One of the last components to get modified in a custom case is often the power supply. I believe this is because most folks hesitate to poke around inside one for fear of electric shock, or because they don't want to risk damaging the unit or voiding its warranty (yeah, right!).  I have constructed countless Molex style power connectors from scratch over the years (read: thousands), and after about the first hundred or so, it gets pretty tedious.  Not only that, but getting all the wire lengths exactly right is somewhat an art.  If they aren't the right length (one wire shorter than another, for instance), the connector won't connect properly because of the stiffness of the wires knocking the pins out of alignment. So even though some brave folks have taken the extra time and effort to customize the power supply in an all-out effort to attain the pinnacle of customization, the power supply often remains a neglected heart inside the case, relegated to the corner. Fortunately for the modders out there, Antec has come through with a solution that should make the power supply an equal contender for the centerpiece of a tricked-out case.

Overview

FrozenCPU was kind enough to supply us with the Antec TrueBlue 480 Watt Modular Power Supply.  This unit will supply the electrons for Project Bling Box, and do so in high style.  I'll get to the laundry list of specifications in a minute, but first I'll give you the shotgun blast of major features.  First, a power supply wouldn't be much use if it were wimpy.  The Bling Box is going to need some serious grunt to power all its components, so I specified one in the 350-500W range, and 480 falls right in the high end of that.  You can check the specs to see the various load ratings on the lines, and it seems to me that the load spread has a good distribution between the +5-, +12- and +3.3-Volt buses. It should be plenty for the various drives, fans and mobo/CPU/Vid Card items that I plan to install, with some headroom left over. On the usability side, the TrueBlue has modular construction to allow the user to connect only those lines and connectors that will actually be used. This feature will keep you from having extra lines hanging around inside the case to restrict airflow and increase clutter.  Extra features include an external connector for powering devices outside the case (although at this point I'm not sure what those would be; possibly a water-cooling reservoir/pump), TruePower fan control circuitry, dual ball-bearing fans (one lighted blue) and good documentation.  As for looks, the TrueBlue has the modder in mind. I ordered this particular unit with a blue color scheme, but FrozenCPU has options on their website for different colors to match your particular tastes. You can specify the color for the sleeving, Molex connectors and more.

Specifications

The Antec TrueBlue Packaging lists the following specifications.  It's a laundry list, so bear with me.

Here are some of the specifications that are pertinent to the modder: