If you want big wattage and high efficiency
in your power supply, look no further than Zalman’s ZM1250 Platinum. Zalman
tests this PSU under 50 degrees Celsius ambient temperature conditions, so it
guarantees that the PSU’s rated output power of 1,250 watts will stand up even
in a demanding environment. In terms of efficiency, Zalman indicates that the
ZM1250 Platinum operates at between 89% and 93% efficiency when under 20% to
100% load. This high-performance power supply also provides a 140mm thermally
controlled fan to minimize noise levels.
ZM1250
Platinum: $299.99/ Zalman, www.zalman.com
The ZM1250 Platinum is around 9 inches
long, including cable bend, so anyone with a mid-tower or SFF case will
definitely want to double-check that there’s room to install this PSU. The
ZM1250 Platinum is partially modular; the modular cables are flat to optimize
routing capabilities and increase airflow. The hardwired cables are limited to
only the +12V 20+4- pin and two CPU power cables (one 8-pin +12V EPS and
4+4-pin +12V ATX). For graphics card support, there are two PCI-E cables loaded
with two 6+2-pin connectors, as well as four cables with one 6+2-pin connector.
As such, you’ll have enough PCI-E connectors to power a quad-GPU setup. Zalman
also provides 12 SATA connectors (spread over three cables), nine Molex (spread
over two cables), and one FDD (via Molex-to-FDD adapter).
The ZM1250 Platinum is built with two +12V
rails: one 45A and one 65A. A note on the power supply indicates that the 45A
+12V rail is designed for the CPU, main power, SATA, and peripheral power,
while the 65A rail distributes power to the PCI-E connections. Both the 5V and
3.3V rails max out at 25A for a combined total of 150 watts. For protection,
you’ll find built-in circuitry that monitor for overvoltage, under voltage,
overcurrent, over temperature, overpower, and short circuits.
This Platinum rated power supply posted
impressive results in our benchmarks. When testing with one ZOTAC GeForce GTX
580, we saw a maximum wattage of 375W, a power factor of .986, and voltage of
114.8V, and an amperage of 3.45A. Maybe even more remarkable is that power
factor jumped to .989 when testing with two graphics cards. Other numbers with
two GPUs include a wattage of 617W, a voltage of 115.3V, and an amperage of
5.43A. The voltage and amperage levels are low compared to the rest of the
roundup, which indicates that this power supply is efficiently converting
power.
With the ZM1250 Platinum, Zalman delivers a
good mix of high performance and thoughtful design. And with a great benchmark
results, we can certainly recommend it for high-end builders who want efficient
power delivery.
With the ZM1250 Platinum, Zalman
delivers a good mix of high performance and thoughtful design.
Benchmark Results
Two GeForce GTX 580s
§
Maximum Wattage: 617
§
Power Factor: 0.989
§
Volts: 115.3
§
Amps: 5.43
Specifications
§
Price: $299.99
§
12V rails: 2
§
+12V max (A): 45A, 65A
§
+5V max (A): 25A
§
+3.3V max: 25A
§
Efficiency rating (as advertised): 93%
§
Fan: 140mm
§
PCI-E: 8 (6+2-pin)
§
Main 12V: 20+4-pin
§
8-pin EPS 12V: 2 (1 8-pin, 1 4+4-pin)
§
4-pin 12V: 0
§
SATA: 12
§
4-pin Molex: 9
§
Floppy: 1
§
Warranty: 5 years
Cooler Master Silent Pro Platinum 1000W
The Silent Pro Platinum 1000W’s name
mentions its key features, so it should come as no surprise that it’s highly
efficient (up to 94%) and designed to be quiet. (It uses a 135mm hydraulic
dynamic bearing fan.) But Cooler Master didn’t include all of the innovative
features in the title. There are two 7V fan ports for you to add two case fans
to your system, which is ideal for those who plan on adding lots of case fans
to their build. The small three-pin fan cables also have enough length to reach
behind the motherboard tray, which may be handier than using an extra Molex
cable to power a fan.
Silent
Pro Platinum 1000W: $249.99/ Cooler Master, www.coolermaster-usa.com
Cooler Master designs the Silent Pro
Platinum 1000W as a partially modular PSU. Hardwired cables include the 24- pin
main power, two 4+4-pin +12V ATX cables, and one PCI-E cable with two 6+2-pin
connectors. All of the hardwired cables feature round mesh sleeves. The modular
cables, however, are all flat, which makes them easy to route inside your case.
Overall, the Silent Pro Platinum 1000W offers the following connectors: six
6+2-pin PCI-E, 12 SATA, five Molex, and one FDD. The Silent Pro Platinum 1000W
is built with a single +12V rail that can handle up to 82A (984W). The +5 and
+3.3V rails can each support up to 25A.
The Silent Pro Platinum 1000W features a
basic black exterior with its name proclaimed along the sides in white and gray
lettering. We found the power supply was 8 inches long, including its cable
bend. The PSU’s 135mm fan operates at around 20dB at 50% load. At its loudest,
the fan barely tops 30dB. Cooler Master indicates that it has optimized the
Silent Pro Platinum’s heatsinks to remove hot air inside the power supply,
which should reduce the PSU’s internal temperature and the need for high fan
speeds. When running our stress tests with one GTX 580, the Cooler Master
Silent Pro Platinum 1000W produced a maximum wattage of 419W and a power factor
of .962. With two GeForce GTX 580s configured in SLI, we saw a maximum wattage
of 610W and an increased power factor of .970. Voltage and amperage levels were
similar to the rest of the power supplies we tested.
With its high efficiency rating, the Cooler
Silent Pro Platinum is a good option for power users concerned about their
system’s energy usage.
Benchmark Results
Two GeForce GTX 580s
§
Maximum Wattage: 610
§
Power Factor: 0.97
§
Volts: 116.9
§
Amps: 5.4
Specifications
§
Price: $249.99
§
12V rails: 1
§
+12V max (A): 82A
§
+5V max (A): 25A
§
+3.3V max: 25A
§
Efficiency rating (as advertised): 92%
§
Fan: 135mm
§
PCI-E: 6 (6+2-pin)
§
Main 12V: 24-pin
§
8-pin EPS 12V: 2 (4+4-pin)
§
4-pin 12V: 0
§
SATA: 12
§
4-pin Molex: 5
§
Floppy: 1
§ Warranty: 5 years
