OCZ GameXstream 700W PSU Review - Testing the OCZ GameXstream 700W

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I would like to think that my computer components plus overclocking would take up the majority of the power that the OCZ can provide, but in reality it takes a lot of hardware to get up to 700W. Its its peak power is beyond that; it's been rated at 800W, although performance is not promised. Additional heat will reduce efficiency and will not guarantee peak performance.

For my first test I am going to throw the GameXstream at my test bed, with my system over clocked at the maximum stable CPU frequency that my motherboard will allow as well as a single Sapphire X800 GTO2. Throw in a Radeon R480 core and voltage modifications and custom cooling solutions; it should be capable of pulling a few more watts than a standard X850 graphics card. I'm going to load up a few hard drives in the system, DVD burners, and three 12mm fans. Then I'll play a few games and keep an eye on all of the voltage rails to find their highs and lows under strenuous activity.

The Second 12v rail

One of the things that caught my attention and is clearly displayed on the side of the PSU is the second 12v rail. This rail is split between both the secondary CPU core and the secondary graphics card. This leaves 108W between the graphics card and the secondary CPU core. This will leave a potential of 324W for the CPU, which will most likely not be used in its entirety. Now the question is, how much power is actually going to be drawn from the secondary processor 12v line? Is it drawn only when necessary? Will the majority of that amount be sent to the graphics card, which will certainly draw more power with today's high end graphics cards?

Results

Testing the GameXstream, I ran my test bed at its maximum stable clock speeds on both my processor and my video card, ran Battlefield 2142 and kept an eye on my multi meter which I had hooked up the the motherboard power lead. I also watched an available SATA connector to get accessory 12v, 5v and 3.3v readings at idle and under heavy gaming.

Test Bed

• Intel Core2Duo E6300 @ 2.345GHz (7x335MHz 1.2v)
• 2GB (2x1024MB) Crucial Ballistix Tracer 55512 1:1
• Cooler Master Eclipse Cooler
• DFI Infinity 975X @ 335MHz FSB
• Sapphire X800 GTO 2 @ 615/650
• BenQ DVD+RW Drive
• Sony DVD Drive
• 3x 120mm fans

Idle

• 3.3                   3.34v
• 5                      5.12v  
• 12v CPU          12.07v
• 12v Accessory 12.23

Load

• 3.3                   3.34v
• 5                      5.12v  
• 12v CPU          12.05v
• 12v Accessory 12.20v

Next: Conclusion >>
 

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