By: Jonathan Kwan
June 14, 2008
Well guys, here we go again -- another close-look-at-power-supply-hardware report. Last week, we took apart the Seasonic M12II 500W power supply. As usual, because we don't have the necessary professional equipment to do the simulated load testing, measuring the quality of power delivery (Voltage, ripple, etc) in accordance to load, and that we don't want to use some fake hardware test reports, we are up for another power supply hardware examination report. This time, we are going to crack open the relatively recently released OCZ EliteXStream 800W power supply (A 1000W model is also available for those who really need it). This power supply has gained excellent reputation in regards to performance and efficiency from other excellent online publications that tested it with professional load testing equipment. When OCZ asked me a couple months back to see if I wanted to take a look at the EliteXStream, I was nothing but excited to see what OCZ has in store lately. The OCZ EliteXStream series power supplies combine a 120mm fan with an open rear exhaust design like the Seasonic M12II for a somewhat good reputation of 'quietness' in this regard, and high power output ratings. So today, let's see how extremely elite is the OCZ 1337-Extreme 800W -- I mean, OCZ EliteXStream 800W.
Our examination unit of the OCZ EliteXStream 800W power supply came in a white, medium sized corrugated cardboard box. Using UPS Standard, everything arrived in excellent condition from OCZ's offices in Sunnyvale, California. I "think" UPS just left the package at my door and left, as usual (Well, it was more than a month ago heh) but we are in a fairly crime-free portion of the city, so it's cool.
All the remaining gap between the retail package of the OCZ EliteXStream 800W PSU and the shipping box were filled with an abundance of white packing peanuts. This ensures that the retail box itself arrives without any damage, although OCZ has done such a good job with the retail packaging that this is probably not necessary.
This is the first OCZ branded power supply I've used in years -- the last one I had was back in 2004, when I purchased an OCZ ModStream 450W. But anyways, OCZ seems to have retained the flap-top retail box. The design, however, is significantly different -- the black and blue color scheme is saturated with information. The "EliteXStream" text is printed across the bottom with a sort of fancy logo design across the "X", with the model placed boldly at the top left corner; in our case, "800W". A photo of the power supply is also present next to the list of features. More features and specifications can be seen on every other side of the box as well.
Before we move on, let's take a look at the specifications of the OCZ EliteXStream power supply, as obtained from OCZ's website:
- 800W and 1000W (1KW) Configurations
- Internal 120mm fan
- 5 year warranty backed by OCZ's exclusive PowerSwap Warranty replacement program. No more endless return-for-repair loops!
Technical specifications
- 150(W) x 86mm(H) x 160(L)
- ATX12V v2.2
- High efficiency 82%
- 80+ Certified
- Overvoltage/Overcurrent/Short-Circuit protection
- Active PFC (.99)
- MTBF:100,000 hours
- 90-264 VAC 10-5A 50/60Hz
Connectors:
1 x 20+4Pin ATX
1 x 8-pin CPU
4 x PCI-E (6+2-pin) (supports double CPUs/supplies stable voltage)
It seems that OCZ has gotten a thing or two after they acquired PC Power & Cooling -- a no frills bundle. Interestingly, this power supply is not made by PC Power & Cooling or any of their OEM partners such as Seasonic despite the similarities in packaging. Instead, OCZ turned to Impervio (I can think of more than one thing wrong with this name. But that's another story) as an OEM for this PSU. I don't think any other OCZ power supplies are made by them, as many OCZ units such as the GameXStream and StealthXStream are based off Fortron Source. That aside, you'll get the following out of the box:
- 1x OCZ EliteXStream PSU
- 1x Power cable
- 2x Black zip ties
- 1x User manual
Yep, that's about it. At least they included TWO zip ties. Nice eh?
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
