PCMods Power
Down Protector Review
Date: Monday 26 August 2002
Author : Ript
Provided By : PCMods.com
Introduction
Ever since overclocking was born, CPU heat has been a problem. That and the ongoing controversy that overclocking will shorten the life of the processor. When AMD released their Thunderbird and Duron line of processors, heat really became a serious problem, even for the non-overlcocker.
It appears that our buds over at PC Mods have a solution to this problem, belated but still a solution. Here's what they had to say:
"This device addresses an issue that has long been overlooked: your chip is the hottest when you first power down your PC. This device keeps your HSF fan running after you hit the power button, draining the heat out of the chip safely. This is very similar to a turbo timer on cars. This could extend the life of your chip significantly, especially if you overclock your pc.In addition, this slick little unit also controls a SECOND fan. A good use of this is if you want you can keep your blowhole fan "powered on on" so that it will continue to exhaust out hot air. Lastly, the amount of time the fan runs can be customized to your needs."
So, without further a due, I present to you the PC Mods Power Down Protector...
The Package
Some specs from the PCMods Website:
Includes
Specifications
 It's HUGE! |
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The unit itself was much smaller than what I expected, I added the case badge in the second pic for you freaks who are more familiar with a case badge more than a quarter. :p The anodized casing on the unit is a very nice touch, just one of many subtle features this unit is packed with. Let's install this bad boy and see what it can do...
Installation
 OUT1 and OUT2 Ports |
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Setup is rather painless, you can hook your fans and power connection up in many different ways. Since the power source for both of my CPU and Video Card fans were 3-pin, I used the female 3-pin to female 3-pin connector to give power to the unit (IN1, IN2), then plugged the fans directly into the other side of the unit (OUT1, OUT2). The Power LED connector is there to keep your LED blinking after you turn your computer off while the PDP is running, just another nice feature.
Jumper Settings
This Jumper Settings is yet another small feature that allows you to set how long the fans go on after powering down. Options are 1, 3, 5, and 10 minutes.
Usage
Welcome to the jungle,
we've got fun and games...
The operation of this unit was nearly flawless. However, when I would power down I found that the fans running off it lose some power and tend not to run at full speed. Another small issue I had with it, since I'm a neat freak I tend to hide and tuck away all of my wires. As you can see it has turned my neat case into a freakin jungle, not a problem that can't be fixed, just merely an inconvenience... lots of new cables to find spots for.
Temps
I did run tests to find if this thing actually did help. The tests I ran on my AMD TBird 1GHz running at stock speed showed that the only thing it really did was help the chip cool down faster, without this unit there was no raise in temperature after power down, just a slower decline in temperature. So it took 5 mins to get a noteworthy temp difference. You can draw your own conclusion from these figures, but they don't lie. =\
With the unit installed, I recorded the following after shutting down at a temp of 41.3C :
Without the unit installed, I recorded the following after shutting down at a temp of 41.3C :
Conclusion
The unit itself is very high quality... lots of various options and features. Installation and operation are pretty straight forward. It does have a couple of issues such as the fans not running at full speed after power down, and the fact that Tarzan can now live in your case if you don't take the time to wire it neatly. I would recommend this product to everyone, but frankly, this thing probably won't help your machine much, if at all.. I could possibly see it beneficial in overclocking situations where temperatures exceed 40-50C while running normally. I guess it could be considered insurance if you're already running some max temps and you're afraid the instant that fan stops when you shut down, it'll go higher. That doesn't seem to be the scenario though.
To sum everything up, good idea, solid product, easy to use, but for $25 , It's not a great value.
I'd like to thank PCMods for letting me check this unit out. If you'd like to pick one up for yourself, you can do so right here.
