|
The
install:
To test the ModXStream
780W I used a build based in the Lian-Li PC-S80 Chassis. The build
includes an AMD Athlon AM2 5200+ with the
Ultra ChillTec cooler, 2 x EVGA 7800 GTX cards cooled by Artic
Cooling 5 series coolers and a 2 x 2 GB kit of
OCZ Titanium Series DDR2-6400 mounted on an ABIT Fatal1ty AN9 32X
motherboard. Storage was provided by both a 160 GB and a 250 GB Maxtor
SATA II drives and a Lite-on 16x DVD burner.
|
Hardware |
Model |
|
Motherboard: |
ABIT Fatal1ty AN9 32X |
|
CPU |
AMD AM2 5200+ |
|
Memory |
2x 2 GB kit of OCZ Titanium
Series DDR2-6400 |
|
Graphics |
2 x EVGA 7800 GTX |
|
Power Supply |
OCZ ModXStream 780 Watt |
|
Drives |
160 and 250 GB Maxtor SATA II,
16X Lite-on DVD Burner |
The unique design of the Lian-Li PC-S80 hides the
power supply up in its own compartment. As you can see the
120mm fan lights up nicely. Watch for the Lian-Li PC-S80 review here
at the Club very soon.
And a quick look at the finished build. The
extra length provided on each of the runs makes it easy to route
cables to all of the devices and still allow things to hide away.
Testing:
To test the X3 I ran the system
overnight idle before capturing these numbers using the ABIT uGuru.
Although the test build isn't exactly power hungry every rail
remained stable.
 
Next I put each build under
load by running
Passmark's BurnIn Test and
Futuremark's 3DMark06 simultaneously for about 15 minutes in two
back to back sessions.
As you can see here the voltages remain
pretty constant during the load test as well. Its nice to see our
AMD build poses no real challenge to the 780 Watt ModXStream.
During the load test our ModXStream ran only slightly warm to the touch,
it also ran much quieter than I expected. With our AMD build not
even close to maxing out the 780 Watts, its safe to assume the heat and
load generated little need for the fan to spin up to anywhere near 100%.
The stability of the rail
voltage remains consistent while idle in the BIOS. To test the
stability I also used my trusty Cen-Tech multi-tester to monitor the +12
V rails during an evening with Supreme Commander. Over several hours of
play I never noticed a significant change in voltage on any of the +12 V
rails. Overall I found a average variance of less than +/-1 V. Taking
into account the massive Wattage dedicated to the four +12 V rails you
should be able to slot the ModXStream into any SLI or Crossfire build
you can imagine. Only a more demanding Quad graphics setup would
warrant the jump up to the 900 watt version. (Time will tell with the
new ATI 2900 series cards hungry demands just now entering the market)
Conclusion:
With the recent advancements in
performance computing it seems that everyone is looking for a new power
supply. OCZ is meeting this need with the expansion of their most
popular lines and the recent acquisition of PC Power and Cooling.
The new ModXStream line of power supplies does a nice job of combining
the raw power these new builds demand with the modular convenience many
of us demand. OCZ combines this solid performance with an
outstanding 36 month warranty that shows the confidence they have in
these ModXStream power supplies.
These days there is a lot of hype
surrounding all the new four digit wattage units hitting the market but
the truth is a good efficient power supply like the ModXStream 780W has
plenty of power to handle nearly every SLI or crossfire build possible.
With a stable set of four +12V rails and an energy efficiency of more
than 80%, the ModXStream puts out more stable power than some units
rated at 1000W plus. Do your homework then come back for the
dependable power that the OCZ ModXStream 780 Watt Modular power supply
effortlessly provides.
|
 |
|
Innovation: |
8.5
out of 10 |
|
Performance: |
10 out of 10 |
|
Quality: |
9.5
out of 10 |
|
Stability: |
10
out of 10 |
|
Overclocking: |
N/A |
|
Software/Drivers Pack: |
N/A |
|
Value: |
8.5 out of 10 |
|
Overall Rating
9.0 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
Project Skill Level
(10 being most difficult) |
4
out of 10 |
|
