In fact, the current power supply standard basically follows the ATX12V 2.0 standard issued by Intel in 2003, and most specifications even come from the ATX 2.0 standard in the last century. Of course, various specifications are constantly changing. In theory, Intel only needs to add small versions to update. But perhaps Intel itself also thinks that power supply needs some new gimmicks and selling points, and also demonstrates its presence in power supply design. So in 2022, it proposed the new ATX12V 3.0 standard, which is what we are talking about now. The emergence of
ATX 3.0 is actually closely related to the current development of graphics cards. Especially when the RTX 30 series and RX 6000 series were released, the increasingly high power consumption of flagship graphics cards made the original standard power supply seem too bloated when connecting to graphics cards, so ATX 3.0 largely solves this problem. With the release of RTX 40 graphics cards, the power supply of ATX 3.0 is becoming increasingly necessary, especially some changes in power supply interfaces and peak power consumption. For users to create a high-power and high-performance PC platform in the future, the ATX 3.0 power supply is of positive significance.
So this time we will briefly talk about ATX 3.0 power supply, and recommend several power supplies currently on the market that support ATX 3.0 specifications.
new power supply interface: 12VHPWR
ATX 3.0 The biggest change is the addition of a graphics card power supply interface - 12VHPWR. Simply put, the meaning of this interface is a 12V high-power connection interface, which is specially prepared for graphics cards. In the past, the graphics card interfaces were all 4Pin, 6Pin and 8Pin, but an 8Pin interface could only provide up to 150W of power. Therefore, some graphics cards with TDP power consumption of more than 400W usually require 3 8Pin cables to connect, which makes installation very troublesome.
and 12VHPWR cable can provide up to 600W of power, so when dealing with such high-power graphics cards, it will obviously make users more relaxed. At the same time, when designing graphics cards, the cost of manufacturers will also be relatively reduced. Of course, this requires manufacturers to use the 12VHPWR interface when designing. Currently, the new generation of RTX 40 has adopted such a power supply interface, and AMD's RX 7000 series may also use the 12VHPWR interface.
In Intel's ATX 3.0 standard, all power supplies that support the ATX 3.0 standard, as long as the power reaches more than 450W, then all need this interface. This is of course for the unification of future standards. In this way, as long as different graphics cards use this interface, there is no need to consider other graphics card power supply interfaces. However, some people say that Intel gave up the 8Pin power supply interface in the past, which is not completely correct. In the current ATX 3.0 power supply, various graphics card power supply interfaces are often supported. After all, half-mode or full-mode power supply is used, which means that the wiring is simple. In order to take care of the previous graphics cards, ATX 3.0 power supply usually needs to be equipped with power supply cables such as 6Pin and 8Pin standard.
12VHPWR does not only support 600W power supply. After all, it is impossible for all graphics cards to be equipped with such high power consumption in the future. Therefore, the 12VHPWR has four power support: 150W, 300W, 450W and 600W. At the same time, the specific power support will be printed on the 12VHPWR cable, which makes users clear at a glance. After all, if it is an ATX 3.0 450W power supply, it is impossible to output 450W or 600W of power in 12V.
needs to be explained slightly. A significant change from a power supply interface in the past is that the 12VHPWR has a total of 16Pin design, of which the power supply part is 12Pin, and the more 4Pin is actually exchanging data with the graphics card. In this way, even if the power supply does not meet the requirements of graphics card , such as using a 450W ATX 3.0 power supply to run RTX 4090, there will be no problem of crashing and black screen.Through these 4Pin interfaces, the power supply will tell the graphics card: My output cannot reach such a high level... Then the graphics card itself will reduce its power consumption and make its power consumption lower than the output power of the power interface. Although this design will significantly reduce the performance of the graphics card, it can at least be used. Of course, the possibility of this situation is not very high, but it still has a positive effect on users.
What is interesting is that this interface is also promoted by many manufacturers as a PCI-E 5.0 graphics card interface. In fact, this has no direct connection with PCI-E 5.0 devices. The RTX 40 graphics card still uses the PCI-E 4.0×16 bus, but the interface uses 12VHPWR; and even if the new generation motherboard supports PCI-E 5.0 graphics card and SSD, it can still operate normally with a non-ATX 3.0 power supply. So you can think of it this way, the PCI-E 5.0 graphics card must have a 12VHPWR power supply interface, but the 12VHPWR interface is not a proprietary design for PCI-E 5.0 graphics card.
peak power consumption is higher: 200% exceeding the standard and can run
In the past power supply design, rated power and peak power were two different concepts. Generally speaking, peak power refers to the maximum power that the power can reach in a short time. This power is usually 50% higher than the rated power of the power supply and can last for about 30 seconds. That is, a power supply with a rated power of 1000W must last for half a minute at an output of 1500W. This design has many benefits, especially when encountering some devices with extremely high power consumption demands, which can keep the entire platform running without crashing and restarting due to insufficient power.
Of course, this is an ideal state. Generally speaking, it is good to reach the peak power of 130% rated power. The author once used two graphics cards, RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT under a well-known 750W power supply. As a result, in the game of "Unreal" engine, the instantaneous power consumption is always very high, causing the entire platform to restart. Finally, it was replaced with a 1000W gold medal power supply to solve this problem. This problem occurs in
because although the TDP power consumption of the graphics card is fixed at present, it generally does not exceed this power consumption wall, but when the graphics card is running 3D rendering, it will push the instant power consumption to a very exaggerated level in a very short time for a long time, even more than twice the rated power consumption. Although this time is very short, and it is even maintained for less than a few microseconds, the power supply still cannot bear it and can only turn on self-protection to cause a restart.
However, after reaching ATX 3.0, this problem can be solved. This is because in the ATX 3.0 specification, all certified power supplies are required to run stably for 10 microseconds when the power reaches nominal 200%, and to do this within 10% of the run time. That is, a 750W power supply can withstand the impact of the instantaneous 1500W output. Considering that although this happens to the graphics card frequently, the maintenance time is very short, the 10 microseconds required by ATX 3.0 can completely avoid the possibility of power protection causing restart. Of course, this design is required. Obviously, ATX 3.0 is indeed better in materials than before, which has also led to a sharp increase in the power cost of ATX 3.0. Therefore, the current price of ATX 3.0 is indeed much more expensive than in the past. Fortunately, only high-end graphics cards currently have problems such as interface changes and instantaneous power consumption. Therefore, users who can afford high-end graphics cards, such as the RTX 4090 that costs 12,999 yuan, seem to be not that difficult to spend some money to buy a high-power ATX 3.0 power supply!
has higher efficiency conversion: power saving is still an important requirement
Everyone knows that the most famous power certification standard in the industry is 80Plus, but the ATX 3.0 power supply itself also has a set of similar things. Of course, these things are mandatory and cannot be compared with 0Plus, which has different scoring standards. However, in theory, the power supply that has passed the ATX 3.0 certification should at least be the gold medal power supply of 80Plus at present. So if you want to buy an ATX 3.0 standard power supply, you don’t have to worry about the specifications and quality of this power supply.
On the one hand, ATX 3.0 is indeed more durable than the previous power supply. According to Intel's regulations, the ATX 3.0 power supply must support 175,000 power switches every year, and on average, the power switches will reach about 480 times a day. According to the author's own power switch, there will be no problem using this power switch until it dies.In addition, the ATX 3.0 power supply has adjusted the Power On signal speed, which is faster than the previous power supply, which means that it can speed up the power boot. Of course, this perception may not be too strong. After all, the power boot speed is also closely related to the motherboard startup and system performance.
On the other hand, in terms of conversion efficiency, ATX 3.0 is indeed stronger than the power supply in the past. Under low loads, Intel requires ATX 3.0 to achieve 70% conversion efficiency at 10W or 2% load. In other words, when running standby or low-performance, it can save more power than the previous power supply; in addition to Intel's own set of certification standards, this set of standards not only requires conversion efficiency like 0 Plus, but also takes into account the standby power consumption of the power supply, the conversion efficiency of the +5VSB output and the operating noise of the power supply. Therefore, power supply that can pass ATX 3.0 certification not only has a high power conversion rate, but also has low noise.
Of course, since the cost of ATX 3.0 is indeed higher than in the past, and Intel's certification is also relatively strict, so there are not too many real ATX 3.0 power supplies on the market now. Some power supplies support 12VHPWR power supply interface, but do not support ATX 3.0. After all, some other requirements may not be met. So below we also recommend a few power supplies that also support the ATX 3.0 standard while equipped with a 12VHPWR interface... It is a bit expensive, but things are indeed good things! Recommended
several ATX 3.0 power supplies: expensive and easy to use
Xingu GM1000W
domestic Colorful launched by Xingu Power Supply may be the first brand to support ATX 3.0 specifications, but it is very interesting that on some Xingu 's 750W power supplies, it claims to support ATX 3.0, but it does not use 12VHPWR interface. It may be because players who buy high-end graphics cards will not use 750W power supplies? Therefore, Xingu power supply that can support ATX 3.0 and also has 12VHPWR interface is actually not too much.
Xingu's old version of GM1000W uses a dual 8pin to 12VHPWR interface. The new version uses the genuine native 12VHPWR interface, which can output 600W of power to the graphics card. This product has a rated power of 1000W and uses the LLC+DC-DC solution. This solution can be seen in the 80Plus gold medal and platinum certified power supply. The TEAPO used for power supply capacitors is also quite common, and the quality is no problem.
GM1000W is available in white and black, black, 919 yuan, and white costs 1,099 yuan. Maybe Caihong thinks white is better matched with its motherboard and graphics card? Of course, the discount for e-commerce self-operated stores is not small now. The deposit of 10 yuan can usually be more than 100 yuan. In fact, you can buy an ATX 3.0 power supply for less than 800 yuan, or a 1,000W gold medal power supply. This should be the most cost-effective ATX 3.0 power supply on the market.
Asus Thor 2 generation 1000W
Asus Thor 2 generation is the earliest power supply that has passed the ATX 3.0 certification. The workmanship and materials are considered to be the first-line level. This series of products with three powers: 1000W, 1200W and 1600W. In our opinion, 1000W may be enough to meet the needs of high-end users. After all, the price is not cheap. 1000W will be sold for 2799 yuan, and the price of 1600W is as high as 4499 yuan. This can be bought with an RTX 3080 Ti...
But the design and workmanship of this product are indeed too strong. Not only has passed the platinum certification of 80Plus, all internal capacitors are Japanese capacitors, and they also have light pollution effects. The native 12VHPWR interface supports 600W graphics card power output. The reason why it is so expensive is that Asus has too many tricks to play with on the power supply. An OLED display is also designed on the power supply to display power consumption in real time. This is indeed very strong, but it doesn’t make sense if it is not visible in the chassis.
In addition, this product is very good at cooling and silent. The heat dissipation adopts a customized mode. The heat sink is much larger than other power supplies, which makes the internal components cooler and makes it easier for the power supply to control noise. In addition, Asus also added a 0dB noise button to the power supply. After pressing, as long as the load does not exceed 50%, the fan will completely stop, achieving a 0dB silent effect. Therefore, this product has also passed Intel's Lambda++ certification in ATX 3.0.There is no problem with this product except expensive, but it is not a disadvantage. It can only be said that Asus Thor 2nd generation is more suitable for the rich wallet!
Quanhan Hydro PTM Pro1200 ATX 3.0
Quanhan Hydro PTM Pro series power supply. There was no ATX 3.0 version before, but the latest 1200W ATX 3.0 version is added, which is of course the most expensive model in this series of products. Everyone seems to have a relatively consensus. Anyway, ATX 3.0 is first used on its own high-end flagship products, so that it can sell higher. This product is not cheap at 1999 yuan, but in the 1200W ATX 3.0 power supply product, it actually makes people feel that the price is OK... The
architecture part, similar to the Colorful Hongxin Valley, adopts the LLC+DC-DC design, and has passed the platinum certification of 80Plus. The internal electrolytic capacitor and solid-state capacitor are also used in all-day systems, so the cost is relatively high. The native 12VHPWR interface supports 600W graphics card power output, and can maintain 10 microseconds of operation under 200% load. It is estimated that there is no problem with this power supply to use the next generation of graphics cards.
wire uses black flat lines for easy wiring. Quanhan has a moisture-proof design on the power supply, which is suitable for use in any environment. In addition, in the noise part, Quanhan is designed well, with a maximum noise of 31dB, but when the load does not exceed 30%, the fan can stop and achieve 0dB effect. Although it is not as good as Asus, it can stop below 50%, but it is also considered good. It is estimated that the heat dissipation part is inferior to Asus, but it is still very high. It may be a bit distressing to buy it at 1999 yuan, but Quanhan is at least an international manufacturer...
MSI MPG A850G
MSI 's ATX 3.0 power supply is relatively cheaper. Currently, there are three power supplies that support ATX 3.0 and native 12VHPWR interfaces, namely MPG A850G, rated power of 850W, as well as A1000G and Ai 1300P. According to the requirements of NVIDIA, 850W should be enough to meet the needs of RTX 4090 and the platform. Now most ATX 3.0 power supplies have power of more than 1000W, so having such a 850W power supply with a relatively low price is also in line with market demand.
A850G has also passed the 80Plus gold medal certification and is also an all-Japanese capacitor . Among the power supplies we see, except Xingu, everyone seems to prefer Japanese capacitors. On the one hand, the quality and performance may be better, and on the other hand, they can also sell at a higher price with the help of cost increase. This power supply supports ATX 3.0 and PCI-E 5.0. The native 12VHPWR interface can output 600W of power to the graphics card. The full module is designed for easy routing. Although the rated power of
is only 850W, this is enough to meet the needs of most people, and the silence and heat dissipation are indeed good. After pressing the smart fan start-stop button, the fan can be stopped in an environment with a load of no more than 40%, achieving a business effect of 0dB. This power supply is currently priced at 1,099 yuan, which is cheaper than other ATX 3.0 power supplies. Of course, it is still more expensive than Xingu's 1,000W power supply.
TT Steel Shadow Toughpower GF3 1350W
TT As a traditional power supply manufacturer, it is definitely going to launch ATX 3.0 power supply. Currently, only the GF3 series supports it, and there are only two powers, one is 1350W and the other is 1600W. As we said, they are all sold on high-end and high-power products at a high price. So we have not seen ATX 3.0 power supplies below 800W, and it is estimated that this will not be popularized on other power supplies until next year.
However, TT said that this series of power supplies has a minimum of 750W to choose from, which is probably the first-mover high-end version, and there should be a cheaper low-power version in the future. However, the design pattern of the entire series is basically the same, with 80Plus gold certification, LLC+DC-DC architecture, Japanese capacitors (maybe part), and a 12VHPWR interface with native 600W output, which also complies with the ATX 3.0 specifications. Of course, it is also a full module design, and the specifications are still good compared to other ATX 3.0 power supplies. The silent part of
also has corresponding buttons. After pressing, the fan stops when the load does not reach 30%, which can achieve a 0dB effect. However, the price of 1350W is not cheap at 1999 yuan, and the 1650W version will be sold for 2799 yuan.However, according to TT's nature, price reduction is probably inevitable. The PC market is not good, and graphics cards are only high-end now. Power manufacturers are not having a good life. It is estimated that maintaining this price is not easy.
is written in the end
In addition to the several power supplies we introduced, other power manufacturers such as Gigabyte , Haiyun, Corsair , Weigang , and Weigang have also launched their own ATX 3.0 power supplies, of course they are all high-end, and some have not been sold in China, so I won't introduce them here. For example, Haiyun's ATX 3.0 power supply, which costs 2,799 yuan at 1300W, is also considered the most expensive version except Asus. So now users who buy ATX 3.0 power supplies are not only rich, but also people who are not short of money.
Of course, the positive significance of the ATX 3.0 power supply is still very important. We have already introduced the specific characteristics. The 12VHPWR interface can indeed solve many problems, and the ATX 3.0 power supply is indeed better than before. Currently, users who purchase ATX 3.0 power supplies are actually more to match high-end graphics cards like RTX 4090. If the hardware devices in the user's hands have not been updated to the latest generation, there is actually no problem using the previous power supplies. So if you don’t consider the latest high-end graphics card, even if you want to buy an ATX 3.0 power supply, you may have to wait until the price drops and the number of products is more suitable.
