Last month, we rounded up a handful of high-end power supplies, but due to availability issues, a couple of units we planned to include in the article didn’t arrive in time for print. A couple of weeks after our PSU roundup went to press, however, both OCZ and Zalman came through with a duo of 1kW units that are plenty powerful for today’s most power-hungry rigs.
 OCZ Technology ProXStream 1000W The OCZ ProXStream 1000W power supply has a number of noteworthy features. This unit is equipped with a thermally controlled exhaust fan for quiet operation. It’s also equipped to handle multiple graphics cards, thanks to its quad PCI-E power connectors. The Pro-XStream 1000W also has active PFC and an EMI-isolated casing that features titanium-colored mirrored finish.
Unlike most other PSUs in this class, which have elongated enclosures that could encroach on drive bays or other components, the ProXStream 1000W also sports a relatively compact enclosure that will fit in any ATX case.
Disappointingly, the ProXStream’s connector configuration isn’t ideal. It’s powerful enough for all of today’s graphics cards, but this unit doesn’t have any 8-pin PCI-E power connectors. For many users, this won’t be an issue today, but it may pose a problem down the line when Nvidia’s and ATI’s next-gen graphics cards hit the scene.
Zalman ZM1000-HP As its name implies, the Zalman ZM1000-HP is a 1kW power supply. Like most of the company’s other products, this PSU is geared for near-silent computing. The ZM1000-HP features a low-rpm, 135mm cooling fan. Low-rpm fans move less air—which can be a problem in some circumstances—but the ZM1000-HP also features a dual-heatpipe cooling system, which efficiently pulls heat away from the unit’s internal components. With its unique cooling configuration, heat wasn’t an issue with this PSU.
The ZM1000-HP has six independent 12V rails and plenty of cabling for multi-GPU graphics configurations. Note the unit’s relatively large size (it’s 10.5 inches long), though, which could pose a problem in some cases. The ZM1000-HP also sports a semi-modular cable design. Although the main ATX, EPS 12V, 8-pin PCI-E, and a few 4-pin peripheral and SATA cables are hardwired, the remainder of the connectors are modular.
Overall, we really liked the Zalman ZM1000-HP because of its good complement of connectors, high output, and silent operation. If you need a high-end PSU and value silence, do yourself a favor and check out the ZM1000-HP. 
by Marco Chiappetta View the chart that accompanies this article.
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