Overclock3D.Net :: Print Page :: OCZ Z-Series Z1000M 1000W ATX PSU

Introduction & Specifications

Fraction of Rated Load	20%	50%	100%
80 PLUS	80%	80%	80%
80 PLUS Bronze	82%	85%	82%
80 PLUS Silver	85%	88%	85%
80 PLUS Gold	87%	90%	87%

Back at the beginning of 2008 PSU efficiency organisation 80PLUS revised their certification program to include three new standards on top of the original 80PLUS (80%+) certification. The Gold, Silver and Bronze levels introduced new efficiency targets for PSU manufacturers to meet in an effort to reduce global energy consumption in PC's and other devices. While none of these new certifications were by any means mandatory the PSU market (in terms of PC's at least) is immensely competitive, and having a PSU certified to one of these new standards would be a sure-fire way to attract the energy conscious consumer who is looking to save money on their electricity bills while also doing their little bit for the planet.

So the race was on. First to 87/90/87% efficiency at 20/50/100% load levels gets the gold medal!

But manufacturing a PSU that is capable of delivering 90% efficiency is no easy task by any stretch of the imagination. On a 500w PSU running at full load this would mean less than 50w finding its way out of the unit as heat from the components. This is in contrast to the 100w of wastage by an 80% efficient 500w PSU running at the same load. In most cases it would take a complete re-design of an entire PSU along with stringent checks of each and every component used inside. As a result very few PSU manufacturers to date have actually be able to achieve gold status, instead settling for the runner up medals of silver and bronze.

So, why the big efficiency speech I hear you say? Well today I'm going to be taking a look at the latest PSU from well known performance DDR and SSD manufacturer OCZ Technology. Branded the Z-Series and available in 850w and 1000w models, this is THE FIRST PSU to pass through the OC3D labs with a shiny gold 80PLUS sticker on it's packaging. Impressive, yes? Well let's just wait and see. But first, the specifications taken from OCZ's website:

OCZ Z Series Gold / 1000W / SLI-Ready / Active PFC
True to our enthusiast roots, OCZ Technology designed and developed the Z Series for power users searching for nothing but the best. Paving the way toward the most efficient means of achieving high-end performance, these PSUs feature ultra-high efficiency of 90% and have achieved the 80+ Gold Certification. OCZ strived to make the Gold Z Series a true “best-in-class” power supply, including a powerful single +12-volt rail design and an industrial-grade core engineered for maximum stability and reliability. Built for excellence, the Z Series raises the bar in power management and provides an unparallelled solution for enthusiasts who won’t settle for anything less.

Powerful
Delivering 1000W of continuous output and utilizing a high-performance architecture, the Z1000 provides rock-solid power for the systems of gamers, enthusiasts, and power users. With a peak wattage of 1100W and a single +12V rail (83A) design, the Z1000 doesn’t put limits on your system the way competing PSUs do.

Ultra-Efficient
High-performance doesn’t need to translate into over-the-top energy use. With an ultra-high 90% efficiency rating, the 80 Plus® Gold certified Z1000 power supply offers ultimate stability without driving up your energy costs.

Industrial-Grade
The Z1000 is tested and certified at industrial levels (50°C) to provide the ultimate powerhouse for those that require long-lasting, industrial-grade components for their mission-critical system or cutting-edge gaming machine

Premium Cooling & Acoustics
Powerful yet cool, the Z1000 maintains ideal temperatures and superior air flow thanks to a large 135mm double ball bearing fan that adapts to the system’s load and thermals while remaining ultra-quiet at high speeds.

Active PFC
Each Z1000 features Active PFC (Power Factor Correction) to regulate input voltage and deliver premium sag and surge protection (.99PFC), allowing for effective distribution of power in a wider range of environments and varying voltages.

Multi-GPU Ready
Equipped to fuel the demands of gaming systems, the NIVDIA® SLI™Certified Z1000 solution has an array of connectors and the stable output to power dual GPUs—an essential element of top gaming builds.

OCZ 5 Year Warranty
Premium power supplies deserve the finest warranty available, and OCZ stands behind the Z1000 with its 5-year PowerSwap warranty for ultimate peace of mind. No more endless return-for-repair loops!

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that OCZ can talk the competition into submission, but how about when we peel back the layers of marketing spiel. Well to start with we have of course the all-important 90% efficiency. There's no mention of whether this is achievable at all load levels, but we can be sure that it has at very least met the 87/90/87% requirements of the 80PLUS Gold certification.

Then there's the 50°C "Industrial-Grade" testing. This essentially means that the Z-Series can deliver its full rated output while sweating it out in a poorly ventilated chassis. Very good to know, as the Z-Series is going to get a full roasting in our hot-box later on in the review.

OCZ Z-Series 1000w Rail Layout
DC Output	+3.3V	+5V	+12V1	+12V2	+12V3	+12V4	+12V5	+12V6	-12V	+5VSB
DC Output	25A	25A	83A	-	-	-	-	-	0.8A	6A
Max Power	180W		1000W						9.6W	30W
Max Power	1000W (1100W PEAK)

Moving on to the rail layout it's hard to miss the stupendously powerful single +12v rail rated at 83A! This is the kind of layout that put PCP&C on the map with the enthusiasts, so its interesting to see OCZ taking a leaf from their book. Both the +3.3v and +5v rails are rated at 25A with a combined output of 180W which is about average for a 1000W PSU, and the only other real area of interest is the +5VSB rail which is rated at 6A - around 2x higher than most other PSU's.

Now let's move on to the appearance of the Z-Series...

Packaging & Appearance

Gold and Black are the two primary colours on the front and rear of the Z1000M's outer packaging. And why not. When you achieve something as respectable as 80PLUS Gold certification on your new PSU range you certainly want it to be known. Of course it does also have the added advantage of standing out more than a Big Mac at a Slim Fast event when placed on retailers shelves.

While the front of the box is fairly void of any specifications other than the output rating and a few certification stickers, every other side of the box has a story to tell. Starting at the back of the box we get a breakdown of all the main specifications along with a thumbnail sized image of the PSU. This is repeated once again in abbreviated form on the bottom of the box along with a slightly larger image of the unit. At the top of the box is the "True to our roots..." speech seen back on page #1 along with the rail layout chart.

Inside the box we can see the Z1000M encapsulated between two moulded styrofoam slabs. This, combined with the drawstring fabric bag that the PSU is placed inside should ensure that the PSU arrives at your door in the same condition that it left the factory. Also included in the package is a nylon bag that holds all of the modular cables, four silver thumbscrews, a pack of velcro cable ties and of course a manual and mains power cord.

Removing the Z-Series from its drawstring bag brings on instant salivation (for me at least). OCZ has decided against the usual powdercoated finish and has instead gone for a gunmetal coloured brushed aluminium. This simply oozes quality and would be right at home inside a case such as the Osiris Gunmetal or indeed any brushed aluminium chassis. The appearance of the unit is further improved by the gold and black Z-Series label that spans the length of one side. Unfortunately the other stickers (Hi-Pot Tested / ROHS...etc) and bland specification sticker on the other side do spoil the look a bit, and would have probably been better placed on top of the PSU. But then maybe I'm far to fussy ;)

As promised in the specifications we get a 135mm fan that consumes pretty much the entire under-side of the unit. This should keep 'dead spots' inside the unit to a minimum ensuring that all components receive adequate cooling. The wire fan grill has also been finished in a similar gun metal colour to the rest of the unit, finishing the appearance off nicely.

At the front of the unit are a total of six modular connectors inset into the PSU's casing. As you may have already guessed the four orange ones are explicitly for use with the PCI-E modular cables, while the remaining four black connectors are for use with the SATA/Molex cables.

Now that we've established OCZ's latest PSU gets the juices flowing in the appearance department, let's take a closer look at the cables and internal layout over on the next page...

Cables, Connectors & Internal Components

With the exception of a few manufacturers, most modular PSU's available these days are what I'd prefer to call hybrid-modular. That is, most - but not all of the cables on the unit are modular. This is exactly the approach that OCZ have taken with the Z-Series, hard-wiring the cables you are most likely to use into the unit, while providing the rest as modular cables.

As I already mentioned over on the previous page, the Z1000M comes complete with eight modular headers that are split equally between the PCI-E and SATA/Molex connectors. This is just a tad on the low side for a 1000W PSU with most of the competition managing around 10 connectors. Still, unless you're planning a Tri-SLi Watercooled system with a tonne of hard disks, the eight headers should be more than adequate.

All of the cables on both the hard-wired and modular front are sleeved in a black mesh right up to the end of each connector and finished off with black heatshrink. While this certainly isn't as fancy as the flat style modular cables on a lot of Corsair's PSU's, it gets the job done and the quality of the finish on each cable is very high.

OCZ Z-Series 1000w Connectors
ATX Connector	Native	1x 20+4 Pin
EPS-12v / P4-12v Connector(s)	Native	1x 4+4 Pin / 1x 8 Pin
Molex Connectors	Modular	3x
Floppy Disk Connectors	Modular	1x
SATA Connectors	Native / Modular	3x / 9x
PCI-E Connectors	Native / Modular	2x 6+2 Pin / 4x 6+2 Pin

Moving on to the number of connectors included with the Z1000M reveals some rather shocking results. Only three, yes count them...1...2..3 Molex connectors on a single modular cable have been provided in the cable bag. This is in contrast to the whopping 12 SATA connectors (3x Hard-Wired / 9x Modular) provided with the unit. Now I understand that OCZ probably want to shift a few of their Solid State Disk Drives, but guys this isn't the way forward!

Anyway, on a more serious note after contacting OCZ with these findings they have made alterations to their retail units to include an additional two Molex based modular cables in the bag. This brings the total number of Molex connectors up to 9. Much, much better guys. It's always good when a manufacturer acts upon our findings.

On the hard-wired connector front the Z1000M is fitted with a 24-Pin ATX connector which cannot be reduced down to 20-Pin for older motherboards. The EPS-12v connectors however, comes in both 4+4 and native 8 Pin formats which permits use on older motherboards and more power hungry dual-connector motherboards such as the high-end eVGA range. For the PCI-E connectors OCZ have gone for a native 6-Pin format with an additional 2 pins tagged on the side to enable use with all current graphics cards.

Removing the four small screws on each corner of the fan area and lifting off the lid reveals the Z1000M's internals. Although I certainly wasn't expecting oodles of free space inside the unit given its diminutive dimensions, it has to be noted that everything appears to be quite cramped. While this would normally send alarm bells ringing regarding potential heat issues, the three rows of gold coloured aluminium heatsinks attached to the PSU's mosfets are designed in such a way that they can effectively make use of the PSU's cooling without obstructing airflow to the components beneath.

Going in for a closer look at the some of the components we can see that OCZ have used a single transformer to deliver the majority of the 1000W that the unit provides. However, as is common on most PSU's a second much smaller transformer can also be spotted nearby. This one has the job of delivering the 6A output of the 5VSB rail when the PSU is in standby.

The capacitors used on the primary (high voltage) side of the unit are manufactured by Japanese company Rubycon, and while not quite as well known as the likes of Nippon Chemicon, still promise great performance and longevity. Obtaining the specs of these capacitors was certainly no easy task due to their orientation and surrounding components, but from what I could just about make out (without cracking out the soldering iron) are rated at 400v / 330uF / 105c.

Over on the secondary side it's time for me to eat my words as OCZ has has splashed out on an array of Nippon Chemicon 105c caps for the low voltage filtering. No other specs are visible, but If i manage to dig up any more info I'll be sure to add it.

Although almost impossible to see, it would appear that the two vertically mounted PCB's in the two pictures above are more than likely the DC-DC boards for dropping the main 12v output down to 3.3v and 5v for the other rails. Once again, without pulling the whole PSU apart it's pretty hard to say for certain, but there's definitely some solid state caps and chokes on there that look promising.

The 135mm fan is manufactured by Globe Fan and is rated at 1500RPM/106.86CFM/29.2dB. I have to say that the noise output does sound (no pun) a bit optimistic given the CFM output of the fan, but I'll be sure to put my ear up to it on the next page as we enter the simulated load testing...

Simulated Load Testing

To provide accurate and consistent results in all of our PSU testing, Overclock3D uses professional grade DC electronic load equipment capable of placing a sustained load of 3690w across a total of six rails (including +5vsb and -12v) on the PSU! This is achieved by using a combination of SunMoon and Analogic electronic load equipment which allow us to adjust amperage loads in increments as small as 0.01A while also measuring voltage and wattage readings on-screen.

During today's tests, we will be placing the OCZ Z-Series Z1000M under 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% load levels at both room temperature and inside a hot box regulated to a temperature of around 50°C. Additional 'Cross Load' and a 'Max Load' tests will also be performed under these conditions to simulate how the PSU reacts to heavily uneven loads as well as running above its specified output.

OCZ Z-Series 1000w Results @ Room Temperature
	+3.3v	+5.0v	+12v	+5vSB	-12v	AC Watts / DC Watts	Efficiency	Intake / Exhaust	Δ Temp
Test 1 (Low)	5.25A	5.25A	16.50A	1.50A	0.20A	280w / 256w	91.42%	25.7°C / 31.1°C	5.2°C
	3.36v	5.05v	12.27v	5.11v	-11.92v
Test 2 (Med)	10.50A	10.50A	33.00A	3.00A	0.40A	558w / 521w	93.36%	25.6°C / 33.0°C	7.4°C
	3.30v	4.96v	12.20v	5.03v	-11.92v
Test 3 (High)	15.75A	15.75A	49.50A	4.50A	0.60A	816w / 758w	92.89%	25.5C / 34.7°C	9.2°C
	3.23v	4.90v	12.14v	4.98v	-11.95v
Test 4 (Full)	21.00A	21.00A	66.00A	6.00A	0.80A	1106w / 1002w	90.59%	25.8°C / 36.8°C	11.0°C
	3.16v	4.84v	12.06v	4.89v	-12.02v
Test 5 (x-load)	21.00A	21.00A	1.00A	0.00A	0.00A	222w / 183w	82.43%	25.7°C / 32.5°C	6.8°C
	3.29v	5.07v	12.16v	5.11v	-12.46v
Test 6 (x-load)	1.00A	1.00A	77.00A	0.00A	0.00A	1019w / 939w	92.14%	25.9°C / 35.7°C	9.8°C
	3.32v	4.98v	12.07v	5.11v	-12.39v
Test 7 (MAX)	25.00A	28.00A	85.00A	6.00A	0.80A	1429w / 1268w	88.73%	25.9°C / 38.9°C	13.0°C
	3.14v	4.81v	11.98v	4.87v	-11.99v

OCZ Z-Series Z1000M Performance Overview
+3.3v Diff. T1-T4	+5.0v Diff. T1-T4	+12v Diff. T1-T4	+5vSB Diff. T1-T2	-12v Diff. T1-T2	Avg Effic. T1-T4	Noise Rating
5.95%	4.15%	1.71%	4.30%	0.83%	92.06%	Low

Firstly before we start, let me introduce you to our new performance overview chart. This chart is designed to give you an idea of a PSU's performance at a glance without having to navigate through the full set of test data. The first five rows labelled Diff. T1-T4 represent the voltage difference between Test 1 and Test 4 on each of the PSU's rails. The lower the percentage, the more stable you can assume the PSU is in a normal operational environment. Average efficiency on the other hand is calculated by taking the efficiency results from Test 1 to Test 4, adding them together and then dividing by 4. Of course, I still recommend that you take a look at the full set of test results for an idea of the actual voltage values and results in cross-load or max-load situations, but I hope you will agree that the performance chart is a worthy addition to the results data.

Now on to the actual results we can see quite a drop in the voltage of the 3.3v rail from Test 1 to Test 4 with a difference calculated at 5.95%. This is quite high in contrast to a lot of the other 700w+ PSU's we've reviewed recently which have managed to limit fluctuation to around 2%. The +5v rail keeps things just a little bit tighter with a difference of 4.15% between the T1 and T4 results, but once again this is still a few percent higher than its peers. Finally, the +12v rail is slightly more respectable with a fluctuation of 1.71%, equating to a difference of 0.21v between Test 1 and Test 4.

Moving on to the cross-load tests 5 and 6, all of the rails cope very well with no see-saw effects to be seen. This is extremely good as most PSU's tend to lose control of at least one of the rails in this situation (usually the -12v) sending the voltages sky-rocketing. The Max-Load results in Test 7 show us exactly what the Z1000M is capable of by managing to sustain a maximum load of 1268W with a massive 85A of that all on the +12v rail. The only issue here is that the +3.3v rail is once again quite low at 3.14v.

Efficiency during all tests was just as promised with the unit managing at least 90% efficiency across all of the standard tests. Only in Test 5 when a heavy load was applied to the +3.3v and +5v rails did the unit dip all the way down to 82.43% efficiency. However, as these tests are not part of the usual 80PLUS certification, this does not affect the Z1000M's gold ranking. Nor will it be an issue during general day-to-day use.

OCZ Z-Series 1000w Results @ 50°C
	+3.3v	+5.0v	+12v	+5vSB	-12v	AC Watts / DC Watts	Efficiency	Intake / Exhaust	Δ Temp
Test 1 (Low)	5.25A	5.25A	16.50A	1.50A	0.20A	284w / 255w	89.78%	50.0°C / 47.0°C	-3.0°C
	3.36v	5.05v	12.25v	5.11v	-11.97v
Test 2 (Med)	10.50A	10.50A	33.00A	3.00A	0.40A	552w / 508w	92.02%	50.8°C / 49.0°C	-1.8°C
	3.30v	4.95v	12.18v	5.03v	-11.91v
Test 3 (High)	15.75A	15.75A	49.50A	4.50A	0.60A	822w / 758w	92.21%	51.5C / 54.0°C	2.5°C
	3.22v	4.89v	12.10v	4.98v	-12.00v
Test 4 (Full)	21.00A	21.00A	66.00A	6.00A	0.80A	1093w / 1001w	91.58%	49.5°C / 55.6°C	6.1°C
	3.16v	4.84v	12.04v	4.88v	-12.07v
Test 5 (x-load)	21.00A	21.00A	1.00A	0.00A	0.00A	222w / 183w	82.43%	51.2°C / 50.2°C	-1.0 °C
	3.24v	4.90v	12.27v	5.14v	-12.42v
Test 6 (x-load)	1.00A	1.00A	77.00A	0.00A	0.00A	1019w / 939w	92.14%	50.7°C / 57.1°C	6.4°C
	3.31v	4.98v	12.06v	5.11v	-12.38v
Test 7 (MAX)	25.00A	28.00A	85.00A	6.00A	0.80A	1429w / 1268w	88.73%	50.8°C / 63.3°C	12.5°C
	3.14v	4.81v	11.98v	4.87v	-11.97v

OCZ Z-Series Z1000M Performance Overview
+3.3v Diff. T1-T4	+5.0v Diff. T1-T4	+12v Diff. T1-T4	Avg Effic. T1-T4	Noise Rating
-5.95%	-4.15%	-1.71%	91.39%	Low

Placing the Z1000M in the OC3D hot-box dialled up to an ambient temperature of 50.0°C does very little to change the results. Almost all of the voltages are identical to the room temperature tests with the exception of a few that are only 0.01v lower. The efficiency levels also take a dip by around 1% during some of the tests, but this could equally be attributed to general fluctuation rather than any performance drop inside the unit. Now on to the ripple results...

OCZ Z-Series Z1000M Scope Results @ 50c
	+3.3v	+5.0v	+12v
Test 1 (Low)
Test 2 (Med)
Test 3 (High)
Test 4 (Full)
Test 5 (x-load)
Test 6 (x-load)
Test 7 (MAX)

For those of you not familiar with the term 'ripple' (other than in a flakey chocolate bar), this refers to the small fluctuations in voltage that occur in all PSU's on a milisecond scale. Large quantities of 'ripple' on a PSU can damage or kill components in your PC over time and therefore testing a PSU's performance in this area is just as important as any other part. Unfortunately ripple cannot be measured using a standard multimeter and requires a specialist device called an oscillioscope. The results you see above are taken from our Rigol 25Mhz 400MSa/s scope that can save 'screenshots' of its data to a USB memory stick.

ATX specification states that ripple should be no higher than 50mV on the +3.3v/+5v rails and 120mV on the +12v rails. As we can see from the results in Test 1 to Test 4, the OCZ Z1000M manages this with ease. The +3.3v rail begins at a very impressive 16mV in Test 1 and slowly creeps up to 40mV by Test 4, while the +5v rail starts at 11mV and only increases slightly to 18mV. The +12v rail is also very respectable, with a maximum Vpp of just under 60mV in Test 4.

Only when we move on to Test 7 does the ripple jump up significantly with 52mV ripple on the +3.3v rail and 90mV on the +12v rail. But by this time the Z1000M is running 268W above its rated output, so to stay pretty much within ATX spec still is a big accomplishment.

Conclusion

Starting with the basics, the OCZ Z-Series Z1000M is one very attractive unit. While most manufacturers are still kiting their PSU's out with drab black powdercoated cases, OCZ has pulled out all stops and gone for a gunmetal coloured brushed aluminium. Of course it does remain to be seen how this kind of finish will fit in with the various styles of cases. Black is always a safe bet as many a woman will tell you. But sometimes you've got to be different from the crowd, so it's good to see OCZ making this leap of faith. This also combined with the inset modular cabling system and overall compact size of the unit really does give full marks in the appearance stakes.

Still on the topic of appearance, the packaging of the Z1000M is also worthy of a mention. Once upon a time your new PSU would arrive loosely packaged inside a cardboard box with only a plastic bag to protect it from the elements. However on the Z1000M OCZ have pulled out all the stops, sandwiching the PSU between two chunky styrofoam slabs and placing it in a fabric drawstring bag. You also get a handful of other extras to get you up and running such as a bag of thumbscrews, some velcro cable ties and a nylon bag to store any unused modular cables inside.

Moving on to the performance now, and one of the key features of the Z1000M is obviously its 80PLUS Gold rated efficiency. During the standard load tests (1-4) on the unit it managed to hold at least 90% efficiency at all times, sometimes going as high as 93% showing that this unit is certainly worthy of its title. Unfortunately the voltage stability did leave something to be desired on the +3.3v rail where it dipped by 0.20v from the idle to full load tests. The +5v and +12v rails however held things together much better, and while not having exceptional stability, still manage to produce good voltages at full load.

Cross-load and MAX-load results told a similar story with the +3.3v rail being the weak link in an otherwise fairly strong chain. Particularly impressive was the Z1000M's ability to hold a 1268W load at 50°C continuous. This potentially shows that the Z1000M is more than likely designed to be a 1100-1200W PSU under the surface with a 1000W sticker slapped on the top, making for a good value purchase based on the £177 tag over at Ebuyer.

Finally the ripple results from the +5v and +12v rails were also more than acceptable at 1000W load, staying under 60mV and 20mV respectively. The +3.3v ripple was just a tad higher that I would have liked at 40mV, but this is still 10mV below ATX recommended specs, so it's hard to grumble.

The Good

- Highest T1-T4 average efficiency of any PSU tested so far.

- Capable of punching well above its weight at 1268W.

- Not fazed by 50°C hot-box testing.

- Good ripple results on +5v and +12v rails.

- Priced below the competition.

- Good looks and compact dimensions.

The Mediocre

- Our sample was missing some Molex connectors (OCZ have already fixed this).

- +3.3v rail ripple results fairly average.

- Voltage stability of +3.3v rail pretty low at high loads.

The Bad

- Nowt.

Thanks to OCZ for providing today's product for review. Discuss in our forums.