Viewing page 1 of 5 pages.
1 2 3 4 5 NextNov 8, 2006 by Nicholas
Geraedts with Mike Chin
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Product
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Zalman ZM600-HP
ATX12V v2.2 compliant power supply |
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Manufacturer
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Zalman |
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Suggested Price
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US $160 |
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Nicholas Geraedts, the newest member of SPCR's Vancouver editorial team, is no stranger to electronics or computers, having tinkered with them for years, particularly the last four in the Engineering Physics undergraduate program at the University of BC. He's been a silencing enthusiast for not quite as long, but is enthusiastic about learning much more and sharing his findings with SPCR readers in the months ahead.
- Mike Chin, Editor
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As power ratings grow larger, power supply manufacturers struggle with the battle of heat dissipation.
The common method of tackling this problem is by using standard heatsinks and
fans. Zalman brings another idea to the table — not necessarily a new one, but
one that proves to have some merit — heatpipes. SilverStone used this idea
with their ST30NF Fanless PSU, and came
out with a pretty decent product.
Zalman is a company better known for their heatsinks and other cooling technologies,
and with the ZM600-HP's power output and price tag, it looks like they're taking
a shot at the high-end power supply market. Zalman is no stranger when it comes
to using heatpipes, as we saw with the TNN-500 and the TNN-300
Fanless PC Enclosure System SPCR reviewed in February 2006. Heatpipes offer
an effective method for transferring heat from one area of a system to another,
provided that the temperature difference between the two is great enough.
APPEARANCES
The ZM600-HP comes in a glossy full color retail box that shows off the high power output
of the device. It also clearly displays the heatsink attached to the heatpipe
within the power supply.
The 600 watt power rating and heatpipes are clearly shown.
No fancy gimmicks inside the box.
The contents of the box are all business. A manual mounting screws, a handy 5V / 12V adapter for fans, and a smaller box contains
the individually sleeved cables. This isn't anything unusual, but it's a
nice touch not having to deal with loose cables everywhere.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Zalman ZM600-HP Feature Highlights (from Zalman's
web site)
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| FEATURE & BRIEF |
COMMENT |
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Heatpipe Installed for Maximum Cooling Performance and Ultra-Quiet
Operation
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Heatpipes have been seen on fanless power supplies in the past. We'll see how well they were here. |
| Four Independent +12VDC
Outputs supply power independently to the CPU, VGA, motherboard, and
peripheral components for the highest level of stability and performance. |
Most likely, there are four 18A current limiters at specific 12V cable points, all fed from a central 12V line. Independently current limited, but not independent circuits. |
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Supports ATX12V CPU 4-Pin and EPS12V CPU 8-Pin
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EPS12V connectors are
only required for dual CPU systems but the spec is often used for dual video card setups in the absence of guidelines in ATX12V |
| Modular cables provide
organized cable management and improved air circulation inside the computer
case. |
Helps with cable management
inside the case. |
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Gold-plated terminals minimize power loss by reducing contact
resistance.
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How much power is lost
at the connectors? |
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Dual PCI-E connectors
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Necessary for SLI & Crossfire systems.
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| Multiple Safety Features
- Over-Voltage Protection, Over-Current Protection, Short-Circuit Protection,
Under-Voltage Protection, Over-Temperature Protection. |
Standard on
most power supplies these days |
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Active Power Factor Correction (PFC)
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A boost converter to
maintain a constant DC bus voltage while drawing a current always in phase
with and at the same frequency as the line voltage. Benefits AC power
delivery; reduces input AC current and can allow a smaller UPS to be used. |
| High Efficiency Design |
Rated maximum efficiency
is 84% |
SPECIFICATIONS
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OUTPUT SPECIFICATIONS: Zalman ZM600-HP
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AC Input
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100-240V ~10A-5A; 50/60 Hz
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DC Output
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+3.3V
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+5V
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+12V1
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+12V2 |
+12V3 |
+12V4
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-12V
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+5VSB
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Maximum Output Current
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24A
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24A
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16A
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16A
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16A
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16A
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0.5A
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2.5A
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Maximum Combined
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155W
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504W
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6W
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12.5W
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581.5W
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18.5W
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The 504W combined rating for the +12V rails should be plenty for just about any
system. A dual CPU system with dual video cards might push the ZM600-HP to
its limits, but that would be a feat in itself.
It's important to note that the majority of the power supplied by this system
lies in the 12V lines. The 155W output capabilities of the 3.3V and 5V lines
might not make it a suitable candidate for powerful older systems where the
CPU draws its power from the 5V line.
| Help support this site, buy the Zalman ZM600-HP HeatPipe Cooled 600w Modular Power Supply Retail from one of our affiliate retailers! |
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