OCZ ProXstream 1000W PSU Review

The ProXstream’s exterior case has a nice mirror-like nickel finish, a nice professional touch over other power supply cages. Although the finish looks great, it is prone to smudges and scratches. Vent holes have been stamped on the entire front side (where the cables exit the PSU), which allows air from the case to pass over the electronic components and out through the exhaust fan.

The ProXStream has four 12-volt rails, and each can handle up to 20 amps. OCZ has even implemented short-circuit protection protection, which trips the PSU if a resistance change of 0.01 ohms is detected. Over voltage circuitry also protects the power supply if any of the rails reach a certain peak (4.0V on the 3.3 rail, 6.2V on the 5V rail, or 14.6V on any of the 12V rails). Since there is no power switch, you must unplug the power cord and plug back in to reset the unit.

The ProXstream is SLI and multi-GPU ready, althrough there is no certification on the box itself. There are four PCI-Express cables, which is enough to handle two 8800 GTXs (since some models require dual electrical inputs) or four 8800 GTS cards.

Hot air generated from the unit is exhausted through a single 80mm fan, which is a throwback to older power supply design and seems like an odd choice for a powerful unit. In order for a smaller fan to move the air necessary to cool such a beast, it must spin rather fast, resulting in higher noise levels. This design choice may have been made due to the large components inside the cage (while still maintaining a standard form factor), as a single 120mm fan would require more clearance above the electronics.

The Cables
The ProXstream’s cables are 18 inches long, which is more than adequate for even full tower PC cases. All of the cables are sheathed in black mesh (the PCI-express leads are red). A black rubber ring protects the cables at the joint where the cables meet the PSU housing.

This unit is intended to deliver quality power to devices, rather than supporting a multitude of peripherals. There are not as many connections as you think a 1000W power supply would support. The wire used is 18 gauge and is UL listed. Listed below are all the connections available from the eleven individual cables:

• 1x standard 24-pin main motherboard cable
• 1x 4-pin 12 volt motherboard cable (with in-line 8-pin adapter)
• 4x PCI-Express cables
• 6x standard 4-pin Molex plugs (3 plugs on 2 cables)
• 6x SATA connector (3 plugs on 2 cables)
• 1x Floppy connector