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Product:
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Enermax UC-9FATR2 Multifunction Panel |
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Price:
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$64 (CDN) / $50 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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CrazyPC
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Author:
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Mantis
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Date:
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September 16th, 2004
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Out of the box, my initial impressions of the Enermax UC-9FATR2 Multifunction Panel were positive. The
Enermax UC-9FATR2 Multifunction Panel is a 5.25" based device and measures approximately 149mm (W) x
41.5mm (H) x 72mm (D). The unit is silver in color and includes a front bezel that has been neatly labeled
and protected with a clear plastic cover. Designed to deliver an extremely functional unit, the Enermax
UC-9FATR2 Multifunction Panel incorporates a wide variety of features which include a four type memory
card reader, dual fan control, temperature monitor, dual SATA, USB and IEEE 1394 ports. The rear portion
of the Enermax UC-9FATR2 Multifunction Panel houses a variety of printed circuit boards and necessary
headers for easy setup.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The front portion of the Enermax UC-9FATR2 Multifunction Panel features the bulk of the necessary headers
and takes on a rather busy composition. The multi-slot card reader module is located towards the top portion
and is designed to accommodate Compact Flash, Microdrive, Memory Stick, Smart Media, Secure Digital and
more. In order to use the multi-slot card reader, a single internal USB connection must be attached to
an available motherboard header. A series of Power and Activity LED’s have been imbedded into the left
portion to provide a visual cue of operation. A series of dual high speed USB ports along with a single
IEEE 1394 port are neatly located in the lower left corner. Dual Serial ATA ports have been included for
use with external storage and optical solutions. A miniature backlit LCD works in conjunction with the
dual temperature probes and fan controller to report fan speeds and temperature results. Similar to
existing Enermax multifunction units, the Enermax UC-9FATR2 Multifunction Panel incorporates two stylish
fan control knobs for use with any 3-pin based fan up to 10 watts per channel.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Upon powering the Enermax UC-9FATR2 Multifunction Panel, I was greeted by the warm blue backlit control
knobs. The intensity of the light does scale according to fan speed. As previously mentioned, a variety
of devices can be easily attached to the unit, often times the full potential will be hard to meet. The
miniature LCD provides a warm blue backlit and clearly displays the current temperature according to the
attached probe and fan RPM. Several fail-safe features have been implemented such as temperature and
low RPM alarms. Users have the option of easily selecting 45, 55 or 65C at which the embedded alarm will
sound.
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Conclusion:
The Enermax UC-9FATR2 Multifunction Panel represents a highly functional, easy to use unit for consumers
seeking to simplify the management of multiple devices. The overall quality and appearance of the Enermax
UC-9FATR2 Multifunction Panel is excellent and will accent many existing configurations nicely. With an
abundance of connectivity features such as USB, SATA, IEEE 1394, the only feature absent would be front
audio ports. The ability to control up to two fans along with temperature probes displayed in real time
will appeal to enthusiasts and those whom require basic fan control. I did find the overall usefulness
of the external SATA ports to be questionable as there isn’t a large market for external SATA based
devices, implementing front audio ports would have been slightly more user friendly. Overall, I was
impressed with the Enermax UC-9FATR2 Multifunction Panel and am awarding a final score of
8.5 out of 10. If you have any questions
regarding this review be sure to visit the CrazyPC
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Multi-Slot card reader
- USB
- IEEE 1394
- Dual fan control with Illuminated knobs
- Temperature probes
- LCD Display
- Highly functional
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Cons:
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