Appearance II
The usual voltage regulator selector is conspicuous by its absence. A simple 'full range' sticker informs us that the PSU automatically switches over to the voltage requirement wherever you may be. It's a small measure, but it's appreciated nonetheless. The last thing you want is to do is inadvertently switch over to the wrong voltage. Another small but useful measure is the oversized power switch. If like me, you're often fiddling around with your PC and reaching around the back on a regular basis, you'll appreciate that a large power switch is a thoughtful inclusion.
The single fan's manufactured by NMB Technologies. It was difficult to find its exact properties on their webiste. Its model was defined as 3110GL-B4W-B30. I've personally seen similar fans used on a number of FSP PSUs.
A rotated view of the other side. How can Zalman get away with the use of a single cooling fan on a 400w PSU if others use two or three fans ?. The answer seems to lie with the two massive heatsinks that you can see in the above picture. Opening up this box of tricks should give us a better insight.
Always take sufficient precautions when opening PSUs. The massive capacitors hold charge for a number of hours after unplugging.
Adjustable potentiometers are one of things I look for inside a PSU. They allow you to manually define the strength of the various voltages. Unfortunately, after a detailed examination of the innards, no pots. presented themselves. We'll have to see how good the voltages are in the upcoming testing section.
A huge capacitor sits under the imposing heatsink. It all seemed well constructed. There were no rattles or loose components.
The critical factor for most home PCs is the amount of amperage on the 12v rail. Power-hungry CPUs and multiple hard drives use this line. Rated at 400w, we'd have liked to have seen a little more on this rail than the provided 15A (180w). Plenty on the combined 3.3v and 5v lines, though. Voltages and specifications aren't everything, as many PSUs have shown.
