1. Introduction
Choosing a good Power supply can at times be a difficult task. Today's PCs require additional power to supply extra HDDs or the power hungry VGA SLI and Crossfire setups.
OCZ Technology, one of the most respected and best known memory manufacturers, recently entered the Power Supply arena. We have previously reviewed on this site, their PowerStream 600W which proved to be a real winner, and now have the opportunity to try the "GameXStream". This power supply is mainly aimed at enthusiasts who are looking for a PSU capable of powering their SLI/Crossfire enabled systems. Recently, the GameXStream PSU line was updated with the addition of the 1010W model, to support the demand for Nvidia's 8800GTX SLI setup with four PCI-E connectors.
- OCZ GameXStream GXS1010 SLI-Ready Power Supply
The SLI-Ready GameXStream 600/700/850/1010 Watt power supplies are designed specifically for the demanding computing environments of PC Enthusiasts, Power Users, and Gamers. As more and more gamers take advantage of the gaming benefits offered by multi-GPU technology, the need for improved power supply solutions increases greatly. The GameXStream features high-quality components to ensure your PC’s vital hardware is supplied with clean, stable and reliable power without compromising effectiveness.
Kept ultra-cool with a large 120mm fan, the GameXStream remains virtually silent and supremely cool even at peak loads. The highly efficient GameXStream core is sheltered in a standard dimension chassis, resulting in a smaller footprint and more legroom for system-cooling modifications. GameXStream PSUs provide Active PFC to effectively regulate input voltage to deliver superior operation in a wider range of environments and countries with varying voltages.
Second to no other gaming PSU, the GameXStream’s unprecedented quality and performance is the ultimate solution for serious gamers.
- Features
- 600W, 700W, 850W & 1010W Configurations
- NVIDIA® SLI™-Ready
- OCZ PowerWhisper™ Technology
- Internal 120mm fan
- 3 year warranty backed by OCZ’s exclusive PowerSwap™ replacement program. No more endless return-for-repair loops!
- Technical specifications
- 150 x 140 x 86mm
- ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V
- OCZ ConnectAll™ universal connectors:
- 1 x 20+4Pin ATX
- 1 x 4-pin/8-pin CPU (supports double CPUs/supplies stable voltage)
- 4 x PCI-E
- 6 x 4-pin peripheral
- 2 x 4-pin floppy
- 6 x SATA
- High efficiency
- 80% @ 115V (Typical load)
- 83% @ 230V (Typical load
- Overvoltage/Overcurrent/Short-Circuit protection
- Active PFC
- MTBF:100,000 hours
- 100~240Vac 10-5A 50/60Hz
2. Retail package
OCZ sent us the retail package of the OCZ GameXStream GXS1010W SLI-Ready Power Supply, model number OCZ1010GXSSLI. The retail price can be found from US$250~300. There are no major external differences with the previously tested 600W version. The retail package is simple, and includes the PSU itself, power cord and a printed manual.
The PSU has dimensions 150 x 140 x 86mm, certified for ATX v2.2 standard. The PSU has a 120mm semi-translucent cooling fan which lights up blue when operating. Case modders will love the bright blue color for their designs :-).
The external black finish is very nice and adds to the overall look and design, and there are no sharp edges. The rear of the OCZ PSU is honeycombed so that air is sucked in by the 120mm fan, forced over the components in the PSU and exhausted out the back. This not only helps keep the PSU cool but also helps exhaust air from inside the PC case as well.
On the top side, we find a label with all the PSU specs and ratings:
There are plenty of connectors, as you can see below:
Unfortunately, unlike the PowerStream 600W, the cable assembly in the GameXStream 1010W is not modular in that the cables are pre-attached as shown below. The PowerStream 600W allows you to connect to the PSU, only the cables that are required, leaving more free space and making for a tidier layout without free-floating cables.
The connectors have the nice flexible grip which makes for easy insertion and removal, especially with the 4-pin plugs.
All SATA, PCI-E and CPU cables are labeled so you can easily identify them. The most interesting part with this PSU is the four PCI-E power cables, ready to power up your dual 8800GTX setup:
3. Tests
We put our system under what can be considered a heavy user load, using extreme CPU and graphics 3D use with 3D Mark 06 v1.0.2. Our test PC setup was as follows:
- ASUS M2N32Pro WS + AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ AM2
- Gainward 8800GTX
- 2x1GB Crucial PC2-8000
- 1xWD 80JB SATA I
- 1xSeagate 80GB SATAII
All PSU ratings were monitored with Everest Ultimate Edition v3.0. The following table lists the industry wide specifications for DC Output Voltage Regulation.
After running 3D Mark 06, the monitored outputs showed the deviation experienced by each rail during the stress tests:
|
Minimum |
Maximum |
Average |
CPU1 |
% |
0 |
100 |
54,9 |
CPU2 |
% |
0 |
100 |
39,2 |
CPU Core |
V |
1,34 |
1,34 |
1,34 |
+3.3 V |
V |
3,25 |
3,26 |
3,25 |
+5 V |
V |
4,89 |
4,93 |
4,92 |
+12 V |
V |
12,22 |
12,30 |
12,28 |
The results are very good. All ratings are well within limits. Even at full load, the voltage only deviates by 0.01~0.08V. Adding a second Nvidia 8800GTX VGA card in your system will put additional load on the PSU, but this PSU can handle it without any problems.
4. Conclusion
It's isn't common, or at least it hasn't been, to require a PSU with a 1010W rating like the OCZ 1010W. But with the arrival of multi-GPU technology graphics cards like Nvidia's 8800GTX, dual graphics cards setups, arrays of HDDs and of course CPU overclocking, gamers now require as much power as they can get from their PSU.
We have been using the OCZ GameXStream 600W PSU as the PSU in all of our test beds to date without any problems whatsoever. The "improved" 1010W version will replace our previous choice since it offers more "juice" for cases where we test dual graphics cards setups. The 3 years PowerSwap replacement program warranty is also a plus, ending those painful and aggravating endless return-for-repair loops!
Overall, we cannot find any serious drawback which should prevent you from buying the OCZ GameXStream GXS1010W SLI-Ready Power Supply. The price is a lot to pay for a PSU (US$250~300), but high powered gamers should be able to afford the money. especially if they are looking for a futureproof power supply.
- The Good
- 1010Watt output
- Active PFC design
- 3 years warranty replacement
- Looks great with backlit fan
- ATX v2.2 certified, Nvidia SLI ready
- Plenty of connectors
- Light weight
- Stable voltages under heavy load
- The Bad
- High price
- There is no modular cable management