OCZ PowerStream 470W Power Supply

Since entering the memory market four years ago, OCZ Technology has gained a lot of respect (and probably a large following) in the PC enthusiast crowd. Since breaking into the memory market was a successful endeavor for OCZ, the company decided to branch out and start offering other products that enthusiasts look for, like silver-based thermal compound, CPU coolers, and RAM heatsinks. One of OCZ's latest ventures is in the power supply market (press release). The PowerStream line of power supplies is OCZ's attempt at gaining a new following of high-quality power enthusiasts.

OCZ's PowerStream power supplies boast a list of features that will certainly help them turn some heads, especially if their performance backs it up. Of course, we'll get to that a little later. The PowerStream line features individually adjustable power rails with LEDs that indicate when they are within tolerance levels and plenty of connectors for today's leading-edge technologies, like SATA, EPS12V and BTX. The 3.3V, +5V, and +12V rails are all adjustable, and the LEDs glow different colors to indicate the rails' current states. When a rail is within 5 percent of its optimal voltage, the LED below its adjustment dial is green. The LED is yellow when the voltage is too low, and it glows red when overvoltage occurs. These power supplies also feature two specially enhanced power leads that OCZ touts as being able to reduce the amount of electrical noise sent to connected devices. OCZ is also aware that people like to show off nice-looking components, so the PowerStream power supply also looks great in its nickel-plated chrome chassis. The mirrored black finish on the OCZ-470ADJ that I received immediately impressed me when I opened the box. Each group of wires is either wrapped in the fairly typical mesh wrap or cable tied to keep things tidy in a case.

Specifications:

A sticker from the side of the OCZ-470ADJ provides a good summary of the technical specifications of the whole PowerStream family:

Features:

• OCZ PowerWhisper™ Technology - noise levels are suppressed below 23 dBA at 60% load
• OCZ PowerFlex™ individually adjustable power rails with LED indicators
• OCZ ConnectAll™ universal connector. (ATX, BTX, SATA, P4 and EPS12V)
• OCZ PowerShield™ power leads
• Overvoltage/Short-Circuit protection
• 5 year warranty backed by OCZ’s exclusive PowerSwap™ replacement program. No more endless return-for-repair loops! (This actually consists of 3 years of PowerSwap warranty where any returned PSU is immediately replaced with a new unit and 2 years of coverage under a limited warranty.)

Package Contents:

• User's Manual
• EPS12V (24-pin) power connector to standard ATX 20-in connector converter
• Screws and cable ties
• Power cord