CEC - Computers Energy Efficiency Standard
Overview
The CEC has put into place a market access energy efficiency standard for all computers that will be sold into California with the manufacturing date of January 1, 2019 or after. Starting in July 2021, Desktop and All-in-One computers will have a lower power/energy limit called Tier 2. All computers must meet this new standard and be registered with the CEC to be sold into the regions that have adopted this rule. As of April 2023, there are 10 other states plus a province in Canada that have adopted this regulation with various effective dates. There are also many others states that have legislation in process to copy this standard.
Ways to Meet These Requirements
There are currently two different way to meet these energy regulation requirements.
#1 - Classify the system as TEC(Power) Exempt. One way to do this is to utilize a motherboard that has an expandability score greater than 690. An expandability score is a numerical evaluation of how many ports and capabilities the motherboard features. For example, a full size PCIe x16 slot will add 75 points to the expandability score. To find out if a motherboard has an expandability score greater than 690, and therefore is exempt, you can reference the below list or calculate it using this excel worksheet.
#2 – Meet TEC (Power) requirements. If the motherboard has an expandability score ≤ 690 then the system will need to be assembled with components optimized for low idle power consumption. An example of a component optimized to meet these requirements are the new ATX12VO based motherboard and power supplies, that are very efficient at idle.
The MAEDBS database is how systems get registered for the CEC Computer Regulations. All computers sold in any state or country that has adopted CEC T2 must the registered by the effective date. For more details on the ways to meet exemption and register the systems download more details.
CEC Friendly Motherboard Program
The motherboards in this table have an expandability score greater than 690, and are exempt from meeting the idle energy power consumption requirements.
TEC Exempt Motherboard List (ES>690)
Updated: April 4, 2023
Vendor | Model # | Chipset | Form Factor | CEC Expandability Score | PSU Support | Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) Support |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MSI | MEG Z590 GODLIKE | Z590 | EATX | 775 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MEG Z590 ACE | Z590 | ATX | 755 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MEG Z590 ACE GOLD EDITION | Z590 | ATX | 755 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MPG Z590 GAMING CARBON WIFI | Z590 | ATX | 735 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MPG Z590 CARBON EK X | Z590 | ATX | 735 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MPG Z590 GAMING FORCE | Z590 | ATX | 725 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MPG Z590 GAMING EDGE WIFI | Z590 | ATX | 725 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MPG Z590 GAMING PLUS | Z590 | ATX | 715 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MPG Z590 GAMING EDGE WIFI SP | Z590 | ATX | 725 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | Z590 PRO WIFI (CEC) | Z590 | ATX | 705 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | B560M PRO-VDH WIFI (CEC) | B560 | uATX | 700 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MEG Z690 UNIFY | Z690 | ATX | 715 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MEG Z690 UNIFY-X | Z690 | ATX | 715 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MPG Z690 CARBON WIFI | Z690 | ATX | 725 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MPG Z690 CARBON EK X | Z690 | ATX | 725 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MPG Z690 FORCE WIFI | Z690 | ATX | 725 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MPG Z690 EDGE WIFI DDR4 | Z690 | ATX | 715 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MAG Z690 TOMAHAWK WIFI | Z690 | ATX | 705 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MAG Z690 TORPEDO | Z690 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | PRO Z690-A DDR4 | Z690 | ATX | 705 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | PRO Z690-A WIFI DDR4 | Z690 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | PRO Z690-A | Z690 | ATX | 705 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | PRO Z690-A WIFI | Z690 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | Yes |
MSI | MEG Z690 GODLIKE | Z690 | EATX | 810 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | MEG Z690 ACE | Z690 | EATX | 815 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | MPG Z690 EDGE TI WIFI DDR4 | Z690 | ATX | 715 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | MPG Z690 EDGE WIFI | Z690 | ATX | 715 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | MPG Z690 EDGE TI WIFI | Z690 | ATX | 705 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | MAG Z690 TORPEDO EK X | Z690 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | PRO B660M-A CEC WIFI DDR4 | B660 | uATX | 695 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | PRO B660M-A CEC WIFI | B660 | uATX | 695 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | MEG Z790 ACE | Z790 | EATX | 845 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI | Z790 | ATX | 710 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | MPG Z790 EDGE WIFI | Z790 | ATX | 715 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | MPG Z790 EDGE WIFI DDR4 | Z790 | ATX | 715 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | Z790 PRO-A WIFI DDR4 | Z790 | ATX | 705 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | Z790 PRO-A WIFI | Z790 | ATX | 705 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | Z790 PRO-P WIFI | Z790 | ATX | 705 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | Z790 PRO-P | Z790 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | Z790 PRO-P WIFI DDR4 | Z790 | ATX | 705 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | Z790 PRO-P DDR4 | Z790 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | YES |
MSI | MEG Z790 GODLIKE | Z790 | EATX | 820 | ATX12V | YES |
ASRock | Z590 OC Formula | Z590 | EATX | 760 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASRock | Z590 Taichi | Z590 | ATX | 725 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASRock | Z590 PG Velocita | Z590 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASRock | B560M-C | B560 | uATX | 700 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASRock | Z590-C/ax | Z590 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASRock | Z590-C/ac | Z590 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | Yes |
GIGABYTE | B560 DS3H AC | B560 | ATX | 735 | ATX12V | Yes |
GIGABYTE | Z590 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE | Z590 | ATX | 710 | ATX12V | Yes |
GIGABYTE | Z590 AORUS XTREME | Z590 | ATX | 710 | ATX12V | Yes |
GIGABYTE | Z590 AORUS MASTER | Z590 | ATX | 705 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG MAXIMUS XIII EXTREME GLACIAL | Z590 | ATX | 840 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG MAXIMUS XIII EXTREME | Z590 | ATX | 790 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG MAXIMUS XIII HERO | Z590 | ATX | 800 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG MAXIMUS XIII APEX | Z590 | ATX | 705 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG STRIX Z590-E GAMING WIFI | Z590 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG STRIX Z590-F GAMING WIFI | Z590 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ProArt Z490-CREATOR 10G | Z490 | ATX | 695 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | Prime B560-PLUS AC-HES | B560 | ATX | 710 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME GLACIAL | Z690 | EATX | 720 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME | Z690 | EATX | 705 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG MAXIMUS Z690 FORMULA | Z690 | ATX | 740 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO | Z690 | ATX | 700 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PROART Z690-CREATOR WiFi | Z690 | ATX | 745 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG STRIX Z690-E GAMING WiFi | Z690 | ATX | 745 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PRIME Z690-P WiFi | Z690 | ATX | 710 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PRIME Z690-P WiFi D4 | Z690 | ATX | 710 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PRIME Z690-P | Z690 | ATX | 710 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PRIME Z690-P D4 | Z690 | ATX | 710 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PRIME B660M-A AC D4 | B660 | uATX | 700 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG MAXIMUS Z790 EXTREME | Z790 | EATX | 750 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG MAXIMUS Z790 APEX | Z790 | ATX | 725 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO | Z790 | ATX | 790 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG STRIX Z790-E GAMING WIFI | Z790 | ATX | 775 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ProArt Z790-Creator WIFI | Z790 | ATX | 735 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI | Z790 | ATX | 715 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG STRIX Z790-A GAMING WIFI | Z790 | ATX | 700 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | ROG STRIX Z790-A GAMING WIFI D4 | Z790 | ATX | 700 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PRIME Z790-P WIFI | Z790 | ATX | 720 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PRIME Z790-P | Z790 | ATX | 720 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PRIME Z790-P WIFI D4 | Z790 | ATX | 720 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PRIME Z790-P D4 | Z790 | ATX | 720 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PRIME B760M-A AX | B760 | micro-ATX | 700 | ATX12V | Yes |
ASUS | PRIME B760M-A AX D4 | B760 | micro-ATX | 700 | ATX12V | Yes |
The motherboards in this table have an Expandability Score ≤690 & have been tested by Intel to meet Intel’s motherboard DC idle power requirements to be classified as CEC Friendly.
CEC Friendly Motherboard List
Updated: June 22, 2022
Vendor | Model # | Chipset # | Form Factor | CEC Expandability Score | CEC Desktop Tier Meets | PSU Support | Date Testing Completed | BIOS used for testing |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ASRock | H370M Pro4 | H370 | uATX | 560 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 6/7/2018 | AMI P1.20B (05-14-2018) / P1.20B |
ASRock | Z390 Phantom Gaming 4 | Z390 | ATX | 595 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 3/20/2019 | AMI P1.30A (01-16-2019) |
ASRock | Z390 Pro4 | Z390 | ATX | 595 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 4/2/2019 | AMI P1.60A |
ASRock | Z490 Phantom Gaming 4SR | Z490 | ATX | 560 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12VO (SR) | 6/17/2020 | L0.20 (05-15-2020) - Max Power Savings=Enabled |
ASUS | Prime Z490-S | Z490 | ATX | 580 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12VO (SR) | 8/12/2020 | AMI 0402 (03-05-2020) - Max Power Savings options |
ASUS | Prime Z490-P | Z490 | ATX | 580 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 10/8/2020 | AMI 2606 (10-24-2019) -Max Power Savings options |
ASUS | PRIME B560M-A | B560 | uATX | 535 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 4/13/2021 | AMI 0805 (03-29-2021) - BIOS option (Max Power Savings = Enabled) |
ASUS | TUF GAMING Z590-PLUS WIFI | Z590 | ATX | 605 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 4/28/2021 | AMI 0811 (04-07-2021) - BIOS option (Max Power Savings = Enabled) |
ASUS | TUF GAMING B560-PLUS WIFI | B560 | ATX | 605 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 5/5/2021 | AMI 0811 (04-06-2021) - BIOS option (Max Power Savings = Enabled) |
ASUS | TUF GAMING B560M-PLUS WIFI | B560 | uATX | 555 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 5/5/2021 | AMI 0811 (04-06-2021) - BIOS option (Max Power Savings = Enabled) |
MSI | Z590 Pro 12VO | Z590 | ATX | 570 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12VO (SR) | 5/10/2021 | AMI 1.T2// E7D10IMS.1T2 (03-30-2021) - Max Power Saving Options |
ASUS | Pro H510M-CT/CSM | H510 | uATX | 455 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 5/25/2021 | AMI 0408 (05/12/2021) - BIOS option (Max Power Savings = Enabled) |
ASUS | Pro B560M-CT/CSM | B560 | uATX | 525 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 5/25/2021 | AMI 0820 (04-27-2021) - BIOS option (Max Power Savings = Enabled) |
ASUS | Pro Q570M-C/CSM | Q570 | uATX | 565 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 6/7/2021 | AMI 0820 (04-27-2021) - BIOS option (Max Power Savings = Enabled) |
ASUS | Prime Z590-P | Z590 | ATX | 605 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 6/8/2021 | AMI 0811 (04-06-2021) - BIOS option (Max Power Savings = Enabled) |
ASUS | Prime H570M-PLUS | H570 | uATX | 545 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 6/9/2021 | AMI 0820 (04-27-2021) - BIOS option (Max Power Savings = Enabled) |
ASUS | PRO B660M-C D4 | B660 | uATX | 435 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12V | 2/18/2022 | ASUS 1009 (02-07-2022) - BIOS option (Max Power Savings = Enabled) |
MSI | PRO H610M 12VO | H610 | uATX | 365 | CEC Tier 2 | ATX12VO (SR) | 6/22/2022 | MSI E7D84IMS107-T2 (enable all Power Saving Features) |
Intel has a power supply selector program which tests power supplies against the Intel Power Supply Design Guide standard. Power Supplies that meet Revision 1.4 standard (2017) or newer will help desktop computers to meet the CEC Computer Standard. (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/resellers/psu-selector.html)
1This is an Intel developed program to help customers comply with the CEC Computers Standard. This program is not associated with or endorsed by California Energy Commission
2Computer types shipping to California, that are exempt from TEC requirement have to comply with other CEC energy efficiency requirements starting January 1, 2018.