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Product:
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Thermaltake Hardcano 5 HD Cooler |
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Price:
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$53 (CAN) / $35 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Thermaltake
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Author:
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Shennon
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Date:
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June 22nd, 2002
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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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Installation is fairly straightforward, all that is required is to place the hard drive into the Hardcano 5 and secure it and the top plate
with eight 6-32 screws. The next step is to plug the power cable and IDE cable and you should be ready for operation. Unlike the Kingwin
series hard drive coolers that MTB previously reviewed, the rear Hardcano 5 is not enclosed and does not limit the airflow to exhaust hot
air out of the back.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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After completing the installation, I have come to the conclusion that if you have colour themed your case, you might run into the
problem of having the Hardcano 5 stick out like a sore thumb. You could modify the front bezel if you wanted but this unit is really
suited to match those individuals with aluminum cases. For testing the cooling capabilities of the Hardcano 5, I will be using my Samsung
8 GB hard drive. It is reasonably old as far as hard drives go, and does heat up quickly which is great for this type of application. I
installed the Hardcano 5 thermal probe on the top side of my hard drive, which is the best location for a good heat source. For raising
the temperatures, I ran series of Microsoft Disk Defragmenter tests to keep the drive active. In order to have comparable temperature
readings, I also placed the probe on the under side of my hard drive to see how effectively the Hardcano 5 cools. The bottom of the hard
drive is made from cast aluminum with the PCB mounted externally. I stuck the probe on the only area not covered by the board.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The testing does show a decent drop in temperatures, for both the top and bottom of the hard drive. To test the three position fan control
switch, I took the original stock CPU cooler and separated the monitoring wire to its own 3-pin connector as I had suggested earlier. I
hooked the power end to the Hardcano 5 and the monitoring wire to a spare motherboard header. The fan speeds were recorded using Asus Probe
v2.15 and were recorded at peak speeds.
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CPU RPM Fan Testing
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| Low: | 1318 RPM |
| Medium: | 2136 RPM |
| High: | 2960 RPM |
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Conclusion:
Thermaltake's Hardcano 5 which is the latest offering to the Hardcano series of HD coolers is impressive. With the supplied instructions and diagrams, most consumers
should have no problems with the installation. The three position fan controller switch and the thermal probe are both a welcome addition to
the unit and most people should be able to find practical uses for both. Aesthetically, the Hardcano 5 is a great looking unit, especially
with the gold anodized top plate. Unless you are an owner of a clear acrylic PC, or you have a top mounted window, the beauty of the top plate will
be lost visually once installed inside a case. I would have preferred some backlighting to the thermal probe in order to see temperature
readings at night. The length of the probe should be long enough to reach most locations for complete system temperature monitoring.
The downside of this product is price; $60.00 CDN is a steep price to pay, especially when there are newer hard drive coolers on the market
such as the Vantec EZ-Swap and Kingwin 201-DF which incorperate a programmable LCD display and temperature monitoring alarms. Personal
preference should dictate your decision as to which hard drive cooler is right for you. Aside from a few minor issues, I'm rating this product
a 9 out of 10 and would only recommend this product for those individuals that
want a good cooling solution for dissipating heat from hot hard drives. If you have any questions regarding this review be sure to visit
the Thermaltake website for more information or discuss them in our
forums.
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Pros:
- Temperature monitors
- Three position fan controller switch
- Thin thermal sensors to mount virtually anywhere
- Aluminum construction matches most aluminum cases
- Instruction sheet included
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Cons:
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