Seasonic M12 SS-7004: Does this have 4 -12v rails??

asked Seasonic about this "descrepency" and it was stated that the "deception" is really quite innocent. Apparently the initial design was for quad rails, and if rails did need to be split up into three or four rails, it would be easy to implement without completely redesigning the platform. Multiple rails can be split up with a separate OCP circuit board, typically screwed to the top of a heatsink.

What Seasonic tells me is that there was an issue with high end video cards overloading a single 12V rail. So with Intel's blessing, Seasonic removed the OCP. Technically, Intel has removed the 240VA rail limit from the ATX12V specfication (although I've yet to see this published on FormFactors.org), and the UL simply considers devices with single output leads with output capability greater than 240VA (12V @ 20A) a different product class (level 6 instead of level 3.)

Although I have little issue with a single 12V rail as it does allow almost any load to be put on almost any connection, I do wish a correction to the label was done. Single 12V rails work well for high end machines with video cards with GPU's that can easily overload your typical rail, but you do miss the advantages of split 12V rails, such as separation of "noise" between rails and the protection provided by the separation so a potential short on one rail doesn't harm a device loation on another.

Although I have little issue with a single 12V rail as it does allow almost any load to be put on almost any connection, I do wish a correction to the label was done. Single 12V rails work well for high end machines with video cards with GPU's that can easily overload your typical rail, but you do miss the advantages of split 12V rails, such as separation of "noise" between rails and the protection provided by the separation so a potential short on one rail doesn't harm a device loation on another.