Zalman ZM1000-HP 1000W Modular PSU

Product: Zalman ZM1000-HP 1000W Modular PSU
Provided by: Zalman USA
Price:

Introduction:

We've looked at a few Zalman PSUs over the past year or so  and today we have the largest unit from Zalman on our bench today.  We've got the 1000W heatpipe cooled PSU plugged into our system and will take a look and see if it has enough power to keep a high-end system up and running.  This unit shares a few similar characteristics with the 850W sibling including physical size, but the 1000W unit has heavier 12v rails.  Both have six +12v rails and four PCIe connections that should run pair of GTX graphics cards in SLI with no issues.  There should be plenty of power left over to run the CPU and the rest of the system.  Keep on reading as we drop this unit in a system and use our digital scope to see if this PSU delivers stable power.

Front of Box

First Impressions:

The PSU comes in a very nice retail package and proudly boasts a 3 year warranty among other features.  This PSU features 80%+ Power Efficiency rating - meaning that if you're drawing 1000W from the wall, the PSU is actually only providing a little better that 800W to your system.  This is something to keep in mind if you're using a Watt Meter on the input side of things.  Coming from Zalman we already expect this unit to be quiet, and this is due to a nice quiet 14cm fan as well as some heatpipes inside the unit.

One thing that I'm happy to see is that Zalman has included the important specifications on the outside of the box for the consumer.  The number of rails and amperage on these rails is really handy to know before you buy a PSU.

Box Specs

Inside the main box are a couple of smaller boxes.  The box on the top is larger and contains a well protected PSU.  The box on the bottom has is full of cables, including a fan connector that allows you to run system fans at either 12v or 5v.  Hopefully this PSU works and detects input voltage, as there is no switch to select between 110v and 220v.  There are a few bundles of modular cables including a pair of PCIe cables, three SATA bundles and three Molex bundles of cables.

Inside Boxes

Accessory Box

PSU First Look:

This PSU is a little longer than other standard ATX units and if you've got a really crammed case it may pose some problems.  The overall length is 21cm long, but it should fit in many mid-tower cases without issues.  If you have a top exhaust fan, measure before you purchase this unit.  The PSU looks identical to the ZM850-HP PSU that is pictured in the set below.

Attached Cables	Rear Grill
Fan Outside	Modular Connectors

PSU Closer Look:

The Zalman 1000W PSU is almost identical physically to the ZM850-HP PSU including the three Molex modular connectors, three modular SATA connectors and the two additional PCIe connectors.    Zalman has one again included the "Standby Noise Filter Switch" although many have argued that it should be removed and the filter left engaged.  There is still no power switch and no voltage selector to choose between 110v and 220v but this can be easily taken care of by switch circuitry.  The chassis of the PSU looks virtually identical and this will help cut cost down when it comes to marketing a new model.  Thankfully, the rear grill is still nice and vented and this allows excellent ventilation and cooling from the large 14cm fan.  We'll see in a bit if the insides are pretty much the same as well.

Modular Connectors

Rear Grill