Logisys Digital Thermal Controller
Date : Wednesday, 12 October 2005
By : Anx13ty
Provided By : Logisys Computer
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Introduction
Today we are going to take a closer look at the Logisys Digital Thermal Controller. This is a nice little monitor for your front 3.5" bay so you will be able to monitor the temperatures of your CPU, and 2 other items of your choosing. Also you will be able to monitor the speeds of your fans as well as the activity of your hard drive. Over my time with computers I have seen many of this types of devices, but this one stands out for its simplicity as well as good looks.
Now, most monitors that fit into your front bay are made for a 5.25". The problem with this is that for you people with mid towers, you will probably already be using your 5.25" bays. This monitor will fit snuggly just under or over your floppy drive, and I'll leave that decision to you. I personally no longer use a floppy drive. The monitor we are going to be using today has a nice silver finish to it, with a very easy to read LCD screen that lights up a nice blue. Logisys also makes this product in a black finish.
Packaging
The packaging is pretty standard. It would be like you find it in any store. You have your plastic box outside. Once inside, you will notice that all of the cables have been tied up with twist ties. The sensors have flexible sleeves over them to insure no damage will occur. Also, there are 2 bags of supplies. One bag includes your screws to install the item, while the other has an extra battery and tape to hold the sensors into place. Along with 2 fan cable adapters for installation.
Specifications
This current model has a variety of cables when you first remove it from the box. At first, it may seem a little overwhelming, but trust me, this will be very easy to install. The first thing you notice is the silver finish to the front of the monitor, this will make up perfectly with your silver case and shown in my picture. There are a total of 8 cables to install with this monitor. 3 of the cables are the thermal sensors. There is a sensor for the CPU, SYS-r, and SYS-f. There are also 3 Fan cables. They are also labeled CPU, SYS-r, SYS-f. Next we have a HDD LED cable, and lastly a 4-pin Molex connector to supply the unit with power. There are also 2 bags of accessories. In one you will find a replacement battery if needed, as well as 3 pieces of yellow lightweight tape to tape down the sensors. In the other bag you have the 4 screws to install the device into your computer. There are also 2 fan adapters, offering 2 female inputs and 1 male output. This is so that you can connect 2 fans to the same adapter.
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 Out of box look |
 What's included. |
 Tape, Screws, Battery |
 HDD Cable Length |
 HDD LED connector |
 Fan Monitors |
 Thermal Sensors |
 Fan Adapters |
 Molex Connector |
Installation
Installation for this product is very easy. The first thing you are going to do is to screw the thermal monitor into place in an available 3.5" bay. Next you are going to setup your thermal sensors. The obvious of the 3 is labeled CPU, you guessed it, this one goes to the CPU. Below you will see pictures on how to install it. The other two sensors are labeled SYS-f, and SYS-r. I have chosen to install one of these on my video card to monitor its heat, and the other on the base of my case to monitor the heat inside. You will hold these sensors in place with the tape that was included in the package. The fan monitors are slightly different. They come as 3-pin male connectors, but luckily for me they included the converters so that I was able to plug the fan into the converter, then the convert into the motherboard. The CPU Fan also needs an adapter, you simply plug the current connector into the adapter, and then the adapter into the motherboard, all of which have pictures below showing how this is done. Next, you are going to plug the HDD LED cable into the motherboard, just as if it were the one for the case. Very easy and simple to do. If you are unaware of which pins are your HDD LED ones, check your motherboards manual. Lastly, the Molex connector simply plugs into an available cable.
 Screwing In |
 Screwed In |
 Removing CPU Fan |
 Removing CPU Fan |
 Install just like so. |
 CPU Sensor Installed |
 CPU Fan Adapter |
 CPU Fan Plugged in |
 Rear Fan Adapter |
 Rear Fan Plugged in |
 HDD LED Plugged In |
 Vid Card Sensor |
 Case Temp Sensor |
 Let there be life! |
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Testing
I tested the 3.5" Digital Thermal Controller with a 120mm Fan, as well as the CPU fan, 3 working sensors, and the HDD LED.
When I started up my computer I was able to instantly see the LCD Turn on. It has a very nice bright blue glow to it, as well as easy to read lettering. It displays a picture of the HDD spinning, so that we know it is working. The temperature sensors will alternate every few seconds between the 3 that are installed. Likewise can be said for the fan monitors. Their current condition as well as speed will be shown. Now, on the front of your display you have 2 buttons. An A and a B. Next to the A you will have an arrow up picture, and next to the B you will have an arrow down. With these buttons you are able to control whether to display the temperatures in Celsius or in Fahrenheit, as well as setting the time which will be displayed on the LCD.
 Power up! |
 Black/White View |
 Side View |
 Goes great with silver case |
Conclusion
This product worked fantastic. For someone looking for a fresh look to their pc as well as a way to make sure your not overheating, then this is a must for you. It's rather simply compared to the higher end which also offer fan controllers, but I am currently not to interested in those things because I would like my fans running full speed at all times. The packaging is very nice and very safe to insure no damage to be done. The installation process is very simple for even the most novice users. And the LCD display is very easy to read as well as it stands out so people will look in awe of your beast. For me, this is the perfect monitor and I would recommend it to anyone looking for such and item.
Pros
Cons
I would like to thank the viewers for spending time reading this review. Also, I would like to thank Logisys Computers Inc. for supplying this item. Logisys has many more great products you can lookup at their website, which you can find here. If you're looking to purchase this product, look no further then Directron, they have all your needs for PC Modification as well as hardware and software. Any questions or concerns about this review, please feel free to contact Anx13ty.
