Just below a yr for the reason that specification was first introduced, the ATX 3.0 period for energy provides is now underway. The up to date model of the Intel-maintained specification launched a number of notable adjustments to PC energy provide designs, most notably the introduction of the 600 Watt-capable 12VHPWR connector and related cabling. Altogether, ATX 3.0 is designed to put the groundwork for future video playing cards (and different high-powered accelerators) by offering for a single-cable energy connection that may higher accommodate the excessive complete and fast shifts in energy consumption a video card can bear.
The largest change for the reason that addition of the 12V 6-pin “PCIe” energy connector within the late 00s, the ATX 3.0 period has include some new alternatives, each for computing merchandise and for computing issues. Using adapters has, in brief, not gone effectively for front-runner NVIDIA, with a small however critical variety of incidents of 12VHPWR adapters melting down. In the meantime on the ability provide facet of issues, this has been a not-unwelcome boon; not solely are native ATX 3.0 energy provides the popular technique to go from a design standpoint, however the adapter issues have helped to underscore this benefit. So for the ability provide distributors who’re among the many first to get their ATX 3.0 designs out the door, there’s no scarcity of demand for his or her newest and biggest wares, in addition to a recent alternative to innovate and set themselves other than the competitors.
In right this moment’s evaluate, we’re having a look at our first ATX 3.0 energy provide – and certainly, among the many world’s first: the MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5. A beefy, 1300W PSU that’s designed to be totally compliant with the ATX 3.0 specification, the Ai1300P is a have a look at what’s to come back for the way forward for high-end PC PSUs, because the market slowly-but-inevitably incorporates ATX 3.0 compliance with a purpose to feed ever extra power-hungry video playing cards and different PCIe units.
