Intel is reportedly planning to introduce a third revision of the ATX12VO (Advanced Technology eXtended 12-Volt Only) power delivery standard for PCs. According to leaked Intel presentation slides shared by @momomo_us on X, the new ATX12VO may soon be introduced, offering improved power efficiency, new connectors, and improved communication between the power supply and the motherboard.
The ATX12VO standard was first introduced in 2020, with a focus on simplifying power circuitry design and reducing component production costs. This was achieved by removing the 3.3V and 5V rails, meaning that the power supply would only provide 12V to the system components, leaving the rest to the motherboard. It also replaced the standard 24-pin with a smaller 10-pin connector. In 2022, Intel introduced the ATX12VO V2 revision alongside the ATX 3.0, adding support for next-generation PCIe 5.0 graphics cards and improving power delivery monitoring. Notably, ATX12VO power supplies are widely used in OEM pre-built desktops and in business and institutional PCs.
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(Image credit: @momomo_us on X)(Image credit: @momomo_us on X)
The upcoming ATX12VO V3 standard is expected to remove the standby rail, with the main 12V rail remaining active at all times. Intel claims this change can simplify power supply design while improving efficiency, particularly during idle and low-power workloads. It also introduces new Low Power and High Power modes to improve safety and efficiency. According to Intel’s internal testing,, a conventional multi-rail design consumed around 1.29X more power at idle and 1.12X more power during benchmark workloads than the ATX12VO V3 reference platform.
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The slides also highlight a change in the motherboard power connector. The current ATX12VO implementation uses the 10-pin motherboard power connector; however, the upcoming version appears to go even smaller. It will now use an 8-pin 3 mm connector, which Intel claims reduces overall connector size by up to 83% compared to the 24-pin connector. The CPU power connector will also be reduced to 3 mm, delivering up to 51% in size reduction. Intel says that these smaller connectors save motherboard space and reduce material costs. These changes should also make system layouts easier to optimize, particularly in compact desktops and OEM systems.
Another major addition is support for PMBus (Power Management Bus), a communication standard commonly used in servers. The new 8-pin main power connector will include four optional PMBus pins. PMBus can be used to monitor voltage, current, temperature, and power delivery data, providing users with more detailed insights into the power supply’s behavior.
The new standard will also support the I_PSU% signal, allowing the power supply to communicate real-time power utilization data directly to the system, enabling the CPU and motherboard to detect when the power supply is approaching or exceeding its rated capacity. This can help prevent sudden system shutdowns while also allowing system builders to accurately choose power supply sizes.
While Intel has yet to officially confirm a launch date for the revised ATX12VO standard, an announcement may occur during the upcoming Computex 2026 expo.
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