Zalman ZM850-HP and ZM1000-HP

Conclusion

Zalman took a long time to bring high performing units to its portfolio, and they had FSP manufacture their top models previously. It was definitely a good step to have Enhance make these new units, as they are better high performing units.

The build quality is very good, as we have seen with other Enhance units already. The choice of components was good in most areas, though Teapo is average in terms of quality if reputation. From the performance side we saw a few small problems with the output stability, which dropped 3% to 4%. It's not a critical flaw, but neither is it the best performance we've seen. The little "noise suppressor" gimmick on the back didn't really impress us either, since we saw better results when it was switched off.

From the efficiency side these units put on a good show, reaching up to 87% with 230VAC input. Both power supplies worked well with a long period of high efficiency, which makes them real energy savers in the fight for our decreasing natural resources. The 1000W unit was more efficient from the load and time perspective, but how many systems really need this kind of power?

The second surprise today was the acoustic noise which stayed at acceptable levels throughout our testing. Even though the fan turns quite slow, however, noise increases quickly with small RPM changes - that's typical of 140mm fans, of course. The fan is aided by the installed heatpipes, which do well at dissipating heat. With only 17dB(A) from lowest to medium load, this unit is definitely one of the quietest power supplies available today. If you compare it to our former results, it currently rates as the quietest PSU that is able to deliver more than 850W.

The ZM850-HP is available at Newegg for just $180 and in Europe it starts at 160 EUR including taxes. The lowest price for the ZM1000-HP is currently from ZipZoomFly for just $240 and in Europe it starts at 215 EUR with taxes. Comparing these prices, we recommend the 850W unit since the ZM1000-HP will not bring you real visible advantages over the ZM850-HP. If you're thinking of running a couple GeForce GT280 GTX cards, though, the 1000W model may be worth a look.