12V-2×6 Cables? Are ALL The Same?

Although the ATX v3.1 specification has been out for quite some time, it still creates confusion among users, PSU manufacturers, and brands. In this short article, I will shed some light on the 12V-2×6 cable requirements. 

I have already written several articles about the ATX 3.1 specification and its differences from the previous spec, which I advise you to read. Reading them before you read this article is not mandatory, but it would be beneficial.

• Should I get an ATX v3.1 PSU, or will an ATX v3.0 be fine? Everything you need to know!
• ATX v3.1 & PCIe CEM 5.1 are official!
• 12VHPWR Connector/Cable: PSU’s Size (Watt) Does Matter!

Can All 12V-2×6 Cables Handle Up to 600W Of Power?

Although not all PSUs should come with a 600W setting on their 12V-2×6 sockets (if they are modular units) or cables (if they only have fixed cables), ALL 12V-2×6 Cables should be able to handle up to 600W of power. Why is that, someone might wonder? From the moment Intel specifies exactly which PSUs should use 600W, 450W, or 300W settings on their 12V-2×6 sockets/cables, why should all cables be able to handle 600W? I will explain this next.

The information in the table above is NOT available on the ATX spec but only in Intel’s test plan. As you can see, not all PSUs should have 600W settings on 12V-2×6 cable, but only those with 1100W or higher max power. 

The native 12V-2×6 socket is the only standardized socket in the desktop PSU market, with all the rest being non-standardized. Each PSU manufacturer uses the sockets it finds better on the modular boards of its PSUs, which is why you shouldn’t mix cables from different PSUs! On the other hand, users can use any 12V-2×6 cable as long as it can be connected to the native 12V-2×6 socket (because some 12V-2×6 cables connect to 2x 8pins on the modular panel. These cables are NOT universally compatible, of course). So Intel thought that some users might get a cable from another PSU to use, and if this cable could handle less power (say, 300W), it would probably melt or, even worse, catch fire if it was asked to handle 600W. This is why Intel decided that ALL 12V-2×6 cables should be able to handle 600W, meaning 16AWG gauges for the power and ground lines) even if they are used in 750W PSUs with a maximum setting of 300W.

Moreover, Intel recommends that the power labels be only written on the cable when it is fixed to the PSU. In the case of modular cables, there should be no label on the cable, but the label should be on the PSU’s power specification label.

I hope I have shed some light on this sensitive topic. According to Intel, using 18AWG gauges on a 12V-2×6 cable is incorrect, even if this is used by 750W/850W PSUs, where the maximum power setting is 300W. This creates some problems for manufacturers and brands because 16AWG cables are more expensive than 18AWG ones, and imagine if you have to manufacture thousands of PSUs knowing that this extra cost will be in vain. I can fully understand this, but on the other hand, I can also understand Intel’s effort to make the 12V-2×6 cable safer, given that it is the only standardized cable in the PSU market. Hopefully, Intel will also manage to standardize the rest of the cables because it is a shame not to have a standard pinout for all PSU modular panels. It would make our lives easier and lower costs because if your PSU broke, you could get another one without cables, saving lots of money. Or you could buy a PSU and only the cables you need so that you would save money. It is a great shame to have all these cables set aside, being useless in the end, especially in PSUs that come with a vast amount of them.

To answer the article’s (question) title. YES, all 12V-2×6 cables should be the same, meaning they should use 16AWG gauges for the power and ground and 28AWG for the sideband signal pins.