Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66333 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Colors IT
• Model: 480U
• Released on: 2007-03-06

Customer Reviews

Good unit, easy to install, not SATA friendly. And DEAD
I agree with the previous reviewer: this is an excellent unit that is easy to install, it works, and it is nice and quiet. However, although it comes with all the necessary power connectors for motherboard, graphics card, and a lot for IDE/CDROM (as well as two for 3½" FDD), it only comes with one SATA connector. In an age where SATA is the default, I'm amazed that Colors have only supplied one of them. Fortunately, I was able to remove and re-use a crimp-on SATA power connector from my previous PSU, but you will need to consider an IDE-SATA power splitter if you have more than one SATA device. [Review written 10-Jul-07, unmodified]

Update 23-Oct-07: This morning I was happily using my PC (having been using it every few days since installing it) and off went 2 loud "gunshots". The PC went dead, followed by "that" tell-tale electronic smell and a very warm PSU housing - the PSU is dead. So I'm off to PC World at lunch time today to buy a reliable PSU. The PSU was faultless and quiet in the 4 months I had it - now it's *completely* quiet, of course...

Value for money
Recently bought the 480W Gold PSU on the basis that the noise level was under 20db and I've not been disappointed. Apart from the odd humming noise it 'does what it says on the tin.' The main 20/24 pin lead is nicely braided and the unit has a honeycomb back similar to the more expensive Thermatake TR2 470W. Had I been prepared to pay double, plus extra for delivery (average £6), I might have opted for the Thermaltake but Amazons Super Saver free delivery is definitely a bonus and it took only 4 days to arrive. Reviews of the Gold series on other web sites are somewhat mixed and in terms of a guarantee there is no manufacturers warranty card in the Colors box, nor any fitting instructions - just the bare unit. However the PSU was easy to fit with sufficient leads and Amazon's friendly customer service have assured me that they offer a refund or replacement if the unit develops a fault in the first 2 years.

Excellent value
It's not silent as the name implies but it's quiet enough not to be noticeable. The braded cables are neat and though it comes without fitting instructions, if you need indtructions to fit something as simple as this you shouldn't be fiddling round inside computers in the first place. Only one sata socket, but my motherboard came with another one, and adapters are cheap

I bought it because I'd just made the mistake of buying a case with a psu fitted that was like having a hair dryer under the desk all day, and I really don't know why these quiet units aren't the norm as they aren't significantly more expensive. Noise is a significant issue for me in my work - I'm a professional clown and guess what? I spend nearly all my time sitting in fron of a computer just like everyone else !