An Intel replace to the ATX energy provide spec doesn’t imply your present 12VHPWR adapter or PSU is out of date or harmful. The ATX 3.01 replace, revealed final month by Intel, recommends that PSU distributors constructing 12VHPWR connectors use “spring” connections relatively than “dimple” connections.

“Crimp Contacts inside of the cable plug are recommended to use the 4 Spring design instead of 3 dimple design (as shown in below figure) which will increase the contact area for electrical current flow inside the 12VHPWR connector and reduce the temperature rise of each contact,” the updated ATX 3.01 spec reads.

Reading between the traces of it, it’s clear one is healthier, however does that imply present dimple connectors should be changed?

“No,” Intel Platform Power Specialist Stephen Eastman instructed PCWorld. “Using an existing 12VHPWR connector can work well when implemented and installed correctly.”

Eastman advisable that individuals view Nvidia’s website post on correctly inserting a 12HVPWR energy connector right into a GPU.

“The new four spring design does have extra reliability benefits, but that does not mean the existing three dimple design is bad,” Eastman stated.

The world wouldn’t be so centered on tiny steel connections inside an influence connector apart from the five-alarm fire of concern last year after dozens of 12VHPWR cables began to soften, typically damaging the $1,500 graphics playing cards they had been powering. At one level, consideration centered on the kind of connections after a report by Igorslab.de stated the spring clips gave the impression to be superior to the dimple clips.

After weeks of hand-wringing and hypothesis although, the reason for these melted cables seemingly traced again to the cables both backing out or not being totally inserted, in keeping with an investigation by Stephen Burke of Gamers Nexus. Nvidia later concurred and stated the 50 experiences of broken connectors it obtained, all seemingly had been the results of failure energy cables that weren’t totally inserted. Many of the images of melted cables posted on Reddit and Twitter additionally confirmed soften traces indicative of a cable that had backed out or had not been inserted totally.

Intel

Despite set up seemingly being the reason for the issues, there Intel’s replace signifies room for enchancment to the connector—however not sufficient to mandate it. The new ATX 3.01 spec, in actual fact, “recommends” the 4 spring connection however doesn’t require them, which implies an influence provide vendor can proceed to fabricate and promote items with the dimpled connectors.

Eastman stated in indication of how minor this replace to the spec is, he doesn’t suppose PSU distributors will trouble to notice it on containers and Intel’s personal check procedures on PSUs received’t even change for it.

So why even trouble to replace the spec if the older one is ok?

Eastman stated publishing it as a part of the spec helps “to make sure PSU vendors know there are options—it has worked as some PSU vendors have started to explore all the options.”

The replace for the 12VHPWR itself is a part of different tweaks to the spec to wash up language and make modifications comparable to now not requiring {that a} energy provide vendor put the wattage of a 12VHWPR on the cable itself. That change was made as a result of totally modular cables the place a cable may be utilized in totally different fashions energy provides so labeling could be used on the PSU physique relatively than the cable.

And regardless of some pondering the spec means a brand new connector, Eastman stresses that it isn’t a brand new connector in any respect.

“This shows some options that PSU vendors can look at for options as they design PSUs with 12VHPWR connectors,” he stated.

The up to date spec additionally seems to convey the ATX spec in step with the PCI-SIG’s spec change launched in January. The PCI-SIG engineering change discover launched two totally different 12VHWPR connectors to be used.

Despite Intel’s public presence with the ATX spec and its introduction of 12VHPWR, the corporate doesn’t personal the spec.

“We understand that PCI-SIG documents are not as readily available to the public and the ATX spec is the default Public document,” Eastman stated. “But Intel did not create, define, or own the 12VHPWR connector. Intel is one of many members that make up the PCI-SIG that created, defined, and owns the 12VHPWR connector.”