Published in Reviews

OCZ ModXStream 600W / 500W tested

by on23 September 2008

Index

 

We tested two new PSUs from OCZ’s new ModXStream series. Both of these models, 500W and 600W one, are modular. This is not enough power needed for users who, for instance, have two HD 4870 X2 cards and such, but other users will find it to be more than enough to run two 9600 GSO cards in SLI or two HD 4850 cards in CrossFire. In order to check how much “muscle” do these PSUs churn out, we decided to put them to the test.

We used EVGA 790i motherboard, quad-core QX9770 processor at 3.2GHz, 2GB of DDR3 memory at 1600MHz, two 80GB hard disks and a DVD reader. We used a couple of graphics cards, as they consume the most power.

We used the following graphics cards:
         XFX GTX 280 670M,
         Sapphire HD 4870 X2,
         Sapphire HD 4870,
         XFX 9600 GSO,
         Inno3D 9600 GSO.

We measured power consumption in workload and idle scenarios. We performed the same test on both PSUs.

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Results show that the 500W model can handle almost all the graphics cards and provide stable operation during system consumption of 450W. Still, this unit will be most efficient when your rig consumes 250-300W. In those scenarios, the smallest amount of power is lost as the components are not overheating. The 600W model has the best efficiency at 300-350W, but will have no trouble at 525 continuous.

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Overloading your PSU is not advisable, since stable power is a prerequisite for keeping your components healthy. ModXStream-Pro 500W and 600W models are enough to handle an overclocked GTX 280, but the 500W model couldn’t handle the HD 4870 X2, as this card alone consumes up to 286W. We managed to boot the system, but trying anything else was pointless.

For its HD 4870, ATI recommends a PSU of at least 500W with two 75W 6-pin PCI Express connectors, which OCZ GameXStream Pro 500W has, and results show that there were no problems. For two HD 4870 cards in CrossFire, ATI recommends a PSU of at least 600W, and OCZ managed to pull that off, too, with their GameXStream Pro. It’s important to note that HD 4870 X2 card consumes slightly less than two HD 4870 in Crossfire.

In the end, we managed to test two overclocked 9600 GSO cards in SLI, and they consumed less than one HD 4870 card.




Conclusion

Average users have no need for expensive 1000+W units, and most systems don’t even consume over 250W. By looking through sub-€700 systems we only managed to find a couple of PSUs over 250W, and those were only 300W or 305W ones.

OCZ launched its new PSU series called ModXStream Pro and it includes 400W, 500W, 600W and 700W models. All four models are modular and very quiet. A large 140mm fan takes care of cooling the insides of the PSU, and it’s so quiet that it’s barely audible.

Of course, you should choose a model depending on your configuration, but it’s important to note that the 400W version is the only model that has just one PCI Express connector. Other models are CrossFire and SLI ready, and feature 1x 6 pin and 1x 6+2 pin PCI Express power connectors. Even the 600W model that we tested today will be sufficient for a system with one GTX 280 or HD 4870 X2 card.

The 600W model is enough for a configuration of Core 2 Quad 9650 at 3.6GHz, 8GB of memory, an overclocked Geforce GTX 280. You’ll experience no hiccups as your system will run like a charm.

Apart from silent operation, we must admit that we really liked the pricing. The 500W model costs €66, and the 600W version will set you back only €74.


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Reviewers: Sanjin Radoš and Kemal Velić

 


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Last modified on 24 September 2008
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