Conclusion:
HEC Group has a real winner in the Zephyr 650W ATX Power Supply. It provides excellent stability on all power rails and provides power well within specifications. It also has plenty of power leads, operates very efficiently, features active PFC (power factor correction), and produces minimal noise.
For those concerned with appearances, the Zephyr 650W should score points, too. It has a slick chromed housing, well finished wrapped cables, and a blue 120mm LED fan to light things up.
There are no significant down sides to the Zephyr 650W ATX Power Supply, but the 20+4 pin motherboard connection may be one area for concern. Although it has functioned just fine since being installed, a more secure manner for attaching the 4-pin portion would be a nice design change. While thinking along the line of changes, modular cables might be a nice wish list item to have, too.
A search of PriceGrabber finds the HEC Group Zephyr 650W ATX Power Supply selling for $99.99, which I feel is a very reasonable price for this level of quality and performance in a power supply.
During the course of this review I have had much more interaction with the manufacturer than during any review in the past. Although it may have been under special circumstances, it was a very positive experience, and HEC has convinced me that they stand behind what they sell and are willing to go the extra mile to back up their products.
Given the performance, features, and appearance, the the HEC Group Zephyr 650W ATX Power Supply earns the Bigbruin.com "Highly Recommended" award.
Pros:
» Extremely stable power rails
» Plenty of power connectors
» Supports all modern set ups including SATA and PCI-E
» Sheathed cables
» Quiet operation with dual thermal controlled fans
» Attractive styling
Cons:
» 4-pin portion of 20+4 pin motherboard connection could be secured better
» Modular cables would be a nice addition
Special thanks to HEC Group for providing the HEC Group Zephyr 650W ATX Power Supply to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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