20 vs 24 pins

[Quigon]

Could someone explain to me the reason why newer Mobo's are 24 pin whereas my older mobo is 20 pin... Are we getting something out of the extra pins? And are there adapters for going from a 24 pin PSU to my 20 pin mobo - it seems the best PSU's for amperage are "24."
I'm just beginning my search for a new PSU - and this topic kinda irks me.
Thanks

 

[firtol88]

Doing the same thing, hope this helps. To use a 24-pin PSU on a 20-pin MB you will need one of these these

But if it's an EPS power supply like this or this you will need to get one of these and hack it in half in order to adapt the 8-pin connector.

In both cases the adapters may not be necessary if there is clearance for the extra 4 pins to just hang out of the connectors.

My Problem is determining which connectors are fed by which 12v rails on PSUs with multiple 12v rails…

Also I wish PCP&C would offer a bit more info on which supplies offer dual 12v rails and what the breakdown would be on each.

 

[Quigon]

My current mobo (abit TH7II-Raid) has the ATXPR1 slot - 20 pins, an auxpwr1 which is 6 pins, and an atx12v1 slot which is 4 pins.

I'm pretty sure the 20 pin is surrounded by capacitors so ill need to get an adapter, but now i'm wondering if these other two plugins (atx12v1 and the auxpwr1) are also no longer standard, and will they need adapters?

 

[Ice Czar]

Also I wish PCP&C would offer a bit more info on which supplies offer dual 12v rails and what the breakdown would be on each.

query

Want to know which implementation of the EPS12V specification does the Turbo Cool 510 employ for the +12V rails

6.1.1 12V Power Rail Configuration

There are two types of 12V rail configurations for systems: 'Common plane' and "Split plane' processor power delivery. The 'commob plane' system has both processors powered from a single 12V rail (+12V1) from the power supply. The 'split plane' system has both processors powered by seperate 12V rails (+12V1 and +12V2) one dedicated to each processor. The system in both cases, has an additional 12V rail to power the rest of the baseboard +12V loads and dc/dc converters. +12V1, +12V2 and +12V3 should not be connected together on the baseboard to ensure that 240VA protection circuits in the power supply operate properly

Table 6: 12V Rail Summary
........................................................................................................................................................................................
Common Plane System........................................................Split Plane System
+12V1........Processors.........................................................+12V1........Processor 1
+12V2........Baseboard components other than processors.......+12V2........Processor 2
+12V3........Drives and peripherals..........................................+12V3........Baseboards and components other than processors
...........................................................................................+12V4........Drives and peripherals

I assume its the common plane but wanted confirmation

Thank You Sincerly XXXXXXXXXXX
aka Ice Czar, Moderator Power Supplies, [H]ard|Forums
(and a happy customer of a 510 AG)
http://www.hardforum.com/



Answer

Hello XXXXXX,
Our Turbo-Cool 510 ATX power supply has just one 34A +12V output. We do this to give the user the most flexability. When the +12V is split into two outputs and one of the outputs is not being used at it's maximum then the second output can not use what left over from the first output. When it is all one output a person can use all of the available +12V current. We can split the +12V upon request to be fully compliant with the EPS12V (common plane) specification. The power supply is UL level 6.
Thanks,
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
QA Manager
PC Power & Cooling
(760) 931-5700

 

[Ice Czar]

My current mobo (abit TH7II-Raid) has the ATXPR1 slot - 20 pins, an auxpwr1 which is 6 pins, and an atx12v1 slot which is 4 pins.

I'm pretty sure the 20 pin is surrounded by capacitors so ill need to get an adapter, but now i'm wondering if these other two plugins (atx12v1 and the auxpwr1) are also no longer standard, and will they need adapters?

an ATX12V v2.03 compliant power supply eliminates the 6 pin connector altogether

ATX12V Version 2.0

1.2. Key changes for ATX12V Version 2.0 and Later as Compared with ATX and Previous Versions on ATX12V Power Supply
This section briefly summarizes the major changes made to this document that now defines ATX12V power supply.
With the move to 12V voltage regulators for the processors, ATX guidelines for 5V as mains power are no longer provided

1.2.1. Increased +12 VDC output capability
System components that use 12V are continuing to increase in power.
In cases where expected current requirements is greater than 18A a second 12V rail should be made available.
ATX12V power supplies should be designed at accommodate these increased +12 VDC currents.

1.2.2. Minimum Efficiency
Minimum measured efficiency is required to be 70% at full and typical (-50%) load and 60% at light (-20%) load.
New recommended guidance has been added to provide direction for future requirements.

1.2.3. Main Power Connector
The 2 x 10 main power connector has been replaced by a 2 x 12 connector.
This was made to support 75 watt PCI Express requirements.
Pinout assignments are based on SSI recommendations.
With the added 12V, 5V, and 3.3V pins the need for an Aux Power Connector is no longer needed
and the guidance for this connector has been removed

1.2.4. Seperate current Limit for 12V2 on the 2x2 connector
The 12V rail on the 2 x 2 power connector should be a seperate current limited output to meet the requirements of UL and EN60950

3.2.3. Typical Power Distribution
DC output power requirements and distributions will vary based on specific system options and implementation.
Significant dependencies include the quantity and types of processors, memory, add-in card slots, and peripheral bays,
as well as support for advanced graphics or other features.
It is ultimately the responsibility of the designer to derive a power budget for a given target product and market

Table 3 through Table 5 and figure 1 through Figure 3 provide sample power distributions and graphical recommendations for cross loading.
It should not be inferred that all power supplies must conform to these tables,
nor that a power supply designed to meet the information in these tables will work in all system configurations.

.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[firtol88]

You used the word standard that's funny!!!!!


The Antec (click on specifications) seems to have the 6-pin, a 4-pin, and an 8-pin to go with it's 24-pin. As for the Fortron (look at both specs and drawings) things aren't quite as clear. No idea weather the 4-pin on the Fortron is fed by the CPU rail or the I/O rail... no idea if the Antec even has two rails...

 

[Quigon]

an ATX12V v2.03 compliant power supply eliminates the 6 pin connector altogether

Okay I get what you're saying above - but this implies my Mobo has a 24 pin Main connector doesn't it?
If I bought a v2.03 compliant PSU, would it basically not work at all on my mobo since the 6 pin would not be receiving power (since it would be potentially absent)? I'd still only have my old ATX12V plugins to work with on the motherboard.

The antecs appear to have the 6 pin, 4 pin, yet they have a 24 pin main connector, seems like a hybrid of the versions.
Would be nice if the psu's were given a few more technical details on the specification sheet

 

[firtol88]

queryAnswer

Thank you SIR if that was in one of your FAQs I must have missed it, if not thanks even more.

 

[Quigon]

What is EPS12V? EPS12V is a special, non-ATX standard adopted by the Server System Infrastructure (SSI) group to provide a more powerful and stable environment for critical server-based systems and applications. EPS12V equipment is not compatible with standard ATX or ATX12V PCs found in homes and offices. Power supplies built to the EPS12V standard include a 24-pin motherboard power connector and an 8-pin +12V connector. However, since some server motherboards also use other connectors, TruePower 550EPS12V comes with 4-pin and 8-pin +12V and 6-pin Aux. power connectors for wide SSI / EPS12V motherboard compatibility and user versatility.

Looks like antec answered my 2nd question
Looks like upgrade options are certainly feasable with something like this.

Just wanted to say thanks a bunch to both of you - now I should start calculating my amp needs specifically and tailor a pseudo psu to find.