OCZ ZS Series 550W Power Supply Review

1. Introduction2. OCZ SZ Series 550W (Bundle and Cables)3. OCZ SZ Series 550W (External)4. OCZ SZ Series 550W (Internal)5. OCZ SZ Series 550W (Super High Res Gallery)6. Testing Methodology and Results7. Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

The OCZ ZS Series 550W Power Supply is a competent design and one that will find its way into many systems this year, especially when factoring in the low asking price.

In regards to appearance, the unit is well finished, with a ‘sports car' like sticker on the side. The plain black paint finish is professionally applied and could handle some long term abuse. It is surprising that there is no OCZ badge at the top of the unit, above the fan, but perhaps every penny counts in this sector.

Technically, it is a basic, yet tried and trusted Sirfa implementation and is an improvement over OCZ's older ‘value' designs. The new product features higher efficiency, a single rail output and Japanese capacitors. They are using a bigger fan this time around for stronger airflow, although it is still clearly audible when loaded above 400W.

Noise suppression, while not class leading, doesn't raise a red flag, although the 12V+ output did register 65 mV at full load, which is more than some other designs in the same price bracket in recent months. This is not a concern and well within the rated guidelines, but worth mentioning.

In the UK, this supply can be bought for £47.98 at Dabs, which is a really good deal, especially when considering the improvements to the internal design when compared against the previous generation. The Stealthxstream is still available for £44 in the UK and for an extra £4, it seems like a no brainer to us.

Pros:

• Appearance will suit any system build.
• upgraded capacitors help overall performance.
• larger fan improves airflow.
• good efficiency.

Cons:

• Is clearly audible when loaded hard.

Become a Patron!