In my time as being a computer enthusiast (read nerd) I have seen a few trends occur. The move to bigger systems, then the move back to smaller systems and so on. All through these trends though, there has always been one factor that stayed the same. That factor is noise. With the bulk of most people running air-cooling in there computers, noise is bound to be a menace. With better cooling comes faster fans, and with faster fans comes more noise.
Truthfully do you need those fans spinning at full power all the time? A lot of times you probably will not. For example, your processor will not need as much cooling while you surf the Internet as it will as you frag your face off in your favorite game. So controlling your fans at certain times can be very advantageous.
On that note, in walks the . Being able to control 4 fans in your computer as well as monitor 4 temperature sensors makes it quite a product. Throw in a LCD and a bunch of LED's and you really have quite a product. Here is a list of the UC-A8FATR4's features:
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Model No.
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UC-A8FATR4
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+5,+12V(standard 4 pin connector)
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| Temperature Sensors |
4 |
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The Ultimate thermal controller *1, Aluminum panel,
RPM signal wire for M/B*2, Tool kit for 3.5" HDD*1, Accessory kit*1
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Packaging
The packaging on the UC-A8FATR4 is very nice. The clear front displays the front of the controller beautifully. The front of the package also includes a picture of the fan controller in action. The rear has another picture of the controller in action as well as a list of specifications and features.
Inside the package I actually found more pieces than I expected. Enermax includes a package of screws/tool for replacing the front. The UC-A8FATR4 includes provisions for either black or silver faces plates to be used. Along with this is a bundle of cables, which allow the fan controller to control/monitor 2 fans as well as having them plugged into the motherboard for monitoring. This is really a diamond in the rough as it will avoid the low CPU fan rpm alarms from your motherboard.
Installation
Installation of the Enermax fan controller was fairly easy. I will say that it takes some planning however. Enermax provides an adequate amount of cabling, which allows you to connect almost any fan in your case to the UC-A8FATR4. I found that hiding the cables was the hardest part of the install. To install the UC-A8FATR4 you simply install the controller into any available 5.25" drive bay. Once screwed in, you can then do the wiring. Wiring the fans was the first thing I did.
The UC-A8FATR4 uses a standard three-pin connector for the fans, so it is all basically plug and play. Also included is a y-wire so you can connect your CPU fan to the fan controller as well as the motherboard's sensor. The fan will still get power from the fan controller; it will just be monitored by both. This eliminates the CPU fan alarm issues if any occur. Installing the four included thermal diodes was very easy as well. I chose to install the diodes on my hard-drive, GPU, CPU, and used the forth to monitor the case temperature. Mounting the diodes is done by taping the diodes to the required location, using the included tape.
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