ATX Power Supplies are one of the older models of power supplies that are available on the market today. Though many of them have been phased out they are still available and can still serve many different purposes when it comes to powering your unit. There are many different factors which should be understood and taken into account when shopping for ATX power supplies in order to make sure that it is compatible with your current system and unit, and that it is the best choice for providing your unit with power.
ATX power supplies provide an extra +3.3V voltage rail, use a single 20 pin connector as the main power connector, and support the soft-off feature which allows the software to turn off the power supply. This is standard in even the oldest ATX power supplies that you will find on the market. These basic requirements are still a good source of power for many machines and it is important to understand the specific requirements of your unit before purchasing any power supply, much less one of the older ATX pieces in order to power your system.
The current mainstream choice when it comes to ATX power supplies is the ATX12V. There are several different versions of this power supply which should be examined before making a final selection and purchase. The version 1.0 added components in order to be able to deliver power directly to the processor as well as to provide power exclusively to the processor and not to the entire machine. It also opened up the possibility to have +3.3V and +5V versions of the power supply. The following version 1.3 added a 15 pin SATA power connector on top of the original enhancements.
The power supply changed dramatically during the version 2.0 upgrade. This changed the power supply from a 20 pin power connector to a 24 pin version. It also increased the efficiency requirements and made additional various updates to the power supply unit. This is why the current version is the most advanced power supply option in the ATX line and is often better suited to be used with newer technology and equipment. It is important to keep in mind the connecting units which will be used with the ATX power supplies that you purchase to insure compatibility.
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