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Product:
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Sunbeam 20-in-1 Superior Panel |
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Price:
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$43 (CAN) / $35 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Sunbeam Technology
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Author:
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Mars
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Date:
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June 13th, 2005
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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My first impression of the Sunbeam 20-in-1 Superior Panel was positive since this product really does
to it all. The packaging is well done, all the hardware is included, the manual is easy to follow, and
does not include so many of the grammar mistakes I have seen in other manuals. The product itself is well
designed and constructed out of sturdy ABS plastic. I really liked the idea that the fan controls are a
thumb style instead of rotary knobs. This provides a nice clean look, but also allows installations in
computer cases that have a swinging door, where rotary knobs prevent the front from being closed fully.
With two U.S.B 2.0 ports, one IEEE1394 Firewire port, 2 Serial ATA ports, one audio/video RCA type connector,
analog headphone, MIC, and line in/out ports, this product can do it all. Installation is fairly simple,
and requires one 5.25" bay, and around a half an hour. If you are not comfortable with doing this, any
computer store can do this for you, for a modest fee.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The power connector for the panel is the standard 4-pin style plug. Connections to the panel itself are
done by way of headers. The connectors are non-interchangeable and are labeled with an “UP” printed on
them, making connections simple and foolproof. On the other end, connections to the computer plug into
standard connectors that motherboards typically use, and are also well labeled. If your motherboard has
headers for USB, Firewire, and audio, for a small fee you can purchase “header” to “header” cables if so
desired.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The fan control section with RPM monitoring can support 2 fans (max. output 10w/channel), there is also
temperature monitoring for two sensors. The sensors are of the “contact” style but can be used as ambient
ones. These can be used to monitor temperatures of water going into and out of a radiator in a water cooling
system, or used to measure the motherboard, CPU, GPU, or ambient air temperature coming into and going
out of an air cooled case as a few examples. All of the information is displayed on the blue LCD screen
on the top right front of the unit. The temperature can be displayed in either Celsius or Fahrenheit,
selectable by way of a jumper.
The 20-in-1 Superior Panel employs warning alarms for fan speed and temperature levels that are adjustable
by the user in the form of jumper settings. If the temperature reaches, or the fan speed falls below the
users’ setting, the unit starts to beep, and flashes the digits on the display for 30 seconds if the
user does not press reset first. The minimum fan setting is selectable at 1000 or 2000 RPM, which provides
flexibility for high or low speed fans. The thermal range is between 45-90 degrees C in increments of 5
degrees. I found that setting the fan speed at its lowest setting would occasionally set off the alarm,
to tell me that the RPM has fallen below the minimum setting of 1000 RPM.
The multi-slot card reader is USB 2.0 and 1.1 compliant. It supports Compact Flash type I/II, Memory
Stick, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick Duo Pro, Smart Media, Secure Digital, and Multi
Media Card. The benefits of having an integrated card reader in the front panel frees up a little desk
space, as well as making the downloading of your images fast and convenient. You do not need to connect
your camera to your computer, and thus saving time and battery life. All 4 slots are active at all times,
which allow the transfer from one media card to another. There are LED’s on the front that show power
and transfer activity.
For those of you that own a digital movie camera, you can connect to the 20-in-1 by way of IEEE1394 Firewire
to download you movie camera’s contents. If you own an analog camera there are audio and video connectors
to aid you as well. The yellow composite RCA type connector can be used as either a video input or output,
but also can be used as a coaxial digital input or output, depending on how you connect this part of the
panel to your computer. The mini jacks for audio are great if you need to use a set of headphones for
late night gaming.
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Conclusion:
The Sunbeam 20-in-1 Superior Panel is a fantastic product that provides great features and convenience
to any standard computer system. Consumers will be pleased with the multitude of front panel connectivity
options, plus the ability to control fans, and monitor thermal temperatures. Sunbeam has done a great
job to bring all of these options in one front panel product. The PCB layout and quality is top notch,
connections are easy to use and well labeled. The packaging provides all the needed cables, an easy to
follow manual, and even zip ties. As a gamer, amateur photographer, and someone that connects his
computer to a television quite often, I find this a very handy piece of hardware, and I am sure you
will as well. The only minor issues that I noted during my evaluation is that a minimum RPM fan speed
setting can cause some fans to fall below the alarm limit. Aside from that minor issue, I was impressed
with the Sunbeam 20-in-1 Superior Panel and award MTB's Seal of Approval with a final rating of
9.5 out of 10. If you have any questions
regarding this review be sure to visit the Sunbeam Technology
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Adds a great deal of functionality and convenience
- Thumb type control knob, eliminating bulky rotary style allowing installation in both open and close faced cases
- All cables and adapters included in package
- Offers great versatility
- LCD display has a nice contrast between the black digits and the blue backlighting
- Supports a wide variety of Compact Flash formats
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Cons:
- Minimum RPM fan speed setting can cause some fans to fall below the alarm limit
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