1. Features,specs
Today will take a look to OCZ's latest PSU designed for gamers. The OCZ Fatal1ty 750W borrows the name of professional gamer Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel in order to underline its gaming roots and convince us that it has been designed to meet the specific needs of fellow gamers in performance, stability, and ease of integration to reduce system downtime.
The power supply unit s featuring a sleek look, glowing LEDs, and modular cable design in order to keep your case tidy and maximize airflow while showing off your rig during gaming events. It has a single +12V rail and according to OCZ, it is capable of delivering continuous power up 45°C for a demanding multi-GPU gaming rig and stable power for Intel Haswell -based gaming rigs. Its 80 Plus Bronze certification denotes that the PSU operates at a 85% efficiency under real world operating environments to lighten your energy burden.
Product Features
- Continuous output rated at a demanding 40°C
- 100% Fully Modular Cable Management
- Intel 4th-gen CPU (Haswell) compatible
- Single +12V rail for efficient power distribution in your system
- Compliant with the latest ATX12V v2.31 and SSI PSDG standard
- 135mm fan varies RPM by load and temperature for whisper quiet operation
- 80 Plus Bronze certified for up to 85% efficiency under real world operating environments
- ErP
2013 compliant for lower power usage in standby or off mode
- Active Power Factor Correction (PFC) to effectively regulate input voltage
- Industrial grade protection circuitry, over
-
voltage, over
-
power, and short circuit for protecting your valuable component
The Fatal1ty gaming PSU series comes backed by a 3 (550W) and a 5 (7750W) year warranty. The 750W version we will test today retails for about $90.
Specifications
Fatal1ty PSU 2013 |
550W |
750W |
Model |
OCZ-FTY550W |
OCZ-FTY750W |
Continuous Power |
550W |
750W |
Temp Rating |
40°C |
45°C |
Single +12V Rail |
Yes |
Yes |
+12V Rating |
41.25A |
62.5A |
Efficiency |
80 Plus Bronze |
80 Plus Bronze |
Modular |
Full |
Full |
Dimension |
86x150x180mm |
86x150x180mm |
Fan |
135mm |
135mm double ball-bearing |
Support |
SLI / CrossFire / Intel 4th Gen CPU |
SLI / CrossFire / Intel 4th Gen CPU |
8-Pin EPS Connectors |
1 |
2 |
PCI-E Connectors |
2 |
4 |
SATA Connectors |
8 |
8 |
Peripheral Connectors |
6 |
6 |
Warranty |
3 Years |
5 Years |
Audible Noise |
Quiet |
Very Quiet |
2. Opening the package
Below you see the familiar Fatal1ty red and black packaging of the new PSU. The 80PLUS Bronze certification is prominently displayed on the rather large box , while the rear of the box provides further information and detail about the unit:
The sides of the box also give the cable and connector configuration list:
Inside the box is a good accessory package, with the modular cables stored in a separate bag, along with a manual, AC power cord, and silver mounting screws:
The black bag you see above includes the modular cables. All the cables are well-sleeved to the connectors, as well as some color-coding connectors.
Let's have a closer look to the main unit. The OCZ Fatal1ty 750 W PSU is painted black color with red-colored accents. It's metallic case is mat and all of its corners are rounded for easier and handling. The finish on the unit is lightly textured and resistant to fingerprints and scratches:
On the top side there is a 13.5cm thermally controlled Globe Fan. This is a DC12v model with 0.45A rating and is branded RL4R B1352512HH. This fan has a max RPM of approximately 1600RPM. A LED lighting provides a signature red color for the fan, in keeping with the theme of the Fatal1ty series products. However, if your case has a downward-facing intake orientation at the bottom, then the lighting effects will be unseen:
The PSU has 10 modular sockets. They are four 6-pin connectors for peripheral cables and four 8-pin for CPU / PCI-E cables. Two separate connectors are provided for plugging in the main power cable for the motherboard:
The rear of the unit features an open design to the honeycombed perforations to allow for increased airflow from the fan to exhaust the hot air out the rear of your case. There’s also a honeycombed venting and on/off switch.
3. Under the hood
The power supply utilizes a single 12V rail design to deliver most of the power for the unit. It can supply up to 62.5A at 12 V, its entire capacity (750 watts), at this voltage. The minor rails have 150W maximum combined output, which will cover all the needs of a modern system, and the 3.0 A maximum that the 5VSB can output will suffice in most cases.
The maximum combined output of the PSU is 750 watts:
Below you see the list of the provided cables:
Cables |
20+4-pin ATX |
1 |
4+4-pin EPS/CPU |
2 |
6+2-pin PCI-E |
4 |
4-pin peripheral |
6 |
5-pin SATA |
5 |
Floppy |
1 |
Below you see the 13.5cm thermally controlled Globe Fan. It is a a DC12v model with 0.45A rating and has a max RPM of approximately 1600RPM"
Below you see a picture of the internal of the PSU:
The components and their arrangement on the black PCB contribute to an overall clean layout, with two notable heatsinks to separate the three main sections of the PSU: 1) the Active PFC (APFC) section, which is actually a AC/DC converter controls the current supplied to the PSU so that the current waveform is proportional to the mains voltage waveform; 2) the transformer section (middle), which isolates primary from secondary side and converts (steps down) the voltage which feeds the secondary rectifiers that generate all DC outputs (+12V, 5V, 3.3V, 5VSB, -12V) and; 3) the output rectifiers and filters, which rectify and filter the high frequency switching waveform created by the MOSFETs and fed through the secondary of the main transformer.
The primary electrolytic capacitor is a Nippon Chemi-Con rated for 105°C and 400v / 470µF. However, the other 105°C rated parts are not Japanese manufactured units.
Some components are protected by white adhesive and wiring is tied in place where appropriate.
The PSU supports Over Voltage Protection, which ensures that the outputs do not exceed a set level. Over power protection ensures the unit stays within safe limits and short-circuit protection is also present which powers off the PSU should any of the 3.3v, 5v or 12v rails short any other rail or ground. In addition, over temperature and over current circuitry are also included.
4. Tests
For this test we monitored each of the rails of the PSU under various loads, which represent different power-hungry PC configurations. We took voltage measurements for 150W, 300W 450 W, 600W and finally 750W loads.
The current ATX specifications allow for the following fluctuations in voltage outputs:
- 3.3V Rail: 3.135V - 3.465V
- 5V Rail: 4.75V – 5.25V
- 12V Rail: 11.4V – 12.6V
An oscilloscope was also used to examining the voltage ripple on the rails using the proper capacitors in place to filter noise. This measures how clean the power delivery really is for the tested power supply. The ATX specifications' requirement for ripple is 120 mV for 12V and 50mV for the rest outputs.
The results is illustrated below:
|
Voltage regulation |
Efficiency |
Noise |
Ripple |
LOAD |
3.3V |
5V |
12V |
|
|
3.3V |
5V |
12V |
150W |
3.31 |
5.08 |
12.11 |
82.3% |
30dBA |
|
|
|
300W |
3.30 |
5.01 |
12.05 |
81.8% |
30 dBA |
|
|
|
450W |
3.31 |
4.99 |
12.02 |
84.9% |
33.1 dBA |
|
|
|
600W |
3.30 |
4.98 |
12.01 |
85.4% |
35.6 dBA |
|
|
|
750W |
3.29 |
4.98 |
11.94 |
83.2% |
42 dBA |
18.4mV |
21.9mV |
39.5mV |
Result |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
|
OK |
OK |
OK |
As you see below, the voltage deviations as well as ripple for all the outputs were well within the acceptable limits.
AC ripple is decent for this Category of PSU and well within requirements.
Voltage regulation at +12V is good, although we would expect a better behavior of the minor rails.
Efficiency was also high for all the loads and exceeded the bronze spec.
Regarding noise levels, we measured any audible sound from a 1m distance from the PSU. The fan was silent until the 300W loads. A low 33.1dB(a) was measured after the 450W point and reached the 42dB(A) under full load, which is audible but still acceptable.
5. Summary
The OCZ Fatal1ty Gaming Gear 750W PSU did not over-perform but it managed to handle all the loads we tested with ease and stability. The new revision 750w Fatal1ty unit gives us decent readings across the board with efficiency exceeding the Bronze rating and ripple being well within the required specifications too.
Its fully modular setup will help keep the cables to a minimum inside your case, and the lengths are fine for mid-tower cases, although they could be longer.
The red LED fan looks good inside a PC case although it looks good the majority of builds will have it facing down.
Additionally OCZ could use a hybrid fan design on the unit to ensure minimal noise under normal conditions. Under heavy loads, the PSU will make some noise, which could also get worse as time goes by.
It seems that besides the obvious marketing reasons behind the 'Fatal1ty' branding of this PSU, it will be able to cover your needs as it offers a strong value priced at $90 and backed by a 5-year warranty.
Pros
- Delivers full power at relatively low temperatures
- 80 Plus Bronze
- Good ripple suppression
- Highly efficient
- Flat Cables
- Power Protection
- Modular cables
- 5 year warranty
- Good price
Cons
- Fan Can Be Noisy At Full Load
- Cable Length