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OCZ GameXStream 700w ATX PSU Page: 1
Introduction

Formed in August 2000, OCZ has always been known as a company at the forefront of high performance memory technology for the overclocking and gaming communities.

Several years after their inception, OCZ entered the power supply market with a unit labelled the PowerStream. This unit was a massive success, being one of the most highly sought-after power supplies amongst enthusiasts due to its stable voltages, good looks and adjustable rails. These features coupled with OCZ's excellent warranty and genuine interest in the communities that it was targeting ensured that the PowerStream remained a hit for several years to follow.

However, OCZ have never been a company to stand still, and for this reason the latest addition to the OCZ power supply line-up was launched. Coming in 600w and 700w varieties, the GameXStream has been designed to meet the power requirements of the modern high-end computer system, and today we'll be testing it out to see if it lives up to OCZ's legacy.

Packaging

When you hear the name GameXStream, you just know that this unit isn't going to come in a brown cardboard box. After all, everything aimed at the gaming market tends to come in the most visually attractive packaging possible. The GameXStream is no different...

The graphical design of the packaging is certainly aimed to turn heads. Using a dark blue/black background complete with power/lighting effects bolting into an image of the GameXStream unit, this is probably one of the first units people will pick up when browsing for a new power supply in a computer store.

The information on the front and top of the packaging tell pretty much the same story: 700w, 36month warranty, Dual GPU ready, Active PFC and many other features to boot.

The trend continues around the side and on the back of the packaging, once again showing a picture of the unit alongside some of its vital statistics.

It's also good to see that OCZ have placed their support e-mail address on the back of the packaging should you have any problems with the unit. Of course, what good is a support e-mail address if nobody responds, so I decided to put it to the test. Within 42 minutes of sending an e-mail complaining about a faulty GameXStream, I received a reply from a real person giving me information on what else is should try before RMA'ing the unit. Impressive.

The GameXStream is packaged in a clear bubble-wrap bag to protect it from knocks and scratches. Hopefully this should be enough to protect the unit from moderately rough handling by couriers during its journey to you.

Included in the box are the following items:
• 4x Black ATX screws.
• 1x Power cord.
• 1x GameXStream colour manual
• 1x Velcro cable tie
• 1x GameXStream PSU

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Introduction

The following specifications have been shamelessly copied from OCZ's website:

"The SLI-Ready GameXStream 600/700 Watt power supplies are designed specifically for the demanding computing environments of PC Enthusiasts, Power Users, and Gamers.

As more and more gamers take advantage of the gaming benefits offered by multi-GPU technology the need for improved power supply solutions increases greatly. The GameXStream features high-quality components to ensure your PC’s vital hardware is supplied with clean, stable and reliable power without compromising effectiveness. ...."

• 600W and 700W Configurations
• NVIDIA® SLI™-Ready
• OCZ PowerWhisper™ Technology
• Internal 120mm fan
• 3 year warranty backed by OCZ’s exclusive PowerSwap™ replacement program.
• 150 x 140 x 86mm
• ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V
• OCZ ConnectAll™ universal connectors:
° 1 x 20+4Pin ATX
° 1 x 4-pin/8-pin CPU (supports double CPUs/supplies stable voltage)
° 2 x PCI-E 6 x 4-pin peripheral
° 2 x 4-pin floppy
° 6 x S-ATA
• High efficiency 80% @ 115V (Typical load) 83% @ 230V (Typical load)
• Overvoltage/Overcurrent/Short-Circuit protection
• Active PFC
• MTBF:100,000 hours
• 100~240Vac 10-5A 50/60Hz
• Rail output (Maximum ratings are shown):
° +3.3V(36A)
° +5V(30A)
° +12V1(18A)
° +12V2(18A)
° +12V3(18A)
° +12V4(18A)

As you can see from above, OCZ have listed the peak outputs of each of the rails in their specifications. Whilst this is acceptable and something also seen on many other power supply manufacturers specifications, it would be nice to also see the sustained power output specifications.

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Appearance

As a bit of a generalisation, products aimed at the gaming community tend to be filled with flashing lights and covered in UV reactive components. I was expecting a similar approach from OCZ considering that (judging by the name) this unit is aimed squarely at gamers.

However, on unpacking the unit I was presented with a power supply very much on the subtle side...

The OCZ GameXStream is finished in a matt black paint, a rather disappointing step away from the gunmetal finish found on the older PowerStream and ModStream units. I really was expecting something a bit snazzier considering the GameXStream is touted as being OCZ's new flagship power supply. On the upside though, I guess owners of the GameXStream won't have to be so careful not to cover the unit in fingerprints, a problem which plagued OCZ's other units.

OCZ have chosen to cool the unit with a single 120mm, blue LED fan which is covered by a black painted grill. This is becoming a popular method of cooling, as it is much quieter and often more effective than utilising several 80mm fans.

The back of the unit sports a honeycomb mesh, allowing the hot air moved by the 120mm fan to exit out of your case with minimum restrictions. The GameXStream, like many other modern PSU's is able to auto-detect the input voltage, and therefore does not require a voltage selection switch often seen on older power supplies.

The front and sides of the unit are rather uninteresting with small grills placed near areas of the unit most likely to produce heat. The OCZ sticker shows the units peak outputs along with the usual warnings about not opening the PSU cover.

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Connectors

Having never reviewed an OCZ power supply before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect in the cabling and connectors department. Generally most manufacturers PSU's follow the same trend throughout their entire range. Lets see what the GameXStream has to offer:

All connectors are finished in black, with the molex connectors adopting the 'easy grip' design, which should make removal of the connectors from devices easier.

It's also good to see that OCZ have decided to sleeve all cables right to the very last connector. Many manufacturers only sleeve some of the cables, or sleeve up to the first connector on every cable. The sleeving job is professional with cable ties holding the sleeving in place, and heat shrink keeping everything neat and tidy.

The ATX connector on the GameXStream is native 24-pin. However, as you can see above, a small block of 4 connectors can be broken off to switch the connector to 20-pin, and thus make it compatible with older motherboards. This is also true for the 8-Pin EPS12v connector which can be split in half, providing the user with a 4-Pin P4-12v connector.

With 6 SATA connectors, 6 Molex connectors and 2 Floppy connectors the GameXStream 700w should have enough plugs to suit almost every configuration of PC.

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Looking Inside

As with all power supplies that pass through Overclock3D, I'll be taking a look inside the GameXStream. By doing this I should be able to get a good idea of the overall build quality of the unit and how it is likely to perform in our tests.

Normally I'd be quite shocked by the seemingly inadequate internals of the GameXStream unit, however these internals strike an amazing resemblance to a power supply manufactured by FSP that I reviewed a short while ago.

After giving the unit a thorough inspection, I was able to find the FSP logo on the PCB (circuit board), which leads me to believe that I'm going to find the GameXStream to be a very capable power supply indeed.

Also during the inspection of the GameXStream, I came across what appeared to be an adjustable potentiometer (pot for short). Pot's can be used to adjust the voltage output by the rails on the power supply, and can come in handy when voltages droop outside of ATX specifications.

Cooling the GameXStream is a 12cm fan manufactured by Protechnic Electrics. The maximum speed of this fan is 2500rpm at 38.3dB when running at 12v. As mentioned earlier, the fan also includes a blue LED to brighten things up a bit!

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Load Testing

In order for the results from all current and future PSU reviews to remain fair and comparable, Overclock3D uses a custom built Power Supply load stress tester.

The tester will be placing the following loads on each of the GameXStream's rails:

+3.3v - 20a Load
+5.0v - 20a Load
+12v1 - 10a Load
+12v2 - 10a Load
+12v3 - 10a Load
+12v4 - 10a Load

The results are collected from a Mastech MAS-345 Multimeter which logs its readings via RS232 to a PC.

Some impressive results on both the +3.3v and +5v rails for the GameXStream. Both rails remained well within ATX specifications and suffered from minimal fluctuation. Don't forget that a little tweaking of the adjustable pots inside the PSU could provide even better results for these rails.

Continuing the trend on the +12v rails, the GameXStream breezes through our stress testing with a maximum of 0.2% fluctuation on the rails. These results place the unit up against some of the best power supplies we've ever tester here at Overclock3D.

Efficiency Testing

Efficiency tests are performed by measuring the wattage consumed by the power supply at the mains against the power (in watts) consumed by the OC3D power supply stress tester.

The results may not be as accurate as those produced by professional testing equipment, but will certainly come in handy when comparing several power supplies against each other.

The GameXStream was placed under a load of 646 watts. This counts for a total of 92% of the power supplies rated output. At this load, the power supply required 775 watts from the mains to produce the 646 watts required by our custom made power supply tester. Therefore the efficiency of this power supply can be found by a simple equation: (646 / 775) * 100 that works out to be an efficiency rating of 83.3%.

Noise Testing

At present Overclock3D doesn't have the professional equipment required to reliably measure the noise output of devices. However, as a new part of our testing procedure we will be recording the PSU at idle and load so that you can make your own judgments. All recordings are taken at 30cm distance from the unit.

Idle Recording - Download
Load Recording - Download

Before you go away with the wrong impression from these recordings I'd like to remind you that they were taken outside of a PC case. Therefore the recordings (especially the load one) do not represent the level of noise you are likely to hear once the unit is inside a PC enclosure.

I was pleasantly surprised by the low noise levels emitted by the GameXStream both at idle and under load. Most high wattage power supplies seem to have trouble maintaining low noise levels when under full load, however the GameXStream managed this effortlessly.

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Conclusion

The OCZ GameXStream has to be one of the first PSU's tested here at Overclock3D that manages to successfully combine stability, efficiency and low noise levels in a package no larger than a standard ATX power supply.

Couple these excellent features with a 36 month warranty along with an unmatched level of e-mail support and OCZ have a winner on their hands.

The only negative point that I could manage to come up with for the GameXStream was its rather bland appearance. It would have been nice to see the unit sporting the same gunmetal electroplated finish as other OCZ power supplies, or at least sprayed in a more imaginative colour.

Currently retailing for £97 over at Komplett, the GameXStream is actually cheaper than a great deal of other lower wattage units and should certainly be near the top of your shopping list when looking for your next power supply.

Pro's
+ Excellent voltage stability.
+ High efficiency @ 83%.
+ 36 month warranty with fast support.
+ Internal adjustable potentiometer
+ Plenty of connectors
+ Fully sleeved cables
+ Rail layout ideal for Crossfire / SLI
+ Silent operation

Con's
- Slightly boring looks compared to previous OCZ PSU's

Editors Choice

Thanks to OCZ for providing this unit for review.

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