Zippy Serene (GP2-5600V)

Conclusion

The Serene is slightly comparable to the G1. While the G1 focuses on high-end gamers with the need of stability and reliability, the Serene offers almost the same but with a much higher efficiency. We see no reason why a user should choose the G1 when he can have the Serene. However, a big issue at the moment is availability. We have simply found no retailer in the world who offers the Serene and Zippy has not been much of a help so far. When/if we get an update on the availability we will post it here.

Assuming the availability issue is addressed, the Serene is a very good power supply with the best quality possible in the areas of design and components. The cables are long enough for most cases, and we only wish Zippy would have provided a little more choice on the PEG connectors since a 600W power supply is able to power up more than a single video card. The single 45A 12V rail should be able to handle high-end cards without difficulty, but many of those are beginning to require 8-pin connections, and we expect the next generation GPUs will increase that trend.

The DC outputs are quite similar to those of the G1. We did not see any flaw in this area, since none of the rails went out of specs even at higher loads and temperatures. The 12V rail is a little worse than the G1, but it's still close enough to the ideal result that it shouldn't present any problems.


As for the efficiency, the numbers show a clear statement: the Zippy Serene has the best efficiency available in the retail market (at least, once it becomes available). We felt it was strange that the Serene wasn't able to show a better efficiency in standby mode, as it required up to 2.13W with no load at all. However, while that result is disappointing we must admit that high efficiencies at very low power draws aren't nearly as important as efficiencies at high power draws. After all, a 5% difference in efficiency at 200W works out to an extra 10W of power, which of course also means more heat that the power supply would have to dissipate.

It was good to see that Zippy at least used a lower rated fan for the Serene since it's just not as hot as the G1. With up to 39dB(A) it's clearly not suitable for ultra silent systems, even though the high efficiency makes it an attractive option for those systems. We are sure users could change the fan if desired, but in that case they need to be willing to void the warranty. As it stands, we just don't feel the power supply gets hot enough to require such a high RPM fan.

Another possible flaw in the design is the crowded internals of the PSU. If the housing were just a little longer the components would have more space to get air. We would expect higher turbulence because of the topology since most of the components are located directly inside of the airflow. This can also contribute to noise levels, as turbulence implies wind noise. However, the heatsinks are well placed and benefit from the air coming through.

Since we couldn't find this power supply for sale at the moment we are still waiting for Zippy to give us a rough price range. It will most likely be at the same level or slightly higher than the G1, considering the higher efficiency rating. If that's correct, prices will likely be in the $170+ range, which is a lot to pay for a 600W PSU. On the other hand, the Zippy Serene is one of the best power supplies we have seen so far and should bring very stable and reliable service to any owners.