Most modern power supplies make 12v power and then have separate components to further step down to the lower voltages. A bunch of the wires in a 24pin motherboard setup are 5/3.3v. While those voltages were used for lots, they are now just for sata/usb (basically). The OP is about a power supply design that strictly outputs 12v...so motherboards would need to change to support it, but power supplies could be more simple/smaller/less wires/etc.
 

CMetaphor

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100% agreeing with @Izerous.
There are multiple things that don't use 12v and never will, so every motherboard will need DC to DC conversion? No thanks.

If everyone's only real complaint about the current standards is the connector size, why not just make a more streamlined connector instead? It's not much of an issue though, and easy enough to build around in 99% of cases, so I don't really get that arguement.

This just sounds like a bad idea in general, and reeks of a another NUC -type of situation where Intel wants to create a new market segment where it has the sole monopoly. So nope, not getting my support, at all..
 

lowfat

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100% agreeing with @Izerous.
There are multiple things that don't use 12v and never will, so every motherboard will need DC to DC conversion? No thanks.

Every single motherboard has voltage regulators already. No big deal to add a couple more. Could simply wiring a lot as power and data could go over a single wire to the drives like SAS or u.2 does already.
 

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