Intel's Z690 motherboards for Alder Lake Desktop CPUs will retain the traditional 24-pin connector design, as reported by Yuuki_ans. The leaker states that most motherboard makers have chosen to drop Intel's ATX12VO strategy.
Intel Z690 Motherboards For Alder Lake Desktop CPUs To Retain 24-Pin Power Connectors As Board Makers Reluctant To Adopt ATX12VO Standard
The ATX12VO power connectors were going to be a big deal on 600-series motherboards including the flagship Z690 chipset-based products. Intel was actively trying to standardize the new and more power-efficient power connector configuration on its motherboards starting next generation but it doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
根据现有消息：
绝大多数厂商选择保留传统的24PIN供电，只会有少部分型号推出12vo供电策略。
（有些厂商甚至拿出了12vo转24PIN的转接板）
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据说intel要求主板厂商必须推出至少“一款”支持12vo供电的主板。 pic.twitter.com/W3HlLMTCEj— 结城安穗-YuuKi_AnS (@yuuki_ans) July 26, 2021
1. Intel AlderLake is the same as TigerLake's Xe, and will be used until the 14th generation.
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2. Some manufacturers say that intel requires us to "make" at least one 12vo-powered motherboard, but they didn't say that we must "release" it. (Laughs🤣) pic.twitter.com/d9aCH0H7vP— 结城安穗-YuuKi_AnS (@yuuki_ans) July 27, 2021
Featuring support for Alder Lake Desktop CPUs, the Z690 motherboards were going to adopt the new standard which is shown to reduce idle power by half, but the power efficiency gains are not as significant as power increases all the way up to a full load. To get ATX12VO running, you would need a proper PSU & a motherboard with the necessary power connectors. This is just too much of an upgrade for existing users and could be one of the many reasons why motherboard makers are deciding against using the standard.
It is also stated Intel had made it a requirement for each motherboard manufacturer to make at least one motherboard that supports the ATX12VO standard. This has forced some board makers to bundle a 12VO to 24-pin adapter board rather than a proper implementation on the board itself. Sources our at motherboard makers have stated that while Intel has forced them to make at least 1 ATX12VO motherboard, they haven't said that they should release it.
As for ATX12VO boards themselves, currently, there are only a limited amount of options that include the MSI Z590 PRO and ASRock Z590 Phantom Gaming 4SR. MSI also demonstrated the Z590 PRO 12VO in an Insider video last month which you can see below:
Intel 600-Series Platform For 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs
The Intel 600-series platform will comprise Z690, B660, and H610 SKUs. There's no mention of the workstation chipset but that may come later on. As for the launch, the Z690 flagship SKU will be the first to hit the market and is aiming for Q4 2021. That is also when we can start expecting to see the DDR5 memory in retail outlets. The Intel 600-series platform will also be compliant with PCIe 5.0 as we reported here.
Moving forward, Intel plans to expand its 600-series platform with mainstream & entry-level SKUs such as B660 and H610. These chipsets are aiming for a launch around Q1 2022 so we can expect an announcement around CES 2022. All motherboards will feature the LGA 1700 socket to support 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs but it looks like the Z690 motherboards are the only ones that might get DDR5 support while the entry-level options might stick with DDR4, at least for the first generation.
