Sydney
2λчиэλ
+783|7114|Reykjavík, Iceland.
Ok, so I'm going to pimp up my PC with a shitload of fans soon, but I need a good fan control device, here are the ones that are available for me:

Thermaltake HardCano 12 SE
http://tolvutaekni.is/product_info.php? … cts_id=606

Zalman ZM-MFC2
http://start.is/product_info.php?cPath= … cts_id=810

EZ-Cool Explorer-FX3
http://kisildalur.is/?p=2&id=541

The fans that I will be controlling will be my CPU fan, a Scythe Ultrakaze 120mm, a yet to be decided 120x120x25 fan for my Thermalright HR-03, and perhaps one or two more fans for extraction or airflow.

Leaning towards the Zalman at the moment, any comments?
~{TPP}~richoxon
I Want a New Duck
+43|6838|Up a tree
shitload of fans = pimp     !!!

me thinks not
TheEternalPessimist
Wibble
+412|6891|Mhz

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showprodu … =BB-000-SY

^My current one ^, looks really nice, does loads of colours, controls 4 fans and monitors their speed, has a warning alarm should any fail, monitors 4 temperature points and if u want it, has a volume knob for you audio which I don't use but its there anyway. Only down side is it only does fans with 3 pin connectors, which most are anyway.
Freezer7Pro
I don't come here a lot anymore.
+1,447|6468|Winland

I have the ZM-MFC1 (That is an ZM-MFC1 btw), and it's great. It's analog, so it doesn't have the delay problems that many of the digital ones have, it's really quick to adjust (No need to button around in menus), and it's not all too flashy, six blue LEDs and wheels/switches in a row. It also tends to go down to about 4v on the wheels, so it allows for quieter operation than most. The only problem I've had with it, is that one LED broke, but that's because I wired it wrong.

I highly recommend it.
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
RoosterCantrell
Goodbye :)
+399|6751|Somewhere else

Freezer7Pro wrote:

I have the ZM-MFC1 (That is an ZM-MFC1 btw), and it's great. It's analog, so it doesn't have the delay problems that many of the digital ones have, it's really quick to adjust (No need to button around in menus), and it's not all too flashy, six blue LEDs and wheels/switches in a row. It also tends to go down to about 4v on the wheels, so it allows for quieter operation than most. The only problem I've had with it, is that one LED broke, but that's because I wired it wrong.

I highly recommend it.
I have the same one.  The LEDs when cranked up are BRIGHT.  Not blinding by anymeans, but can dominate a dark room.  Plus, the two switches on the end are 12v/OFF/4v, which just should have been two more knobs.  One final thing, the back panel has heatsinks that get hot HOT. 

That's the bad things on the Zalman. I am also gonna say that they are MINOR issues, and I love this controller alot.  My computer is aging, and once I build a new one, I'll either steal this one, or buy another one.

I do believe that the switches are direct wired to the fan by tightening screws, and NO connector.  I may be wrong on this...just a heads up.
Sydney
2λчиэλ
+783|7114|Reykjavík, Iceland.
Yeah, got the Zalman.

Put in my new Scythe Ultrakaze, connected it with 3pin to the knob, works like a charm, silent on 5v and extremely loud and well cooling on 12v.

Trying to connect the back case fans (molex connectors) to the switches, so got a male molex plug, cut off the yellow and black wires and screwed the red and black wires into the screw connectors on the fan controller.

Turns out that the red and black wires on my case fans actually connect to the yellow and other black wire on the other molex.

/facepalm

I'll see if I can somehow get it working
']['error
Banned
+630|6915|The Netherlands
Heard some really bad things about the zalman. The analog switches and the leds tend to break very fast.
Freezer7Pro
I don't come here a lot anymore.
+1,447|6468|Winland

']['error wrote:

Heard some really bad things about the zalman. The analog switches and the leds tend to break very fast.
I've had mine for over a year, and they're as stiff as new.
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
Sydney
2λчиэλ
+783|7114|Reykjavík, Iceland.

Freezer7Pro wrote:

']['error wrote:

Heard some really bad things about the zalman. The analog switches and the leds tend to break very fast.
I've had mine for over a year, and they're as stiff as new.
Freezer, how did you screw in the wires on? Was it a molex fan that you took 2 wires from the molex connector? I'm trying to get mine to control 2 fans that only have molex.
Freezer7Pro
I don't come here a lot anymore.
+1,447|6468|Winland

PBAsydney wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

']['error wrote:

Heard some really bad things about the zalman. The analog switches and the leds tend to break very fast.
I've had mine for over a year, and they're as stiff as new.
Freezer, how did you screw in the wires on? Was it a molex fan that you took 2 wires from the molex connector? I'm trying to get mine to control 2 fans that only have molex.
For the 5/12v swtiches?
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
Sydney
2λчиэλ
+783|7114|Reykjavík, Iceland.

Freezer7Pro wrote:

PBAsydney wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

I've had mine for over a year, and they're as stiff as new.
Freezer, how did you screw in the wires on? Was it a molex fan that you took 2 wires from the molex connector? I'm trying to get mine to control 2 fans that only have molex.
For the 5/12v swtiches?
Yes, as I wrote earlier, I apparently cut the wrong molex wires (no biggie, I can get another one for free) or just mix the wires together somehow.
Freezer7Pro
I don't come here a lot anymore.
+1,447|6468|Winland

PBAsydney wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

PBAsydney wrote:


Freezer, how did you screw in the wires on? Was it a molex fan that you took 2 wires from the molex connector? I'm trying to get mine to control 2 fans that only have molex.
For the 5/12v swtiches?
Yes, as I wrote earlier, I apparently cut the wrong molex wires (no biggie, I can get another one for free) or just mix the wires together somehow.
Well, black goes to black and red to red. If it's a fan that has been plugged to a MOLEX connector, it should only have two wires.
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP
Sydney
2λчиэλ
+783|7114|Reykjavík, Iceland.
Problem solved

Yellow goes into red
Black goes into black

Connected like this:
==

Or else it will connect like so:
=
  =

which doesn't do a thing

Works like a charm now, all 3 casefans are connected to the fan controller, w00t.

If only it had 4pin fan header support so I could use it for my GPU and CPU fans as well, using that clever RPM monitoring Y chord for the mainboard and vid card PCB.

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