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Product:
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OCZ GameXStream 700W Power Supply |
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Price:
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$178 (CDN) / $160 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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OCZ Technology
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Author:
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clsGrinder
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Date:
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June 7th, 2006
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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With the exception of the Molex connectors, each cable end is clearly labeled with a unique identifying number. Here we observe as
the sleeving continues right into the power supply.
Installation:
The following hardware will be used to test the GameXStream 700 PSU.
- AMD A64 3700+
- eVGA NF4 SLI Motherboard
- evga 7600 GT PCIe
- 2GB Corsair XMS PC-3500PRO
- 4x SATA HDD’s
- Benq DVD-RW
- Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic
- Corsair Nautilus 500 External Water Cooling Kit
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The most powerful system I could muster for this test was estimated at drawing 462 watts under full load (according to Pimprig's/PCApex
Cverclockulator). This estimation has proven quite accurate in the past. Installation of the OCZ GameXStream 700W Power Supply
is pretty basic. It’s no bigger than any other PSU of lesser specifications, so it should also fit nicely into any SFF case that
requires a standard ATX form factor power supply.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The 4-pin Molex connectors feature a nice and handy quick disconnect design. Squeezing the connector will force it away from the
peripheral, meaning you don’t need to leverage your arm to disconnect anything. On the SATA side, the 3 SATA plugs per cable
(there are two cables) make wiring easy on cases with dense storage solutions.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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With only 462 watts to throw at the GameXStream I knew I didn’t have what it takes to make this PSU sweat. With 700W of power,
the test rig certainly does have allot of overclocking headroom though. All voltages were within normal levels according to Everest.
Under heavy load (supplied by BF2), the fan didn’t ramp up a single RPM. It was super quiet the whole time. In fact, the noise
generated by the HDD’s, chipset fan, and Nautilus 500 External Water Cooling Kit overpowered the noise generated by the OCZ
GameXStream 700W PSU.
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Conclusion:
Mammoth enthusiast PC's and gaming rigs require mammoth power. While much talk is usually centered around items like
Dual Core CPU’s, SLI, Crossfire and the like, the one critical thing that demands greater attention is the power supply.
If you pride the quality of your rig like I do, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be running a quality power supply.
The OCZ GameXStream 700W is definitely one such power supply. It brings great looks, super quiet performance, solid
voltages and tons of expandability to the table. The long length sleeved cables are perfect for any monster rig, and
should blend with any PC case theme. The only issues that I noted during my evaluation if that there are no labeled
Molex connectors or RPM sensor for the 120mm fan. If I could add a feature to my wish list is that the OCZ GameXStream
700W Power Supply take advantage of existing modular cable designs for easy cable management. Overall, I was very
pleased with the OCZ GameXStream 700W Power Supply and award MTB's Seal of Approval with final rating of
9 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding this
review be sure to visit the OCZ Technology website for more
information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Stylish finish
- Sleeved cables
- Long cables for those big cases
- Quiet performance
- Quality built
- Easy release 4-pin Molex connectors
- All connectors are clearly labeled
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Cons:
- No labeled Molex connectors
- No RPM fan sensor plug for 120mm fan
- No implementation of modular cable design
- Price
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