Zalman ZM1000-EBT 1000 W Review

Specifications

This unit meets the requirements of the 80 PLUS Gold efficiency certification, and as has already mentioned, Zalman states it to be able to deliver its full power continuously at up to 50°C. Although the ATX spec recommends such a high temperature threshold for full power delivery, many PSUs don't meet it and are only able to deliver their full power continuously at up to 40°C or less, which is indicative of low-quality parts as those may fail prematurely at higher operating temperatures.

This unit is equipped with all the necessary protection features, including OTP (Over Temperature Protection), which is crucial. According to Zalman's official specifications, OCP (Over Current Protection) is also included; however, since this is a single +12V rail unit, they probably added the feature by mistake. An FDB fan, although its model number says it to be a sleeve-bearing fan, by Globe Fan cools this unit down. There is also no semi-passive mode for zero noise output at light loads, which would increase overall internal temperatures a bit. The PSU is compact enough for 1 kW unit, and at seven years, the warranty is long enough.

The +12V rail is strong enough to support three high-end Nvidia GPUs (or three AMD Radeon R9 Nanos). The minor rails are pretty strong as well, while the 5VSB rail has a maximum current output of 4 A max, which is easily enough. Most PSUs of a similar capacity come with weaker 5VSB rails that usually top our at 15 W, so it is nice to see a PSU in this category with a stronger 5VSB rail.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

The PSU has enough connectors for its price range, including two EPS and six PCIe connectors, which is enough for a very strong system. Nowadays, most high-end 1 kW unit come with eight PCIe connectors; however, the ZM1000-EBT belongs to the budget category, so it doesn't compete with such units.

Cables are long enough, and the distance between connectors is enough as well, although some of you might want the SATA connectors to be closer to each other since such devices are often installed right next to each other. There are plenty of SATA and 4-pin molex connectors, which is no surprise for such a strong PSU, and the 24-pin ATX, EPS, and PCIe connectors use thicker 16AWG gauges for lower voltage drops where all other connectors use typical 18AWG wires.



Since this PSU features a single +12V rail, we have nothing to comment on when it comes to its power distribution.