ATX 3.1 vs 3.0 PSUs: Why Newer Isn't Always Better

In the past, I have argued in favor of buying an ATX 3.1 PSU with a native 12vh-2x6 slot (for RTX 40 and 50 series graphics cards), but was I actually wrong? It turns out that the ATX 3.0 power standard is better than the ATX 3.1 standard, and also the way that some ATX 3.0 PSUs 'give' 12vhpwr can be better than many 2025-era ATX 3.1 PSUs.

Confused? Me too (at first)! So in this video I breakdown exactly what differences ATX 3.0 and 3.1 saw, and then I discuss why sticking to an 'older' PSU might actually be a good thing.

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The individual timestamps for this video are:
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00:00 ATX 3.0 Is Better.. And Worse... Than 3.1!
00:30 ATX 2 vs 3.0 PSUs
01:29 ATX 3.0 and 3.1 Transient Spike Support
02:24 12vhpwr And 12vh-2x6 Connectors
03:57 So ATX 3.1 IS Better...?!
05:36 12vhpwr vs 8-Pin Safety Headroom
07:28 ATX 3.0 Hold-up Times

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Credits
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Thanks to the following resources (sounds, images etc):

"Pop-up Sound" by BeezleFM (https://freesound.org/s/512135/ -- License: Attribution 4.0)

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Whiskey And Rye by Adam Drake, License ID: 9R3g56mVvX4

Trucks And Bucks by Adam Drake, License ID: pnMjL9ney5z


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#PCSetup #PSU #GraphicsCard