My how things have changed! If you would have told me a few years ago that I would soon be referring to a 650 Watt power supply as "mid range", I probably would have laughed. But with 1000+ Watt power supplies now widely available, even a 650 Watt power supply must be considered mid range. That said, 650W can still be more than enough power for even some of the most modern systems out there, and we will be taking a close look at a new offering in this category, the HEC Group Zephyr 650W ATX Power Supply.
HEC Group may be a new name to many of you, but the company was founded in 1971 and got its start manufacturing sheet metal components for the automotive industry. In 1991 they started manufacturing computer cases, and soon expanded into the computer power supply market. Now computer cases and power supplies are their main focus, with some marketed through OEM channels and their own "Compucase" brand.
Side Note on Service:
Our review got off to a rough start... While leaving the house one afternoon, I found a box at my front door. After seeing the condition of the box, I fully understand why the UPS guy didn't even bother to ring the door bell. It was without a doubt in the worst shape I have ever received a package in. This thing looked like it might have been through World War III and IV.
An e-mail was sent (with pictures) to our contact at HEC Group about what was received, and the very next morning I got a phone call from him. He was very upset at how the package had arrived, and said he would do anything he could to make it right. To make a long story short, less than an hour later there he was at my door with a brand new, pristine Zephyr 650W power supply to replace the one UPS had mangled so badly.
This says a lot for not only HEC as a company, but for our contact as well; they are obviously willing to go the extra mile to make things right. Not everyone can expect to receive this sort of personal service from HEC Group, or any other company, but I do think it shows their mind set on doing things right.
With that little side note covered, let's get back to the review starting with a look at the features and specifications of the HEC Group Zephyr 650W ATX Power Supply...
Features:
» "Super Silent & Ultra Cool" thermal control power supply with dual cooling fans(12cm & 8cm) design, thermal solution recommended by "Intel & AMD System Cooling Guidelines"
» Dedicated output circuitry for each voltage output, overcomes the limitations of traditional combined output design
» Supporting Intel P4 and AMD XP dual processors with nVIDIA PCI-Express & SLI high technology
» Black mesh sleeves on main power, +12V, and additional power connectors for better effect to reduce EMI
» High efficiency (at least 80% efficiency in full load)
» EMC compatible with CE, FCC directives
» +5Vsb 2.5A: sufficient standby power for PC system
» Safety ready approvals: FCC, UL/CUL, CE, TUV, CB, and BSMI
Specifications:
» AC Input: 115V/230V - 60/50Hz
» DC Output:
» +3.3V: 24A
» +5V: 24A
» +12V1: 17A
» +12V2: 17A
» +12V3: 17A
» +12V4: 17A
» -12V: 0.5A
» +5VSB: 3A
» +3.3V&+5V Combined Power: 140W
» Total Max Output: 650W
|
|
