Are Zalman PSUs any good?

[Tacitus]

Hey everyone,

 

Where I live the cheapest 80+ gold PSU available is a 550w semi-modular Zalman PSU (Zalman zm-550-XG) but it has no ratings at all on PCPartPicker. This is the PSU on my list (unless I decide to go for a 750W one to let me crossfire down the road) but the lack of ratings concerns me. Is it because Zalman make bad PSUs that people avoid entirely, or is it just a new product and relative to things like processors and GPUs there's a small market for PSUs?

 

Cheers

 

Chris

[Theblasphemouscoffee]

Never used one but I don't think they are really among the reccomended list but i don't konw who makes them (i.e. are they made by an OEM or Zalman themselves).

I would go witha corsair, bequiet, seasonic, XFX (i think they use Seasonic). If there are any others i missed someone else will piont it out

 

personally I use a corsiar CX 500 and the CX are a good value line (they are all 80+, tho not gold)

[Tacitus]

Never used one but I don't think they are really among the reccomended list but i don't konw who makes them (i.e. are they made by an OEM or Zalman themselves).

I would go witha corsair, bequiet, seasonic, XFX (i think they use Seasonic). If there are any others i missed someone else will piont it out

 

personally I use a corsiar CX 500 and the CX are a good value line (they are all 80+, tho not gold)

Thanks for your response. If I can't be certain it's a good PSU then I'll just get a 500W corsair PSU, they seem (judging by pc partpicker ratings) to be an extremely common and sensible value-oriented PSU and it would save me about £10

[Andi]

It based on some "Enhance" model they a generally somewhere between good and excellent.

 

I would look at http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913-10.html

 

And than look the OEM builder up, Enhancer is one of the better ones.

[Phllips]

Look at this thread http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/153862-the-importance-of-a-decent-power-supply/#entry2052636

[micedits]

Generally if a psu is citified to a standard like 80+ gold it should be fine however I would not risk it and stick to more tested brands like XFX, Seasonic or corsair. 

A rule of thumb that I have always followed is for most products corsair will deliver. 

 

In reply to this part specifically "no ratings at all on PCPartPicker" something I live by...

Are you the sort of person to write a review on a site such as Amazon or pc part picker? If not why read them, like you have done normally the safest bet is to ask on a forum with a great community such as this. 

[Tacitus]

It based on some "Enhance" model they a generally somewhere between good and excellent.

 

I would look at http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913-10.html

 

And than look the OEM builder up, Enhancer is one of the better ones.

  

Look at this thread http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/153862-the-importance-of-a-decent-power-supply/#entry2052636

  

Generally if a psu is citified to a standard like 80+ gold it should be fine however I would not risk it and stick to more tested brands like XFX, Seasonic or corsair. 

A rule of thumb that I have always followed is for most products corsair will deliver. 

 

In reply to this part specifically "no ratings at all on PCPartPicker" something I live by...

Are you the sort of person to write a review on a site such as Amazon or pc part picker? If not why read them, like you have done normally the safest bet is to ask on a forum with a great community such as this.

Thank you all for the help

In response to your last point, Micedits, while I don't generally write reviews or overly rely on them, the sheer volume of overwhelmingly positive ratings to me indicates the widespread view that certain products are good or represent the greatest quality in that price bracket. Hence, my reservations about Zalman stem from their apparently infrequent use.

[micedits]

    

Thank you all for the help

In response to your last point, Micedits, while I don't generally write reviews or overly rely on them, the sheer volume of overwhelmingly positive ratings to me indicates the widespread view that certain products are good or represent the greatest quality in that price bracket. Hence, my reservations about Zalman stem from their apparently infrequent use.

No worries man, I hope we all helped. 

[Recon-UK]

Thanks for bringing this up Tacitus, i shall delve deep and find what i can, i will then also update my own thread, see sig for link

[spwath]

Never used one but I don't think they are really among the reccomended list but i don't konw who makes them (i.e. are they made by an OEM or Zalman themselves).

I would go witha corsair, bequiet, seasonic, XFX (i think they use Seasonic). If there are any others i missed someone else will piont it out

 

personally I use a corsiar CX 500 and the CX are a good value line (they are all 80+, tho not gold)

EVGA

[Recon-UK]

Hey everyone,

 

Where I live the cheapest 80+ gold PSU available is a 550w semi-modular Zalman PSU (Zalman zm-550-XG) but it has no ratings at all on PCPartPicker. This is the PSU on my list (unless I decide to go for a 750W one to let me crossfire down the road) but the lack of ratings concerns me. Is it because Zalman make bad PSUs that people avoid entirely, or is it just a new product and relative to things like processors and GPUs there's a small market for PSUs?

 

Cheers

 

Chris

You may well be in luck my friend some of Zalman's units have baller reviews!!

 

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=30

 

http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7480

 

Some of these are built by the likes of FSP/Enhance.

 

Enhance are used in Silverstone PSU's, FSP is a top tier brand.

 

I cannot find a review for your wanted unit mate, but give me a gander of it's specs.

[Tacitus]

You may well be in luck my friend some of Zalman's units have baller reviews!!

 

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=30

 

http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7480

 

Some of these are built by the likes of FSP/Enhance.

 

Enhance are used in Silverstone PSU's, FSP is a top tier brand.

 

I cannot find a review for your wanted unit mate, but give me a gander of it's specs.

 

I'm not really sure what to be looking for in a PSU, but would Zalman's page give you any idea?

 

http://www.zalman.com/global/product/Product_Read.php?Idx=644

[Recon-UK]

I'm not really sure what to be looking for in a PSU, but would Zalman's page give you any idea?

 

http://www.zalman.com/global/product/Product_Read.php?Idx=644

45AMP on the 12v rail indicates it can do it's full wattage, and other reviews for the same family of PSU are outstanding.

[Tacitus]

45AMP on the 12v rail indicates it can do it's full wattage, and other reviews for the same family of PSU are outstanding.

 

Hmm, now I think I should just go for that... it's only a fiver more than a Corsair 80+ bronze of comparable wattage.

[daemonowner]

You may well be in luck my friend some of Zalman's units have baller reviews!!

 

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=30

 

http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7480

 

Some of these are built by the likes of FSP/Enhance.

 

Enhance are used in Silverstone PSU's, FSP is a top tier brand.

 

I cannot find a review for your wanted unit mate, but give me a gander of it's specs.

 

The first review is from early 2007. The unit did not clear 80Plus which was acceptible at the time apparently. It's a 600W unit that required a heatpipe to cool it. Clearly outdated.

The second review is better. Review was posted early 2011, the unit cleared 80plus Silver, rated for 1000W at 40C (though it still needs dual heatpipes for cooling).