OCZ has been devoted to developing the very best power supplies possible for some time now and have had a great deal of success with their more recent models. The GameXStream was the first OCZ power supply to really impress us and to this day we still use the 700 watt version in all our test systems. Recently OCZ has proven that they really are committed to producing the very best power supplies possible, as they acquired PC Power & Cooling, making them allies with OCZ Technology.

PC Power & Cooling was founded way back in 1985 and just one year later developed the industry’s first 200 watt super quiet power supply. Today the company is regarded as one of the best in the business, raising the standard for power supplies. Therefore the acquisition by OCZ is a big deal for the company and will no doubt solidify their handle on the power supply market. Also helping their position is a strong line up of “XStream” power supplies!

Today we have the StealthXStream 600w, GameXStream 700/1010w, ProXStream 1000w and the ModXStream 780w. The StealthXStream, GameXStream and ModXStream are all very similar in design. The StealthXStream could be seen as being the plain version, featuring an ordinary 120mm fan and a non-modular cable system. As the name suggests, the StealthXStream power supplies are stealthy, featuring a 100% black paint job.

The GameXStream is very much like StealthXStream, with a tiny bit of bling thrown in to give it that gaming feel. Other than the blue neon 120mm fan, the GameXStream series is identical to the StealthXStream series. Then we have the new ModXStream series, which is basically a modular version of the GameXStream series, so the neon blue 120mm fan is still included. Then finally we have the ProXStream series, which features a glossy black paint job and a few orange coloured cable sleeves.

Interestingly the wattages at which the various models in these series are rated for do vary from series to series. For example, there is only one ProXStream version available and that is the 1000 watt unit. The StealthXStream also only comes in one flavour, which is rated for a 600 watt output. Then there are two ModXStream units rated at 780 watt and 900 watt. Finally the most extensive family is the original GameXStream series, featuring four units rated at 600, 700, 850 and 1010 watts!

The cost of these power supplies can vary as much as $210 US, as the StealthXStream and GameXStream 600w units cost just $100 while the ProXStream 1000w will set you back $310 US. With such an extreme variation in pricing, you have to wonder if the ProXStream 1000w is really worth the asking price tag. Priced a little over three times more than the 600w models, the ProXStream 1000w and GameXStream 1010w power supplies offer 400 watts more power. So we guess the real question is, how much power do you need?