Silentmaxx IC Tech 580W & OCZ OCZ600ADJ EU
Silentmaxx IC Tech 580W
Retail Name (if known) Silentmaxx IC Tech 580W Rated Output Power 580W Specification ATX Power Switch Yes Input Voltage 110-240V, 50-60Hz Fan(s) 2 x 80mm Cable runs 24-pin EATX
8-pin EPS
P4
SATA
SATA
3 x 4-pin Molex, 1 floppy
PEG
1 case fan, 1 floppy
1 case fan, 1 floppyMax currents +3.3V = 32A
+12V = 21A
+5V = 45ACombined power for +3.3V and +5V 300W Passed certification checks Yes (CE, China, EU LVD and EMC)
Silentmaxx, a German company, sell their IC Tech range into the UK via QuietPC. During bringup testing at around 350W, the voltage reading for +12V was all over the place before settling down, the first hint that something wasn't quite right. At the 400.5W intermediate step it started pulling ever increasing output power from the 6842A before popping at 805W input and 49.75% efficiency with a bright flash and a bang. While 350W of output power is plenty, there are actual 350W supplies on the market for much less money that'll give you all 350W for sustained periods. 21A on +12V is measly for a such high rated output supply these days. Very poor.
Recommended system: None.
OCZ OCZ600ADJ EU
Retail Name (if known) OCZ PowerStream 600W Rated Output Power 600W Specification ATX 2.0 Power Switch Yes Input Voltage 220-240V, 50Hz Fan(s) 2 x 80mm Cable runs 24-pin EATX with split
P4 and P4+
2 x SATA
3 x 4-pin Molex, 1 floppy
2 x 4-pin Molex, 1 floppy
PEG
VGA or HDD dedicated
VGA or HDD dedicatedMax currents +3.3V = 28A
+12V = 18A + 20A
+5V = 46ACombined power for +3.3V and +5V 230W Passed certification checks Yes (CE, Taiwan, passing EMC Directive. UL, USA, unknown)
The first of the 600W or more supplies, OCZ's PowerStream 600W was a pleasure to test. With plenty of connectivity options, very generous +12V current draw, decent efficiency and good looks, it was one of the more impressive supplies to be tested over the 5 days in Taiwan. The final 602.02W configuration settled on for the half hour load was a piece of cake for it to provide, it didn't get too hot and the average reading for +12V over the half-hour was +12.00V! +5V barely moved either.
Really good stuff from the Tagan-licensed design with the only wrinkle being a fairly high idle power of 11.5W (puzzling, since +5vsb load at idle was 1A). OCZ's PSUs seem like units you can absolutely rely on to do what they say on the box. An attractive coating, green detailing from the all-braided cable runs and a bank of LED voltage indicators round off a fine package.
Recommended system: Mid-range to high-end desktop systems based around P4 (including high-speed Prescott), AMD Athlon Socket A and AMD Athlon 64 and Sempron on Socket 754 and Socket 939.