How significant is ATX 3.0/3.1 compliance in a new construction?
How significant is ATX 3.0/3.1 compliance in a new construction?
I assume it's easy to pick an older 2.x PSU if budget and stock issues arise. But what if those factors limit options? For instance, with an RTX 4070, a 65W CPU, and a B650 AM5 board with 2x16GB RAM, would it make sense to choose an ATX 3 PSU? Ignore all other factors like quality, wattage, or certification here.
To some extent, yes. ATX 3.0 allows 200% power for 100ms without triggering over current protection. This capability enables the PSU to manage sudden power surges from high-end GPUs. You also receive native support for 12VHPWR (3.0) or 2x6 (3.1) connectors for Nvidia, and likely some upcoming Intel models as well. It seems AMD has released a few models that also utilize the new connector.
While many late-model ATX 2.4+ PSUs can handle these spikes, it wasn't explicitly mentioned, so dropping a 4090/5090 might cause problems. The RTX 4070 is relatively small in size. The price gap between a well-reviewed older ATX 2.x PSU and an ATX 3.x PSU should be negligible. What remains of the older units tends to be overpriced and outdated stock.
The MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 should work perfectly.
The GF A3 is also decent, though not the top pick from Thermaltake.
I've often wondered about PSU tier lists but haven't really used them before. When I reviewed them today, I was surprised they didn't mention the Antec G series at all, not even on the lowest levels.
Despite this, the series is commonly found in online shops here in India, and the prices indicate they would be on the B- or C tiers. It seems these aren't just generic Chinese products rebranded with Indian names (there are plenty of those).
It's hard to believe such a poor quality product would be included in tier lists without any effort. Anyone know anything about them?
It doesn't matter much. I'd choose whatever is most affordable.
antec offers a variety of units with different quality levels. There are no reliable reviews available, and the product comes with only a 5-year warranty. Typically, higher-quality items have longer warranties—often 7 years or more. Either the Thermaltake ToughPower GF A3 750W or the MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 would be suitable if you're looking for a good balance of price and performance.
Right now I’m not seriously weighing the Antec option against the others. What bothers me is how little information there is about the G series. After all, Antec isn’t just a minor player in the computer accessories industry.
The G series is 80+ Gold and semi-modular. The G750 can be found on the official Antec India website for around US$78 or $67 elsewhere.
The Antec India page lists it as compatible with 230V 50Hz, using "High Quality JP Capacitors" and a "120mm FDB Silent Fan." It seems to be mainly available in the Asian market, which might explain the sparse reviews.
On the Antec India store listing, it says "ATX 3.0 Ready" near the heading, but also notes it’s ATX 12V 2.53 under Additional Information. I asked support about this detail, and they quickly pointed me to where it was mentioned. I explained the context and am now awaiting a response.
Certainly, it seems like a fixed input unit isn't available worldwide. This leads to the problem that most vendors don’t actually produce the power supply themselves; they simply ask an OEM to manufacture it. If they’re aiming for a particular market, they tend to prioritize cost over quality.
In the past, some of the superior PSUs were limited to 240V only since they could be designed more straightforwardly compared to those requiring 100-240V at 50/60Hz. However, this higher voltage improves efficiency, making it simpler to reach an 80+ gold rating at 240V, which allows for lower costs.
Relying on marketing materials isn’t advisable. Even major companies frequently make significant errors or omissions (which could apply here). Issues like poor translations, uncommunicated design changes, or using vague language in marketing are all common problems.
Antec support responded and confirmed the G series isn't ATX 3.0 ready. They apologized for the mistake and assured they would fix it. The "ATX 3.0 Ready" and "PCIE 5 Ready" labels were shown as logos instead of regular text, and both have been removed, leaving only the 80+ Gold sticker.