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NZXT Sentry LX Fan Controller Review

Date Published:
10-19-2008

Written By:
Tulatin

Edited By:
Diceman

Provided By:
NZXT

Where to Buy:
Acoustic PC

Discuss Article:
VH Forum link

Pages: 1

Introduction:

NZXT Sentry LX Fan Controller and Thermal Monitor

Bursting onto the casing scene a bit back, NZXT has been one of those companies that has continually expanded and re-invents it's product line, expanding quickly beyond just chassis`. Beyond this, NZXT has chosen to craft it's own custom variants of many cases at their core, rather than simply slipping new panels over the edges. In this vein, the recently reviewed NZXT Cryo LX was a rousing success - mixing huge fans with a stylish cooling pad. With this spirit of expanding horizons, NZXT just recently upgraded their accessory lineup with the Sentry LX - a double bay, brushed aluminum faced, feature packed expansion to the Sentry 1. With that in mind, let's see if the 11 wires injected into the chassis by this panel are worth the hassle, of if this is just another flashy gimmick.

Features & Specifications:

As per usual, it's good and time to peel the features and specifications from NZXT's site, for those of you curious on the hows and whys of this interesting little product.

Features:

Large dual 5.25" LCD screen
NZXT designed intuitive control, set and change fan speeds and settings on the fly
Auto/Manual modes, let the LCD take control or set fan speeds to your liking
Temperature alarm
Aluminum finish
NZXT Designed graphical interface, easy to read and understand
Saved Settings, calender and fan settings are stored even during system off so settings don't need to be redone
Supports up to 4Watt per channel

Now, (un?)fortunately, a specifications page wasn't anywhere to be found onsite, and with that, it's time to peel the packaging away and find out if this unit lives up to NZXT's usual standards.

A Closer Look:

Coming in a very stylish cardboard box, with the product tastefully carrying across the left side of the box, NZXT has made sure that at a glance, the user can discern every feature of the unit, including the incredibly important 5 thermostats, and 5 fans to control. Advertising such conveniences as automatic fan control, this unit really does have a lot to say about itself on the tin. Let's tear the box away and see what the product is all about.

Nice box	Mounting screws taped on	Niiice
PCB Overview	Right Side	Left Side

After plopping the into the so-very-soon-to-be-reviewed HAF932, and a bit of wire routing later, I had the front panel alight. Installation is beautifully simple, as the unit features a nice compliment of standard M3 threaded holes, as well as notches cut along the sides to allow the unit to slip past man drive suspenders - something that many multi-bay units in past have found as a failing. Wire routing is a bit of a pain at first, considering the wiring for each thermocouple is stuck together; but after you get them far enough apart, and bundle them up with the requisite 3 pin header, all is well in the land.

Configuring the unit is rather simple - just follow the manual, and to speed up or slow down your fans (in manual mode), just tap fan select until you find the fan you want, then use the up and down arrows to deal with it. Either that, or just leave the controller in automatic mode, and let it do it's thing.

Now you see it...

Though the illuminated panel looks absolutely fantastic, it is unfortunately the tip of the iceberg in the way of weaknesses; though the panel is vibrant from dead ahead, moving about 30 degrees off to any side, or angle results in the digits blurring together, a-la a cheap clock radio. To worsen that, the unit has a few limitations regarding the control of fans. The cardinal rule, is that they MUST be 3-pin fans with an RPM signal. The second regulation, is that the fans need to operate above 1000 RPM - meaning that the fat beasties inside the HAF932 will spin at their own speed for eternity. The final limitation, is the rather pitiful 4W limit. That limits you to using fans with a current of .3A - at maximum; which effectively means medium-high speed 120x25mm fans. Users of most any 120x38mm fans will be far out of luck.

The final issue here is the lead time between adjusting the fans on the panel and hearing the results - it can be a delay of up to a minute. Alas. These things are fairly painful issues, yes, but for normal users with normally powered fans in a case, things should work out just fine, especially considering the ability to monitor and control around 5 separate thermostats.

....and now you don't. That data is as out of sight as this review's going to be real soon.

Conclusion:

With the brief testing, and unpackaging done, it's time to take a quick verdict of this product. Oh yeah, it's definitely worth having - especially if you have a few fans around that feature both 3 and 4 pin tails - which means that you could pack a few fans onto each channel, so long as they don't pass that 4w limit. Though this unit does have issues with wiring, visibility, and fan support, it is quite a worthwhile purchase in any case. Especially if you manage to snag one of these snazzy panels on a sale. Best of all, it's just shallow enough that the user should be able to pack in some hard drives behind it, via 3.5" to 5.25" adapters. With that said, it's time to wrap this one up, get it into the chassis bag, and spin down to the next review on the line. Great work NZXT!

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