Nexus Multi-Fan Controller NXP-205 - INSTALLATION
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INSTALLATION
Installation is extremely simple. Simply slide the controller into an empty 3.5 inch drive bay slot and tighten the four chassis screws once the face of the controller is flush with the front bezel. If you want to mount this in a 5.25 inch slot (goodness knows why you would want to do that) you will have to find some 3.5 to 5.25 inch adapter rails to connect to the controller. You would also have to modify or purchase a faceplate that would fit the controller. It is infinitely simpler to just use the existing slot that your floppy drive occupies. Most PC modders don't mount a floppy drive anymore anyway. Or if you have a mid-tower case like my X-Dreamer, you have and extra empty floppy drive slot. After mounting the controller, just connect each power cable to one of the three pin connectors on the rear of the unit. Since each cable is almost two feet long, you should have plenty of slack to route the power cables neatly within the PC case. If done correctly, you should be able to stealth the cables completely. You may want to wrap or tape each power cable for neatness and ease of routing.
This is what the controller looks like mounted in my PC
I want to post the warning that Vantec has on their website and on the outside of the controller package box. This warning evidently came about from some vacuum brained individual who must have connected their CPU cooling fan to the fan controller and then forgot to increase the CPU fan speed to the necessary level to keep the processor cool.
I have six of a possible eight case fans installed in my system. So I was busy trying to figure out which ones to connect to the controller when I realized that with 18 watts of available power per channel I could connect them all. I was able to easily connect two fans to each channel by connecting one fan to the three pin connector and connecting the other fan to the four ping connector. This puts the fans in parallel but the controller channels are more than capable of supporting two standard 80 mil fans each.
PERFORMANCE
Once the controller was installed and the PC was booted up, I had the chance to really hear the difference between my six case fans at full power and at low power. When I'm not gaming on my PC it is basically sitting idle and the screen save kicks in until the hard drive and the monitor are shut down by the operating system. So I turned each channel down to its lowest setting and low and behold, I could actually see the individual fan blades as they spun and the room got eerily quiet. I was suddenly aware of how loud my Volcano 9 was from inside the case. With the controller channels set to low, my fans were still able to move enough air through the case that I had no fear for my system components. When it was time to fire up a rousing game of Battlefield 1942 and Desert Combat, it was a simple matter to give a twist to each channel knob for some primo air evacuation. I would be remiss if I didn't also point out that the controller's bright blue LEDs look kick-ass. Check out some pictures of the controller in action. One other benefit of the fan controller is that if you are running LED fans, when you turn down the fans, the LED's will dim too. It is a pretty cool looking effect.
(not too easy to see from farther away in normal room light)
(killer look in low light, especially with other blue LED devices)
CONCLUSIONS
The Vantec Nexus Multi-Fan Controller is not a must have item. That said, it is a really nice "want" item that actually serves a purpose. That purpose is to lower the ambient noise level emanating from your PC case. If you are not PC modder then you probably won't see a use for this item. Heck, if that describes you then I wonder what you are doing reading this article. If you have built you own system or have modded an OEM (dirty word around here) system with additional fans, then lowering the fan speeds to drop the noise level should not cause a huge increase in your system temperature unless you are the wonderkid that Vantec posted the usage warning for. I heartily recommend that you do not put your CPU cooler on the fan controller. Go out and get a CPU fan with it's own rheostat or just let that fan be the noisiest fan in your system. This item is slick, sturdy and efficient. And it looks damned good.
PROS
Quality parts and construction
Capable of controlling multiple fans per channel (with proper planning)
Attractive in either black or silver versions
Fills an otherwise unused 3.5 inch drive bay
Gives the user the ability to drop the noise level of installed case fans.
Definitely adds "cool points" to a modded PC
CONS
Only comes in black or silver (Modders can always paint to suit)
No option to turn off the knob LED's (very minor nitpick)
Fan cables could have been sheathed tubing for neatness and ease in routing.
I really don't see a downside to this product. I am extremely pleased with it and I suspect you will be also. I would like to thank Vantec for providing this item for review and I invite you to discuss your experiences with this product or your comments on this review in the DevHardware Forums.
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