In order to test the OCZ 1000w ProXStream power supply we
will be measuring power output via mainboard sensors as well as externally
with a graphical multimeter. The later serves as an independent check
that voltage measurements are accurate and more importantly, stable over a
period of time. Testing will be done in idle and under load conditions.
Load conditions being our doing some DVD back ups while running some batched
Quake 4 benchmarks for a period of time.
Results and Conclusion
Sorry no graphs today. Idle and load voltage readings for
the 3.3v, 5v and 12v lines showed a maximum variance of 0.2 volts. This is
a pretty firm indication of the power supply delivering stable power. We
also checked each rail to ensure that delivery of even across the board, which
it was.
Something I forgot about until we
started to force the ProXStream to put out some juice was the lone 80mm fan.
Under load (and pretty much all conditions except dead idle) the power supply's
80mm cooling fan was humming. Not obnoxiously so, but clearly in the
annoying range. I don't believe too much in slapping numbers up for
decibel readings (namely because I don't have a decibel meter) but numbers get
lost sometimes. Things are quiet, discernable, annoying, obnoxious or bad.
Sound level here were disappointingly in the lower 50th percentile.
Looks wise, the mesh sheathing and color coordinated shrink wrap
really add a touch of class to the OCZ ProXStream. Add in a truck load of
connectors as well was the four independent 12v rails and 20+4 ATX connector and
you have a very versatile little unit. And I do mean little with its
nicely compact dimensions we already mentioned. Having a PSU that will fit
where others won't is a huge plus. At the price level these 1000 watt
units run at, you want to be damned sure it will fit.
Here's where we come to the $330 price tag. Doing a quick
search for 1000w PSUs on
Pricewatch shows this to be in the lesser expensive category of kilowatt
units which is good but $330 still can sting. With this in mind, if you
have the need for 1000 watts to fuel your fire, this is the ticket; if you are
looking to upgrade and don't run an extremely power hungry beast you may want to
pass for now until prices come down a bit on the kilowatt behemoths.
Pros
-
Stable power
-
Four independent 12 volt rails
-
20+4 ATX connector and four as well as eight
pin AUX power connectors for old or new rigs
-
Plenty of connectors to include six SATA
-
Sheathed and shrink wrapped cables
-
That's one shiny PSU!
Cons
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