OCZ EliteXStream 1000w ATX PSU
Internal Components
In the past, many people have judged the quality of a PSU on its weight and size of internal components. However, with many manufacturers moving on to newer and more efficient ways of designing their PSU’s, it has become increasingly obvious that this is no longer a reliable method for gauging a power supply’s quality. By taking a look inside the EliteXStream we should be able to identify some of the components used and get a good feel for the overall build quality of the unit.
OCZ EliteXStream 1000w (Left) vs OCZ GameXStream 850w (Right)
It’s clear to see that PCP&C have played a part in the design and manufacture of the EliteXStreme with the internal layout and components being worlds apart from the StealthXStream and GameXStream. Not only is the EliteXStream jam packed from corner to corner with components, but the cooling design is also significantly different from the other aforementioned units, with two large aluminium finned heatsinks spanning the entire length of the PSU.
While many of the 1kw+ units we’ve tested recently have only featured one or two capacitors, OCZ have taken the EliteXStream one step further by kitting it out with a total of three high quality Hitachi manufactured caps rated at 105°C / 330uF / 420v. In addition, the EliteXStream also features two large transformers (most likely responsible for the +12v and +5v rails) with a smaller transformer just off to the right.
Over to the right of the unit are three small potentiometers attached to an up-right mounted PCB. These can be used to adjust the voltage output on each of the EliteXStream’s primary rails by rotating them with a screwdriver. It’s a shame that OCZ didn’t make these pots easily accessible from the outside of the PSU casing (a la Powerstream), but from what we’ve already seen of the EliteXStream it’s unlikely that any changes would be necessary.
Also tucked away inside the unit is an oversized input filter attached to the back of the AC inlet. While almost all PSU’s incorporate some form of power conditioning, the filter used inside the EliteXStream should be more than capable of filtering out minor power surges and bad line noise on the worst of mains circuits.
Cooling the unit is a Protechnic MGA12012HF-025 120mm fan rated at 38.3dBA when spinning at full speed. Incidentally this is the very same fan as used in the GameXStream series PSU’s (minus the blue LED’s), and with any luck it will be equally as quiet.
Cables & Connectors
Another area that OCZ have taken some pointers from PCP&C is in the cable sleeving department. Where as most of OCZ’s previous units have featured “fully” sleeved cables, the black mesh sleeving used on the EliteXStream stops at the first connector. Having queried this with PCP&C in the past, the reason given is that it allows the cables to be more flexible and places less strain on the devices that the connectors are plugged in to.
The EliteXStream features a total of eight PATA and eight SATA connectors with four connectors per cable. While this is roughly average for a PSU of this wattage, having four connectors to every cable could possibly be limiting for those of us with large cases who only need 1-2 connectors in a particular area of their system.
OCZ have given legacy motherboards the boot by kitting out the EliteXStream with a 24-Pin ATX connector and 8-Pin EPS-12v connector. Should you still be using a motherboard that only requires a 4-Pin P4-12v connector (or dare i say it – a 20-Pin ATX connector), then you will need to purchase the relevant adapter cables separately.
The unit is also equipped with a total of four PCI-E connectors, two of which can be converted from their default 6-Pin format to 8-Pin enabling support for the very latest power hungry graphics cards. Unfortunately, despite the sheer amount of power that the EliteXtreame has available, the lack of two extra PCI-E cables means that the unit cannot be used in a Triple-SLI system without molex adapter cables.
