2000W power supplies appearCES 007 Hair conditioningBy Theo Valich in Las Vegas: Wednesday 10 January 2007, 08:46GRAPHICS CARDS ARE constantly demanding more and more juice, and the levels at we are looking now are pretty much unbelievable.While the microprocessor industry learned its lesson about bleeding power like a stuck pig, the graphics boys are still living in a dream bubble that power levels won't be reached.Since 80nm and 65nm graphics chips are approaching fast, there is general concern how much power next generation graphics chips consume, given the fact that the PCIe Gen2 standard will give an additional 75W, or 75x4 = 300W. If you want a multiple graphics chip configuration, you will require at least 1000 Watts at 85% efficiency.Engineers at ULTRA and OCZ Technology worked hard on this conundrum and the final results are being launched this CES. Forget about 1K or 1100 Watt power supplies, 2000 watts is now the measure of brutal power for computer components. So these power supply units (PSUs_ have power spec equal to small air-conditioning units and just mention that the approach of these two companies is totally different.Size does matter...The guys at OCZ essentially placed two 900W PSUs inside a huge external box which connects to the small box which will be installed inside the case. Modular approach resulted in enormous amount of cables for the components, so even connecting two motherboards should not prove to be a problem (or a motherboard and a rail for the external dual graphics box, but we didn't told you that)....but technique is important as wellULTRA took a different approach, putting a single chassis system with separate power elements for the 12V, giving out 150 Ampers of power for the components that ride the 12V rail. There is also one small issue for US households. Since the electric current is specc'ed at 15A per socket, US users will have to use two power cables in order to get the PSUs running. In Ol' mother Europe, things will be fine... for the time being.Although it may not seem so, both PSUs will give their owners a hard time while placing the PSU inside (or outside) the case. Ultra's 2K is around twice the size of regular PSUs and pretty much require a spatious case in order to fit in, while OCZ will take the room on your desk if you don't put it on top.Judging by the size of OCZ monster baby, it seems that a review of these monster 2K power supplies will require a separate components category. µ
