In my humble opinion, the ATX normal is damaged. The PCs we all know and love have developed 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 Expertise Prolonged) is a motherboard and energy provide configuration specification launched by Intel in 1995. Its objective is to outline the essential fundamentals of our PCs. If you happen to have a look at the internals of a PC from the mid 90’s and examine it to at least one right now, the structure is well recognizable.
At its most elementary, ATX exists to make sure compatibility throughout the PC ecosystem. In idea, 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 enlargement slots are key to this.
Over time the ATX normal has undergone many revisions and expansions. Essentially 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 regularly 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 provide numerous voltages inside tolerances. These embrace 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 12 months. It introduces the 12V-2×6 16-pin connector which may provide 600W of energy to the thirstiest graphics playing cards. It replaces the problem susceptible 12VHPWR connector, which has not precisely gone nicely.
There are a large number of the reason why I imagine there is a want for an ATX substitute. These embrace the rise of M.2, the bodily dimension 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 elements of the usual which can be completely superb. The positioning of the rear I/O panel and the motherboard mounting factors are two options which have stood the take a look at 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 reason why I believe M.2 is a poor answer. It is obtained 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. As of late, 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 another kind issue would take away the need for expansive motherboard mounted heatsinks, it could unencumber motherboard PCB house for different elements (or make them cheaper), they usually require inefficient 3.3V energy.Â
For some motive, competing cabled requirements together with U.2 and U.3 connections have by no means taken off within the client house. U.3 consists of 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 might 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 all the motherboard connectors and headers on the rear of the motherboard could be one of many simpler modifications to mandate. Motherboard producers are already experimenting on this regard, with MSI’s Venture Zero and Asus’ BTF ideas being distinguished examples.
Rear mounted motherboard connectors enhance aesthetics and case airflow. It will additionally make the system simpler to entry. M.2 drives are a ache to put in, whereas a SATA (or U.3) SSD might be merely and simply mounted and hooked up with not one of the fiddliness of M.2 drives.
One other instance many builders have most likely come throughout is the problem of accessing the EPS energy connectors you probably have prime mounted followers or an AIO cooler put in. Rear mounted connectors fully take away this subject, and others prefer it, reminiscent of cables that connect to headers alongside the underside of the motherboard. They are often troublesome to entry you probably have a PSU shroud instantly beneath them, or have enlargement playing cards put in.
So, bottom motherboard connectors make your system look higher, enhance case airflow, are comparatively straightforward for motherboard producers to implement, and make system modifications simpler. It is a no brainer.
 Graphics playing cards have turn into bodily dominantÂ
Altering the discrete graphics card kind issue is way simpler stated than achieved. It is virtually laughable how bodily giant a contemporary high-performance graphics card is. Evaluate them to the heatsink-less single slot designs from the 1990’s! Apparently, 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 stated of a case’s enlargement slots. Anti-sag brackets tackle the burden side, however the motive 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 might wish 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 greater 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 not like you are able to do with riser cables now. That means we would not must resort to circumstances which can be extra like cubes than the oblong towers they’re now.
Another choice could be to go in the wrong way, so, to illustrate a card takes up 5 – 6 slots. In idea, 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 might be a bit foolish, although.
That is only a spitballing of concepts, however with graphics playing cards trending upwards in energy consumption, which suggests ever steeper cooling necessities, the PCIe graphics card kind issue we all know and love is trending in an unsustainable route.
The case for ATX12VOÂ
Firstly, the 20-pin and now normal 24-pin energy connectors are relics. It would not be arduous to make them bodily smaller, together with the 8-pin EPS connectors. However, there’s an current 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. As of late, PCs rely way more closely on the 12V rail of the facility provide. System elements that require 3.3V (reminiscent of M.2 drives) or 5V (USB) may use motherboard mounted step-down circuitry to provide the facility these units require. The motherboard is already required to route these voltages anyway.
The upside is that ATX12VO energy provides could be a lot easier in design with higher effectivity. Which means a mixture of much less waste warmth and decrease energy consumption, an extended lifespan and cheaper buy worth.
One of many potential hindrances 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 might award the bottom precedence to. I might like to see higher effectivity and hundreds of thousands of ATX12VO energy provides combining to decrease world vitality 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 just a little arduous to look into the crystal ball and predict a few of the modifications to come back. One instance that involves thoughts is that if or when optical interconnects turn into viable. System energy consumption continues to rise, and there is a want for higher effectivity that is quicker, with decrease latency. Optical interconnects are one thing we’ll absolutely hear extra about within the years forward. What in case you may get by with out the necessity for PCIe slots?
Because the mid 1990’s PCs have required SDRAM, DDR1, DDR2 and so forth. Their bodily dimensions stay basically the identical, even when they aren’t appropriate. A few weeks in the past, I wrote a narrative after recognizing an Asus ROG motherboard with SO-DIMM slots, and it obtained me excited about how desktop PC reminiscence may do with a bodily change, if solely to create just a little bit of additional PCB house for an additional M.2 slot.
May we see one thing just like CAMM reminiscence within the years forward? How about optical RAM? It is good to consider, however truthfully, we’re way more prone to have the identical RGB outfitted DDR7 in 10 years from now. Regardless of the case, a smaller RAM footprint wouldn’t go astray, if the trade 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 tackle 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.
Keep in mind BTX?
Ahh, do you bear in mind BTX? That was Intel’s try to interchange the ATX motherboard kind issue within the mid-2000’s with one thing extra related within the twenty first century. Aside from a couple of ideas and OEM techniques, BTX got here and went with a whimper.
It did have some attention-grabbing properties, considered one of which was swapping the positioning of the I/O panel and enlargement slots. It additionally gave the CPU ‘first dibs’ on incoming case airflow. Some techniques 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 thought, and one which had some actual benefits. It was developed to handle the extreme warmth points affecting Intel’s Pentium 4 period CPUs. Historical past is repeating…
The issue was its lack of trade assist. Motherboard distributors did exhibit merchandise round 2004, however BTX rapidly fell by the wayside. And therein lies the issue with any effort to interchange the ATX normal.
Some closing ideasÂ
Any substitute of the ATX normal would require close to common trade 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 trade physique made up of all the important thing gamers is the one practical means ahead.
Such modifications have an effect on each space of not simply the PC, however all the things else to some extent. From a easy motherboard to laptops to information facilities overlaying soccer fields: all could be affected in a minimum of a way.
I say let the enterprise of us do their factor. These of us can chuck a billion {dollars} at an issue and remedy it. However the humble PC wants a redesign that introduces higher energy effectivity, improved cooling, and improved cable administration. Add a touch of simplicity and extra enticing aesthetics, and we have a bunch of issues all avid gamers would profit from.
Sadly, if I needed to put a wager on it, I might say the probabilities of main kind issue modifications are just about zero within the quick time period. The trade is simply too large as of late, there’s an excessive amount of time and money invested within the current ecosystem. A change of momentum of this scale when so many firms have their fingers within the ATX pie makes imminent change unlikely.