Zalman ARX ARX-ZM1000

Zalman grabs enthusiasts’ attention

When it comes to power supplies, the Zalman name is first and foremost associated with affordable OEM-platform models. A couple of years ago, the brand decided to court well-heeled enthusiasts and rolled out the new ARX power supply line, which became some of the most affordable “Platinum” options in the local retail market.

Platinum at a discount

A fair question pops up: where did they cut costs, and what surprises should you expect? Jumping ahead, there won’t be any surprises—the power supply is well built, the circuitry uses exclusively Japanese components (capacitors from Nippon, Rubycon, and Unicon), the hybrid cooling system does its job excellently, and the platform from Enhance Electronics gives no cause for complaints. In tests, the Zalman ARX showed high voltage stability (perfect on the 12 V rail and good on the others), minimal ripple, and high efficiency.

There are plenty of connectors, they’re distributed quite well across the cables, and all the cables are detachable.

Let’s make some noise!

Testing showed that the relative low price gives only one objective reason to nitpick—noticeable noise under high load. At low power, when the PSU runs passively, the noise level is very low, but at loads from 170 W the fan kicks in and gets distinctly noisy. All in all, if “Gold” power supplies already seem not efficient enough and “Titanium” ones are too pricey, this “Platinum” option is a very attractive offer. In our view, it only makes sense to choose pricier alternatives if you have higher demands for acoustic comfort.