First Look
The ZS series is a mainstream series of 80 Plus Bronze certified power supplies from OCZ, with three models available: a 550W, 650W and a 750W. The model we have here is the one in the middle – the 650W.
The Box
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The top of the box carries all the usual logos, a picture of the power supply, and some marketing.
- Simply Powerful: Featuring a Single +12V Rail for efficient power distribution, the sleek ZS series 650W power supply is designed specifically for the demanding computing environments of PC enthusiasts, Power Users, and Gamers. (As I say on every power supply review, two or more 12V rails is preferable)
- Silent Operation: PowerWhisper™ technology diminishes noise to ensure silent, yet efficient operation
- Multi-GPU Ready: The durable and powerful ZS Series is equipped to fuel the demands of gaming rigs
- Superior Cooling: Supreme air flow, courtesy of an ultra-quiet yet vigorous 135mm fan (I think they mean superior airflow)
Turning the box around, we see even more marketing.
- Simply Powerful: Featuring a Single +12V Rail for efficient power distribution, the sleek ZS series 650W power supply is designed specifically for the demanding computing environments of PC enthusiasts, Power Users, and Gamers. (Didn’t the top of the box say exactly that?)
- High-efficiency: 80-Plus Bronze certified, the ZS Series Power Supply remains rock-solid and powerful while retaining superior efficiency under heavy load.
- Silent Operation: High performance doesn’t have to come with annoying fan noise, and OCZ PowerWhisper technology effectively reduces noise to a minimum, making this one of the quietest power supplies on the market! (I think I’ve heard of this special technology before in other power supplies, except it was called a fan controller)
- Extreme Cool: Experience leading edge reliability and performance with increased airflow, courtesy of a whisper-quiet yet vigorous 135mm fan.
- Active PFC: Active PFC circuitry effectively regulates input voltage to deliver superior operation in a wider range of environments and countries with varying voltages.
- OCZ 3 Year Warranty: The greatest PSU comes backed with the finest warranty, and OCZ offers an exclusive 3 year PowerSwap warranty program for unsurpassed peace of mind. No more endless return-for-repair loops! Just as OCZ Technology is committed to bringing you the best products for your personal computer, we strive to provide the best customer support in the industry. Please feel free to email us at: support @ocztechnology.com (3 year warranty, eh? Not once I’m done with it)
The front of the box tells us some technical specifications and what connectors the unit has. I’m not going to re-type anything here, since there’s nothing which I won’t be commenting on further during the review. The back of the box (not pictured) contains a load table, while the sides don’t contain anything except for a few more pictures of the power supply and a few notes in other languages. With the marketing out of the way, let’s open her up.
The Power Supply
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The box contains just about everything I would expect to see – the power supply, a power cable, four screws, and a manual. A few zip ties would be a nice extra, but they’re dirt cheap, so it’s no big deal.
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The main label is actually on the bottom of the power supply, so unless you install it with the fan facing the case (which many cases don’t allow for), you won’t see the the load table. As the box stated, this is a single rail unit with 46A available on the 12V rail. I’ve said before why I prefer multi-rail units over single rail ones: if a component fails partially shorted, a multi-rail unit is safer. The unit itself is a semi-gloss black color. It looks good, but finger prints do show up.
As the box says, the ZS 650W has a 20+4 pin ATX connector, a 4+4 pin ATX/EPS12V connector, four molex/peripheral connectors, eight SATA connectors and two PCIe connectors (one 6 pin and one 6+2 pin). Note how one of the SATA chains is shorter than the other. The shorter one is probably intended for drives which are mounted closer to the power supply. The cables are sleeved, but only to the first connector. There is no sleeving between the connectors. The wires are all 18AWG, which is the correct gauge for an ATX power supply.
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There’s nothing out of the ordinary in the way of ventilation, with a wire fan grille and a honeycomb style rear grille. That little silver sticker to the right of the AC receptacle says that the input should be 230V. This is unusual, since the unit has Active PFC, and the marketing on the box says it’s supposed to work in different countries with varying input voltages. This unit is also sold in the US, where the line voltage is only 110V.
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