Crunch Time...OCZ ZS 650W vs Corsair TX650W v2

[Gabber359]

Right, before I start, my current rig is in my sig. I've been running an OCZ Powerstream 520W for the past 6yrs+ flawlessly. It has served me quite well through multiple upgrades and overclocks. Therefore I'm giving a +1 cookie to OCZ

Fast forward to 2011.

I'm looking to upgrade two aspects of my PC. Video card (6870 vs 560TI, most likely a 6870 since it's a 60 Euro price difference. I'd really love an nvidia card but the difference is too much for a student on a budget)

Then there's the PSU issue. I'm sure my 520W can power the 6870, since similar threads on the forums have said it could power a 560 TI, but, it's still 6years old. Is it good enough? Sure. Is it modern tech ? Unfortunately no. I'm sure things have progressed in leaps and bounds since the heydays for the Powerstream and AMD64 3000+ Winchester cpu's

Anyhow, I've been doing a lot of research on current trends. I've been reading a lot of reviews not only on this site, but other sites aswell and I'm torn between the two PSU's mentioned in the title. Here's the breakdown (price is so similar as to be irrelevant):

OCZ pro's:
-It's OCZ, duh
-Their new OEM seem to have built a decent unit with the ZS series

OCZ neg's:
-Short SATA cable length (wtf?)
-Slight fluctuation on the 12V rail under high load
-OCForums have been railing on OCZ psu's for the past few years due to lol modstreams and stealthxstream failures

Corsair Pro's
-Good quality build (Seasonic woo)
-Good length on the cables, sleeved
-Higher Amperage on the 12V line

Corsair Neg's:
-Poor past experience with their psu's
-Possible noisy fan
-Double PSU DOA's with Corsair
-FDD power cables...I mean.....wtf? Do not want.
-Pain in the *** to hide excess cables due to stiffness

This would be a PSU that I'd like to take with me for the next 5+ years. I don't run my system 24/7, hell I even turn off at the power at the surge protector when I know it's not going to be used for 8hrs+ like uh, sleep, then college/work etc).

So people, your thoughts please, thanks.

OCZ Review: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/OCZ-ZS-Series-650-W-Power-Supply-Review/1361

 

[Janus67]

Both power supplies from their reviews look great, I've had excellent experience with Corsair power supplies (in a couple of my own builds and recommendations to others).

One thing to pay attention to: Corsair offers a 5 year warranty and OCZ's is only 3 years. If you want something that will last you 5 years then I think the Corsair would be the way to go.

Another review of the ZS650: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/OCZ/ZS_650W/9.html

 

[dejo]

My experience is that the better psu is the corsair. I know what its like once a bridge is burned by a manufacturer though. You can go to jonnyguru.com and see reviews for many psu's and the ocz zs is one of the newer ones that he has reviewed and see what he thought of it. The info there in incredible and he is a standup guy with great knowledge, I trust every word he speaks.

 

[Cigarsmoker]

I'm cheap. Being it's a toss up between the two, I'd get the cheapest one.

 

[Woomack]

Corsair TX650 V2 is better than OCZ ZS. I was thinking about the same this week for my brother's pc. I decided for Corsair mainly because of better quality ( you can check some reviews of other TX V2 on already mentioned jonnyguru.com ).
Cheaper OCZ have sometimes problems with fans and they're usually kinda noisy under load ( not even that high ). I'm not saying that Corsair is silent but from my experience they add better fans.
OCZ ZS series are really good and if im right then made by PC P&C so their best series producer.
Both have really good reviews but I trust much more Corsair products especially when I see how they're acting under high load and higher temp.

 

[johan851]

I'd go with something that's built by Seasonic (or just get a Seasonic branded PSU). Mine is from 2005, so it's 6.5 years old now, and I recently had a FET die in a fiery explosion on my motherboard. Pulled out the PSU, checked the lines to be sure it was ok, and everything (3.3v, 5v, 12v) is all within 1% or better. After six years! That's quality.

If you get a solid PSU, it's the one component of your system that you won't have to upgrade for a good long time.

 

[theflyingrat]

OCZ ZS series are really good and if im right then made by PC P&C so their best series producer..

I don't think PCP&C has ever manufactured a unit of their own. They've been made by Channel Well, Sirtec, Seasonic... lots of them actually. Just sayin'...

Just like OCZ doesn't build their own power supplies. Neither does Corsair for that matter.

The TX650 v2 is an excellent Seasonic.

The ZS650 is a pretty good Sirfa.

Here, the decision is fairly easy - I'd go with the Corsair, given equal prices. I'd lean towards the OCZ if it was $20 or more cheaper. The Corsair warranty is better - though most RMA procedures from both companies are pretty painless. 2 extra years of warranty coverage can be worth a lot more than $20, though!