OCZ 700W GameXStream and Enermax 620W Liberty PSUs

by Shane Unrein — Tuesday, August 22, 2006, 12:00 AM EDT

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Performance Summary & Conclusions

Performance Summary: Both the 700W OCZ GameXStream and 620W Enermax Liberty performed quite well in our demanding test system. While the GameXStream's voltages fluctuated a little less than the Liberty's, both PSUs were very stable while the system was idle and when the system was under load.

OCZ 700W GameXStream Conclusion: OCZ continues to impress as it matures in the PSU market. The 700W GameXStream is a top notch PSU, offering rock solid stability and plenty of power. If you don't need 700W, OCZ also makes a 600W version.

OCZ includes plenty of connectors on the relatively long cables with their GameXStream series PSUs. We had no problems with cabling in our standard ATX test system. The only issue was finding a place to hide the extra cables and connectors we didn't need. The GameXStream proved to be a relatively quite PSU and actually looked quite cool when it was on, thanks to its blue LEDs.

At around $160, this PSU may seem expensive, but you really do get what you pay for. Good quality PSUs cost more than mediocre ones, and we feel that this one is worth every penny. We recommend you add it to your shopping list if you are in search of a high-end power supply. We are awarding the OCZ 700W GameXStream a 9 on the Heat Meter.


. Stable and powerful . Fair street price . Active PFC . High efficiency . Quiet 120mm fan . Cool blue LEDs . 3-year warranty	. Not certified for Quad SLI . Included booklet is a little skimpy

Enermax 620W Liberty Conclusion: A lot of people like modular power supplies because they can make keeping a tidy case a bit easier. In our test system, the Liberty proved to be a good offering for those seeking this type of PSU. Our test unit provided stable voltages and clean power throughout the testing period.

The cables were of adequate length in our standard ATX case, and there were definitely plenty of connector options. We find Enermax's Eternity SATA/Molex configuration to be rather interesting. While it does provide greater flexibility for the user, it might be forgotten that you aren't supposed to use all four connectors on a single cable (recall that we earlier pointed out that Enermax recommends only using three of the four available SATA/Molex connectors on a cable). Though frankly this is rare configuration for most folks to be sure. Finally, thanks to the 120mm fan, the unit did remain cool and quiet.

The 620W Enermax Liberty (ELT620AWT) can be purchased for about $150. Again, this may seem expensive to some of you, but it is a good quality PSU. We're happy to see that Enermax has lived up to its long-standing reputation for quality with this power supply. We are awarding 620W Enermax Liberty an 8.5 on the Heat Meter.


. Stable . Fair street price . Active PFC . High efficiency . Quiet 120mm fan . Modular design . 3-year warranty	. Not as future-proof as some more powerful PSUs