Specs and Features
So OCZ introduced the new ZS series with an 80+ Bronze certification, tested by the 80PLUS organization (the people that certify and test efficiency). But what does such a certification entail ?
Well, we have bronze, silver, gold, and platinum certifications. A PSU that is certified 80 PLUS Gold or 80 PLUS Platinum is more efficient than a normal unit. Below youll find a table that shows what efficiency levels a PSU has to achieve at a given load to make the grade for a specific certification level.
| Efficiency at 20% Load | Efficiency at 50% Load | Efficiency at 100% Load | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 PLUS | 80% | 80% | 80% |
| 80 PLUS Bronze | 82% | 85% | 82% |
| 80 PLUS Silver | 85% | 88% | 85% |
| 80 PLUS Gold | 87% | 90% | 87% |
| 80 PLUS Platinum | 90% | 92% | 89% |
All the OCZ ZS power supplies are certified by the 80PLUS organization to deliver an 85% energy efficiency at 50% load (which equals with a Bronze label) and also comply with the ErP (Energy Related product) directive to ensure less than 1W of power is used in passive standby and off modes.
The series as stated exists out of three models with a wattage of 550W, 650W, and 750W, but all of these feature similar specifications as well as a single 12V rail. This can deliver between 38A and 54A of power depending on the model chosen.
As far as the available connectors are concerned, all the units feature eight SATA power plugs, at least three MOLEX plugs, as well as a 6-pin and a 6+2-pin PCI Express connectors.
The 750W models adds another two PCI Express plugs to the mix (one 6-pin and one 6+2-pin), making it compatible with AMD CrossFireX and Nvidia SLI dual-GPU configurations.
OCZ's latest power supplies are kept cool under heavy usage with a large temperature and load-controlled 135mm double ball-bearing fan.
