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Product:
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Enermax 3.5" UC-A3FATR2 Fan Controller |
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Price:
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$37 (CAN) / $25 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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The Cutting Edge
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Author:
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Shennon
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Date:
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May 1st, 2003
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Enermax UC-A3FATR2 thermal probes
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The Enermax UC-A3FATR2 Fan Controller is constructed by screwing the front and side aluminum panels to the base.
This should allow access to the LEDs if one wished to change the colour from blue to another alternative, however,
this should be done at your own risk. The Enermax UC-A3FATR2 is capable of monitoring two temperature locations
using flat ribbon style thermal probes. Each probe measures about 34cm from the back of the unit and should be
long enough to reach most places in a standard mid-tower or server tower case.
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Enermax UC-A3FATR2 3-pin fan connectors
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Enermax UC-A3FATR2 4-pin Molex connectors
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The Enermax UC-A3FATR2 is capable of controlling two different fan speeds using two 3-pin male connectors.
Simply plug in the fans you would wish to control into the labeled ends. Users with 4-pin fans will have to
adapt the fan to a 3-pin, but this will sacrifice the fan rotation monitoring capabilities offered by the
Enermax UC-A3FATR2. The Enermax UC-A3FATR2 draws its power through a 4-pin pass through cable, which allows
the unit to share a connector if the consumer does not have any to spare
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Click image for larger view
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For such a small device, there is a fair amount of wiring included in the package to setup this product. Careful planning
of wire routing is required if you to keep the case interior clean.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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I installed the Enermax UC-A3FATR2 Fan Controller into my A-Open HX08 Full Tower Case, where the 3.5" floppy drive would
normally sit. The front bezel is slightly curved and as a result the left side of the Enermax UC-A3FATR2 stands out slightly,
unlike the floppy drive, which sat flush in the drive bay. Simply tightening these screws seem to alleviate the fit and unlike
the temperature display of the Turbo X-Dreamer Case, the temperature/fan rotation
is lit by two blue LEDs on either side of the display. It does make it a bit more difficult to read at a glance. Connecting
an 80mm Vantec Stealth that spins at 2050 RPM on full speed, and a CreAir quad red LED 80mm fan, full speed at 2500 RPM
performed as expected. When turning down the fan speed of the quad LED fan, the brightness of the LEDs followed suit.
The range of the fan monitoring for the Enermax UC-A3FATR2 is between 1000 to 5000 RPM. Once the Vantec Stealth had its voltage
lowered; the RPM speed fell below the threshold level to a speed of approximately 600 RPM, which triggered the warning buzzer
on the Enermax UC-A3FATR2 Fan Controller.
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Conclusion:
One of the things I couldn’t find at either the Enermax website or in the manual is the wattage rating each of the fan
channels can handle. I would recommend one fan each, and not anymore until the wattage per channel is established by Enermax.
For a gaming rig or high demand machine that requires a more active or aggressive cooling solution, this wouldn’t be an
appropriate device as a stand alone unit; however, in a smaller machine such as a HTPC, or coupled with another controller
this should more than fit the bill. While this will not replace my rheobus in my A-Open HX08, this will be installed in
another case I have in the works where the cooling requirements are met with the addition of two fans. I would definitely
recommend the product to those individuals who need the control and monitoring that the Enermax UC-A3FATR2 has to offer in
a case where moderate cooling control is required. I am rating this product a final score of
8 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding this review be
sure to visit the The Cutting Edge for more information
or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Easy installation
- Lighted display for dark environments
- Fits all 3.5" drive bays
- Fits cases with bezel-mounted doors
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Cons:
- Slight buzzing noise at lowest voltage setting
- Wiring could add to airflow issues
- Not suited for heavy performance cooling
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