So, it's official. Dual 12 volt rail power supplies that have become common these days are really unnecessary. You know what this means, right?... I can still use my $250 watt ps for my new rig. Hurray!

I do have one question for those suckers who have one. How do you differentiate which 12V rail is connected to a particular PC component? Are the plugs labeled 12v1 or 12v2?

What have you been reading that caused you to come to the conclusion that dual 12v rails is not a good thing?

Granted that for most basic computers it is not really necessary. The part that is more important is that you have some good amps TOTAL on the 12v rail (even if it is just a single).

So the dual rail PSUs are typically more expensive than single, yes. But that is also because they typically are giving your more juice on the 12v rail (at least that is one of the reasons).

By the way.... what kind of NEW system are you planning on powering with your 250W?

I got the word from the man. Intel. They have lifted the 240 watt limit on the 12 volt rail. Initially the specs allowed 20 amps on the 12 volt rails as a safety measure and thus requiring multiple 12 volt rails.

Not following... it may be that you are speaking at a tech level that is above my head, it happens sometimes

There have been PSUs with more than 20amps on single 12v rail for a long time, so there is nothing new there.

But the reason for the dual 12v rail was not only for an increase of amps, it was also for electrical isolation for noise and improved voltage regulation. Not something that a regular home computer really needs, but for those who have a lot of HDD, lights, optical drives and bells and whistles, the dual rails is a good thing.

what kind of "new Rig" are yuo planning on trying to run on a 250 watt power supply?