OCZ Technology ProXStream 1000W Power Supply
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The Cables:
There are two leads of SATA power connectors, and two leads of 4-pin Molex power connectors. Each of these power leads provides three connections, and each of the leads with the 4-pin Molex connectors also includes a floppy connector. I would have liked to have seen more SATA connectors, perhaps two more would have been nice. With 1000W of power, this unit should be able to power many more devices than it has leads for. OCZ did a perfect job wrapping the cables; not only are they wrapped from the housing's opening, but they are also wrapped between each of the connectors (which is commonly missed on many power supplies).
Another thing OCZ did very well was to realize that not every motherboard uses a 4-pin auxiliary power connector; some need an 8-pin auxiliary power connector. OCZ has provided both connectors on separate leads. While I like to see the split cable design, I do like the separate leads so you do not have an extra unattached power connector near the motherboard. The main motherboard power connector is a fairly standard 20+4 pin design.
The PCI Express leads (above right image) are a bit unique, as OCZ has opted to wrap them in a red sleeve. While it is not necessary, it does allow those leads to stand out from the rest. It does not impact the performance, but it might impact the aesthetics of your case and makes setup somewhat color coded. My case is always black and blue, and with this power supply tossing in a few red cables it throws the color scheme a curve ball.
Internal Examination:
Once the cover was removed (which voids the warranty), two things immediately caught my attention. The first was the large copper plate covering the heatsinks. The second was the two tiny adjustable potentiometers (which are sealed), which can be used to adjust the voltage going to your equipment. Once the copper plate was removed, it became obvious that there were three heatsinks, not just one large one. The largest heat sink was next to a large transformer, which could put out a good amount amount of heat. In the below right image the power connector for the fan can be seen in the upper right corner of the power supply. It is a standard fan connector so you could change the fan fairly easily if you wanted to.
In the below left image is a view of one of the sides of the power supply's internals. Instead of a single PCB design, OCZ has opted for two PCBs held apart by several large brass stand-offs. Not much to see on this side. Turning the power supply to the other side, there is not much to see here either. On the bottom there is a small heatsink, while the top has a third PCB to regulate the voltages and provide the fan power. In these views I noticed the lack of wasted space. OCZ has taken great care to make their 1000W power supply the same size as standard power supplies, which will help with compatibility. Other 1000W+ units are much deeper (some nearly twice as large), which can lead to problems when installing in a standard sized system.
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