Ignore what Linus said. He got so many things wrong. The video should be pulled imo.
Yes. New efficiency targets will require system integrators to use power supplies that are at least 70% efficient at 2% load for PSUs over 500w, and 70% at 10w for PSUs 500W and below. This is for both ATX12VO and ATX12V power supplies. A 12VO power supply makes it slightly easier to hit this target, but it's not necessary and there are already plenty of existing ATX12V power supplies that do this. For example the Corsair RM is a modified version of the RMx that was designed to meet this efficiency target for system integrators. It's functionally the same as the RMx, based on the same platform and design, however uses a different LLC controller which has a "kick" mode that boosts efficiency at low loads. It's also using a different fan, cables, and capacitors to keep costs slightly lower for SI's (it's about $10 cheaper than the RMx).
I'm also sceptical of if 12VO actually provides any better efficiency. PSUs are tested for efficiency. Motherboards are not. It's just moving the efficiency losses from generating the minor rails from the PSU to the motherboard where it won't show up in the PSU efficiency testing. The only difference is the very minimal loss you would see from the cables plugging in to the motherboard, but if you're plugging in peripheral devices they still need a cable whether it's from the PSU or from the motherboard and will see similar losses due to cable length.
Pretty much any good power supply in the last 5-10 years will use DC-DC for its generation of minor rails, for example the seasonic focus Linus compared to in the video is DC-DC. If you look at PSU reviews (proper reviews not customer reviews) they will tell you if the PSU uses DC-DC for its minor rails. You can also look at photos of the internals to see if there are DC-DC converters, often a small panel on the secondary side (close to where the cables come out) with two small coils on it.
Also what Linus said in the video about converting AC to DC multiple times is wrong.
ATX12VO does not necessarily mean more efficient than a standard ATX12V power supply, at idle or at any load. You could have a 80+ Standard ATX12VO power supply. It doesn't even need to meet those low load efficiency targets I mentioned earlier (that's something separate) though it's likely that most will meet it since ATX12VO is aimed at system integrators who are expected to meet those targets.
The "50-60% efficiency at around 10% load" figure given by Linus in the video for standard ATX12V power supplies is very, very wrong. Any 80+ rated PSU is going to be much higher than that.
The results shown in the video are false. The test they performed was flawed and there's no way they could have got that big of a difference between power consumption between the two units if the two different systems they tested had same power draw. Very misleading.
I go in to more detail about that Here
Nicolai Mortensen reacted to Electronics Wizardy in Home networking
