Intel is about to change things up with its new CPU, Alder Lake, which is expected to be released later this year. This architecture is said to feature a mix of high and low power cores, the latest memory standards, as well as an Intel ATX12VO power supply.

According to documents purportedly from Intel sent to Videocardz, Intel hopes to transition manufacturers to a new, more efficient PSU standard by the time the Alder Lake CPUs are released. To do so, they need to give manufacturers approximately 4-5 months lead time, so they are encouraging OEMs to begin the process by the end of this month.

That would put the Alder Lake launch in September/October, with November still a possibility.

Last year, Intel released its ATX12VO desktop power supply design guide. This was effectively intended to introduce a new power supply that would be more efficient at low loads; while current PSUs are powerfully efficient at medium and high loads, they do not perform as well when power demand drops below 10%. Thus, when the PC is idle, these PSUs consume more power than necessary.

New PSUs will only supply a single 12V rail for higher efficiency, leaving the remaining power rails (for storage and some peripherals) to the motherboard. This will require rethinking and redesign for motherboard manufacturers as well as PSU manufacturers.

Therefore, the ATX12VO PSU will not immediately replace the current PC multi-rail PSU. At least not in the short term. If anything, the ATX12VO standard will first appear in power-savvy pre-built machines. If you are building a new gaming PC, you will want to choose one of the best PSUs for PC gaming.

However, there is no guarantee that it will not one day be included in a gaming PC. Anything to reduce the power consumption of these machines would be a good thing.