MODTHEBOX.COM - Canada's Premier Case Modding Source - Reviews - Thermaltake Hardcano 5 HD Cooler Review

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The front bezel is designed in the same style as used in all the Hardcano series hard drive coolers. The bezel made from a solid piece of aluminum and includes only one CompuNurse Probe and a 3 position fan controller switch. The Hardcano 5 model includes the addition of an aluminum top plate which is available in gold or silver colour. In theory, aluminum should help dissipate the heat faster and more efficiently hence the reason behind the design of this specific model.

Thermaltake TT4020A 40mm fan

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The Hardcano 5 includes a Thermaltake TT4020-A 40 mm fan capable of pushing 5.1 CFM across the hard drive top and bottom surfaces, keeping the temperatures down to a respectable level. The noise level is quite low at 23 decibels, and should provide assurances that it will not keep you up at night when in operation. The fan draws power through a 3-pin connector that you can connect to a spare motherboard header or 3 to 4 pin connector which is included in the package. When using the 3 to 4 pin connector, the fan speed cannot be monitored unless you split the RPM sensing wire off on its own connector. The power for the switch is supplied through a 4-pin molex connector.

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The fan speed controller is the same model which was first introduced in the Hardcano 3 and the Volcano 7+ HSF. The controller is a three position switch that can be used for any 3-pin tailed fan. The Thermaltake website suggests that the fan speed controller can be used for a CPU fan, but since fan and the one in the power supply are critical for basic cooling and I would not recommend it. The brown connector with the yellow lead is to be plugged into a spare motherboard header or 3 to 4 pin connector and the fan you wish to control is plugged into the white connector.

4-pin molex PSU connector

Thermal probe sensor

The sensor wire from the thermal probe measures 100 cm and should be long enough to reach under any central component-heating source. The wires attached to the probe are thin enough to reach underneath the CPU without mis-seating the chip or under tight areas located on the front or back of a hard drive.