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.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 't seem to be the case anymore.ASUS To Intro New ROG STRIX Scar Ultra Laptops With Intel Alder Lake-HX 16 Core CPUs Overclocked To 5.2 GHzAccording to the existing information: Most manufacturers choose to keep the traditional 24PIN power supply, and only a few models will launch the 12vo power supply strategy.(Some manufacturers even come up with a 12vo to 24PIN adapter board) -- It is said that Intel requires motherboard manufacturers to introduce at least "one" motherboard that supports 12vo power supply.pic.twitter.com/W3HlLMTCEj— YuuKi_AnS (@yuuki_ans) July 26, 20211. Intel AlderLake is the same as TigerLake's Xe, and will be used until the 14th generation. --- 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— YuuKi_AnS (@yuuki_ans) July 27, 2021Featuring 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 Launches 12th Gen Alder Lake-HX CPUs: The Fastest Laptop Chips Yet With Up To 16 Cores, 5 GHz, 16 PCIe Gen 5 Lanes, Full-Range OverclockingThe 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.For the latest tech news in your inbox, once a day!