Silverstone Zeus 1200W Power Supply Review

Product Number: SST-ZM1200M
Price: $400 CAD
Packaging: Retail
Fan Size: 1x 80mm
Warranty: 3 Years
Availability: Soon (now in the US)
Manufacturer’s Product Page: SilverStone Technology Co., Ltd - Designing Inspiration


Silverstone has long been known for making some of the highest quality computer components on the market today. Their enclosures routinely stand head and shoulders above the competition while their commitment to excellence is evident in every product they release. In addition, their power supplies have been getting more and more attention from both the media and consumers alike since their engineering know-how seems to have carried over into this market segment as well. The naming tradition of these power supplies are ingrained in Greek mythology and among them some names like Zeus, Olympia and Decathlon have come to the forefront. Today, we will be looking at the newest model in the Zeus model line: the ZM1200. Yes, that’s 1200W.

Over the last few months there has been a brief lull in the wildly upwards-spiraling power consumption requirements for modern graphics cards. With Nvidia’s launch of their 65nm G92-based cards and ATI’s answering 55nm RV670 salvo, it looked like GPU power consumption was finally headed towards smaller, more efficient designs. However, with the release of the ATI HD3870 X2 and the impending release of Nvidia’s next monster, power hungry cards are back into the spotlight and this time sporting two GPUs per card. Add to that enthusiast’s newfound ability to run up to four graphics cards together in the same system and we have the perfect melting pot for the entrance of ultra high-wattage power supplies.

It has been awhile since we last saw the Zeus name being used by Silverstone and it is now being rekindled to launch yet another 1200W power supply into Silverstone’s stable. Not only is this particular unit the first modular power supply to bear the Zeus name but it is also the first power supply from Silverstone to boast the option to switch between a single and multiple +12V rails. Interestingly, Silverstone already has a 1200W modular power supply under the Decathlon name but it is billed as a “power user’s” product while the Zeus 1200W is filed under the heading of “Workstation PSUs”. While this may seem odd, it seems like Silverstone is trying to give consumers some distinction between their various high-end units.

Like with all of Silverstone’s ultra high-end power supplies, the Zeus 1200W carries one hell of a price; with an MSRP of about $400CAD, it is one of the most expensive power supplies on the market today. That being said, if it can stand up to some of the tests we will put it up against today, it will have proven itself to be worrthy of such a price.