The overview of be quiet! Power Zone 650W (Z1-650W)

Let’s have a look at a power supply be quiet! of Power Zone series, designed for demanding gamers and enthusiasts. As you can see, there’s no way to avoid gamers, but how they will benefit from a new power supply but for the stability of its parameters, is absolutely unclear. The matter is that the devices’ characteristics for all the applications should be consistent with the declared specifications. So, the power supply we are currently reviewing is a quite good solution for every demanding user.

This series includes units with capacity from 650 to 1000 watts, which correspond to the 80 Plus Bronze certificate, support energy saving modes C6 and C7 of the Intel processors and have a low noise level.

Additionally, this series’ devices have a fully modular design, as well as a possibility to connect up to three case fans, and the propeller of the unit itself rotates for a few minutes after turning off the system. And, of course, the Power Zone models have excellent appearance and quite competitive price.

Appearance and equipment

The power supply comes in a black medium-sized box with the series name on its front side and the brief characteristics of the product on its back.
In addition to the power supply itself, a power cord and a manual, users will receive all the necessary kit of detachable cables with a case for their storage, as well as a set of mounting screws and nylon ties.

The number of loops is quite enough to raise even the most powerful gaming system, and the cables’ length is enough to place the power supply at the bottom of the system unit:

• • one 24-pin connector for the motherboard power supply (60 cm);
• • one 8-pin (4+4) connector for a processor (70 cm);
• • 2 with two 8-pin (6+2) connectors for supplying PCI-E video cards (55 cm);
• • 1 with 4 power connectors for SATA-devices (55+15+15+15 cm);
• • 1 with 2 power connectors for SATA-devices and 2 IDE (55+15+15+15 cm).
• • 1 with 2 power connectors for SATA-devices, 2 IDE and 1 FDD (55+15+15+15+15 cm).

For the ease of installation inside the PC case, all of them are enclosed in a nylon braid. Three more loops are also included to connect fans with a 4-pin Molex connector, as well as with a usual 3-pin one.

Externally the supply is absolutely excellent. Matte black body with stampings on its sides is complemented by plastic covers on the outer and inner walls, and taking this fact into account the usual screws for fastening the device to the system case will not run for this purpose, so you will have to use those ones included with the device. Because of the cover, the switch is a little bit deepened into the supply’s housing which prevents from accidental operating it. And generally the mentioned covers add much to the model’s fashionable design.

So do the grates protecting the fan from penetration of extraneous objects: they emphasize the original execution of the device and are made in the corporate string style. But here they are painted and look brutal to match the supply’s style perfectly well. For the convenience of plugging in the cables all the connectors on the inner side of the block are signed, and each precisely corresponds to the dimensions of its type, so it will be difficult if not impossible to mix them up.

Technical characteristics

But for the original appearance, Z1-650W has a wonderful set of characteristics appropriate to all the modern standards. For example, one + 12V line is capable of providing enough power for the load up to 54 A (or 648 W), which is almost full device’s denomination.

But the combined power of low-voltage lines is also impressive – 140 watts, which is enough for any modern PC. For a standby mode a 2.5 A is provided, and for –12V line up to 0.3 A can be expected.

And, as it befits a modern device, this power supply features an active PFC for the whole range of mains voltage and all kinds of protection: from rebooting on power and current, supplying over- or under-voltage, short circuit and overheating.

Inside the block the FSP circuitry is used. It was used earlier in the be quiet! Straight Power CM 800W 10 and was originally places in the Aurum decisions, as well as in their platform derivatives. Due to the platform used, the manufacturer was able to minimize the number of components and Power Zone 650W now resembles the 15-year-old designs. But all the mounting is made efficiently and no parsimony in the input filter can be observed.

The only control IC 6600 is located almost in the center of the board and is responsible for both the input power and for the synchronous rectifier which forms the + 12V. For low voltage, DC-DC converters, made on the basis of a pair of PWM controller 6601 and installed on a separate board, are provided. A Weltrend WT7527 monitoring chip is placed on one more small board. But to control the power transistors is not a problem at all; the real problem is cooling all of the stuff. For this purpose small radiators with triple ribs at the ends of the input part and the aluminum plate with fin-lobes for the low-voltage converter elements are used.

Taking into account the relatively low price of the considered power supply, it is not to find Teapo capacitors under the cover. A 330 uF capacitor with a working voltage of 420 V is now placed in the input circuit. For more severe operating conditions solid containers are provided on the board with sockets. In addition to a high-quality assembly the supply has soldering of the same quality. Everything is done soundly with no marks of any defects.

The 130-mm fan be quiet! BQSIW3-13525-HF-26 of a Silent Wings series on hydrodynamic bearings is responsible for cooling of the whole construction. The fan is connected via two wires and its speed can reach 2600 rev/min. When actually playing the fan noise level is really low, the rotation speed stays at about 730 rev/min, whereas in a standby mode it is reduced to 570 rev/min. Just a faint hum slightly spoils the overall picture, but still it can be heard from a close distance only. When the nominal load is given to the device, the fan spins up to 1800 rev/min and starts making quite a lot of noise.

Conclusions

The considered power supply be quiet! Power Zone 650W is really a good choice to build up a powerful gaming system, and it will even work quiet enough. Good delivery kit, excellent appearance, even a little bit brutal, good performance, and quite a competitive price – a good option for the most demanding user, for which more expensive solutions are not affordable.