In my humble opinion, the ATX normal is damaged. The PCs we all know and love have advanced a lot over the past 30 years. Small revisions and additions to the usual aren’t assembly the wants and necessities of a 2024 period PC, to say nothing of the calls for of a PC as we transfer in direction of—and into the 2030’s.
ATX (Superior Know-how Prolonged) is a motherboard and energy provide configuration specification launched by Intel in 1995. Its function is to outline the essential fundamentals of our PCs. If you happen to take a look at the internals of a PC from the mid 90’s and evaluate it to 1 at the moment, the structure is definitely recognizable.
At its most simple, ATX exists to make sure compatibility throughout the PC ecosystem. In principle, any ATX motherboard may be put in into any ATX case with any ATX energy provide. The scale, mounting factors, the form and site of the I/O panel and the positioning of the growth slots are key to this.
Over time the ATX normal has undergone many revisions and expansions. Probably the most well-known of those are the addition of the microATX and Mini-ITX requirements, although there are others extra related to workstation and enterprise motherboards. Prolonged ATX is one we frequently see in high-end client motherboards.
PC energy provides are additionally required to satisfy sure specs. That features the bodily connectors and the requirement to produce varied voltages inside tolerances. These embody the 12V, 5V and three.3V rails, in order that it ensures compatibility with—hopefully—all motherboards.Â
The latest main ATX energy provide revision is ATX 3.0, which was launched in February of 2022. ATX 3.1 is coming this yr. It introduces the 12V-2×6 16-pin connector which may provide 600W of energy to the thirstiest graphics playing cards. It replaces the difficulty inclined 12VHPWR connector, which has not precisely gone effectively.
There are a large number of the explanation why I consider there is a want for an ATX alternative. These embody the rise of M.2, the bodily measurement and calls for of recent graphics playing cards, cooling necessities, energy effectivity, cable administration, and the necessity to put together for future applied sciences.
However there are some components of the usual which can be completely tremendous. The positioning of the rear I/O panel and the motherboard mounting factors are two options which have stood the check of time.
M.2 wasn’t even a twinkle in daddy Intel’s eye 30 years in the past
I am going to start with M.2. I’ve beforehand outlined the the explanation why I believe M.2 is a poor resolution. It is bought nothing to do with the efficiency of a speedy NVMe M.2 drive, it is all to do with the bodily, electrical, and cooling calls for it locations on a contemporary system. Nowadays, motherboard designs are just about dominated by M.2 slots, and there was nothing like them when ATX was launched in 1995.
Ditching M.2 in favor of an alternate kind issue would take away the need for expansive motherboard mounted heatsinks, it could liberate motherboard PCB area for different parts (or make them cheaper), they usually require inefficient 3.3V energy.Â
For some cause, competing cabled requirements together with U.2 and U.3 connections have by no means taken off within the client area. U.3 contains assist for 12V energy. Eradicating 3.3V assist would repair one of many inefficiencies of recent ATX energy provides. However, I am going to get to that shortly.
A U.3 drive may incorporate cooling right into a 2.5-inch SSD chassis. Such a drive would require the *shock* routing of a cable. However, that may very well be simply solved by placing the connectors on the rear of the motherboard, which brings me to my subsequent level.
Make bottom cable connectors obligatory
Mounting the entire motherboard connectors and headers on the rear of the motherboard could be one of many simpler adjustments to mandate. Motherboard producers are already experimenting on this regard, with MSI’s Mission Zero and Asus’ BTF ideas being distinguished examples.
Rear mounted motherboard connectors enhance aesthetics and case airflow. It might additionally make the system simpler to entry. M.2 drives are a ache to put in, whereas a SATA (or U.3) SSD may very well be merely and simply mounted and hooked up with not one of the fiddliness of M.2 drives.
One other instance many builders have in all probability come throughout is the issue of accessing the EPS energy connectors if in case you have prime mounted followers or an AIO cooler put in. Rear mounted connectors fully take away this problem, and others prefer it, akin to cables that connect to headers alongside the underside of the motherboard. They are often troublesome to entry if in case you have a PSU shroud instantly under them, or have growth playing cards put in.
So, bottom motherboard connectors make your system look higher, enhance case airflow, are comparatively simple for motherboard producers to implement, and make system modifications simpler. It is a no brainer.
 Graphics playing cards have develop into bodily dominantÂ
Altering the discrete graphics card kind issue is far simpler mentioned than performed. It is nearly laughable how bodily massive a contemporary high-performance graphics card is. Evaluate them to the heatsink-less single slot designs from the 1990’s! Curiously, although, a quad slot RTX 4090 can theoretically be put in into an ATX case from 30 years in the past when single slot, half size passive playing cards had been frequent.
A contemporary graphics card nonetheless must be put in right into a slot that bodily differs little from the AGP slots of the 1990’s. The identical may be mentioned of a case’s growth slots. Anti-sag brackets handle the burden facet, however the cause they exist in any respect is proof that fashionable graphics playing cards are nothing like their 1990’s ancestors. Their dimensions and weight, together with runaway energy and cooling calls for have come too far to be sustainable. What’s subsequent? 600W five-slot playing cards? That is ridiculous.
This brings me to the troublesome half. I would prefer to see a brand new graphics card kind issue. A big graphics card already protrudes above the highest of the I/O bracket. Why not take {that a} step additional? As an alternative of a card that is 140mm tall, why not make it 180mm? Makers may set up increased CFM, decrease RPM followers which can be quieter, whereas permitting the playing cards themselves to be thinner or shorter. You possibly can mount them vertically, away from the motherboard, not in contrast to you are able to do with riser cables now. That method we would not should resort to instances which can be extra like cubes than the oblong towers they’re now.
Another choice could be to go in the wrong way, so, for instance a card takes up 5 or 6 slots. In principle, a GPU cooler may incorporate a single 120mm or 140mm fan to direct cool air from the entrance of the case over an enormous heatsink floor space and straight out the rear of the case. That concept may very well be a bit foolish, although.
That is only a spitballing of concepts, however with graphics playing cards trending upwards in energy consumption, which implies ever steeper cooling necessities, the PCIe graphics card kind issue we all know and love is trending in an unsustainable path.
The case for ATX12VOÂ
Firstly, the 20-pin and now normal 24-pin energy connectors are relics. It would not be laborious to make them bodily smaller, together with the 8-pin EPS connectors. However, there’s an present normal that addresses that, amongst different issues. It is referred to as ATX12VO, developed by Intel in 2019. Its principal declare to fame is that it provides 12V DC energy solely.
The issue with ATX (and SFX) energy provides is that they carry the legacies of prior a long time. Nowadays, PCs rely much more closely on the 12V rail of the ability provide. System parts that require 3.3V (akin to M.2 drives) or 5V (USB) may use motherboard mounted step-down circuitry to produce the ability these units require. The motherboard is already required to route these voltages anyway.
The upside is that ATX12VO energy provides could be a lot less complicated in design with higher effectivity. Meaning a mix of much less waste warmth and decrease energy consumption, an extended lifespan and cheaper buy value.
One of many potential obstacles I see is the rise of USB Energy Supply. ATX12VO PCs with a number of USB-PD supporting ports could be difficult for motherboard makers to implement.Â
ATX12VO might be the change I would award the bottom precedence to. I would like to see higher effectivity and thousands and thousands of ATX12VO energy provides combining to decrease international power consumption, however the ongoing improvement of ATX energy provides, with ATX 3.0 and three.1 being the newest examples, means ATX12VO has a steep—however not insurmountable climb forward of it, if it is to ever see widespread adoption.
As we transfer in direction of the 2030’s there will likely be new issuesÂ
It is slightly laborious to look into the crystal ball and predict among the adjustments to come back. One instance that involves thoughts is that if or when optical interconnects develop into viable. System energy consumption continues to rise, and there is a want for higher effectivity that is sooner, with decrease latency. Optical interconnects are one thing we’ll certainly hear extra about within the years forward. What in the event you may get by with out the necessity for PCIe slots?
For the reason that mid 1990’s PCs have required SDRAM, DDR1, DDR2 and so forth. Their bodily dimensions stay primarily the identical, even when they don’t seem to be suitable. A few weeks in the past, I wrote a narrative after recognizing an Asus ROG motherboard with SO-DIMM slots, and it bought me eager about how desktop PC reminiscence may do with a bodily change, if solely to create slightly bit of additional PCB area for an additional M.2 slot.
Would possibly we see one thing just like CAMM reminiscence within the years forward? How about optical RAM? It is good to consider, however actually, we’re much more more likely to have the identical RGB geared up DDR7 in 10 years from now. Regardless of the case, a smaller RAM footprint wouldn’t go astray, if the business may get on board with it.
Lastly, simply how excessive will CPU TDP’s go? Lengthy gone are the times of flagship 65W CPUs that might get by with a easy air cooler. The ATX normal would not particularly handle the topic of cooling, but when CPU TDPs begin reaching ludicrous 500W ranges, it’s one thing that must be thought-about. The realm required for monstrous VRM options and heatsinks to tame them should be factored right into a future normal.
Bear in mind BTX?
Ahh, do you keep in mind BTX? That was Intel’s try to exchange the ATX motherboard kind issue within the mid-2000’s with one thing extra related within the twenty first century. Aside from just a few ideas and OEM methods, BTX got here and went with a whimper.
It did have some fascinating properties, one in all which was swapping the positioning of the I/O panel and growth slots. It additionally gave the CPU ‘first dibs’ on incoming case airflow. Some methods had the power to vertically mount the graphics card, and even have it positioned reverse the motherboard, permitting airflow to maneuver extra freely although the case.
BTX was a novel concept, and one which had some actual benefits. It was developed to deal with the extreme warmth points affecting Intel’s Pentium 4 period CPUs. Historical past is repeating…
The issue was its lack of business assist. Motherboard distributors did exhibit merchandise round 2004, however BTX rapidly fell by the wayside. And therein lies the issue with any effort to exchange the ATX normal.
Some closing ideasÂ
Any alternative of the ATX normal would require close to common business assist. Intel cannot come excessive and say: ‘Let’s do it this manner’ because it may in years previous. One thing like an IEEE group or another business physique made up of all the important thing gamers is the one sensible method ahead.
Such adjustments have an effect on each space of not simply the PC, however all the pieces else to some extent. From a easy motherboard to laptops to information facilities masking soccer fields: all could be affected in at the very least a way.
I say let the enterprise people do their factor. These people can chuck a billion {dollars} at an issue and clear up it. However the humble PC wants a redesign that introduces higher energy effectivity, improved cooling, and improved cable administration. Add a splash of simplicity and extra engaging aesthetics, and we have got a bunch of issues all players would profit from.
Sadly, if I needed to put a guess on it, I would say the probabilities of main kind issue adjustments are just about zero within the brief time period. The business is simply too large nowadays, there’s an excessive amount of time and cash invested within the present ecosystem. A change of momentum of this scale when so many corporations have their fingers within the ATX pie makes imminent change unlikely.