| OCZ ModStream 520W Power Supply |
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Test Setup
For testing of the OCZ ModStream 520W power supply we used the following setup:
AMD Athlon64 3400+
512MB Crucial PC3200 DDR
Albatron K8X800 Pro II motherboard
Albatron GeForceFX 5700 Ultra
Seagate 40GB 5400rpm HD
Coolermaster Hyper 6 heatsink/fan
ASUS 8x DVD-RW
A few 80mm fans
We used SpeedFan to do the testing in idle and load conditions. Idle conditions are tested from a fresh boot-up and with few as possible processes running. Load conditions were tested with Windows Media Player, Winamp, Disk Defragmenter, Warcraft 3, and other small programs such as mIRC, MSN Messenger, etc. The results are as follows.
The results taken from SpeedFan are quite mixed. We see some minor differences in a majority of the rails but nothing really huge, with the biggest difference coming in on the VBAT results by .07 volts. Looking at the cooling performance part of the power supply we did notice a couple degree drop in temperature in the case compared to an older 480 watt Thermaltake power supply. The 120mm fan built into the OCZ ModStream power supply is also acceptably quiet, most users will be happy with the low noise level and great cooling at the same time.
On the down side of things however, just like a lot of other product it isn't perfect. There are a few minor issues that we came across that could be improved. First of all the power supply isn't a fully modular design, with the main ATX power connectors built into the power supply. Though this isn't a huge deal considering nearly every system out there needs these connectors but it would have been nice to see the 4-pin connector used for Intel systems have a modular design. If you have an Athlon system the cord will be rendered useless and hanging there. Second, the cords themselves are fairly stiff and were somewhat of a nuisance bending and twisting them around the case into the proper positions, they really need to be more flexible. Lastly, it would have been nice to see an RPM adjuster for the built in 120mm fan, after all, this power supply is meant for the modding crowd.
Despite its minor flaws, overall, the OCZ ModStream 520 watt power supply is a fantastic power supply that should please nearly everyone with it's spiffy looks, great power output, quietness, and clean semi-modular design.. And for around 120 US dollars it isn't that bad of a deal for this type of power supply either. We recommend you consider this unit if you are in the market for a new PSU for your system.
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