Zalman ZM-MFC2 Multi Fan Controller - bit-tech.net Forums

Tim S · 25th Nov 2007, 08:59

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...n_controller/1

Zalman reinvents the fan controller - transforming it from something boring and unappealing into a sleek, multifunctional panel with a cool looking LCD display. But what if it's all bling and no follow through?

Asulc · 25th Nov 2007, 09:09

Too bad...It looks amazing, and I might have bought it if not for that.

mm vr · 25th Nov 2007, 09:16

I were nearly buying this thing once! I'm really happy I didn't...
It sure looks cool and the idea is great but if the LCD panel is that bad it's not worth the money.

johnnyboy700 · 25th Nov 2007, 10:32

Damn, I was all set to buy this little beauty, shame its naff. Oh well I guess I'll spluge the Â£35 on something else then.

Bindibadgi · 25th Nov 2007, 10:43

Once they fix it I'll be sure to tell you then

steveo_mcg · 25th Nov 2007, 10:46

tbh i'd probably have bought it despite the viewing angle if it had OS level recording. But then i'm a sucker for statistics and graphs.

mrb_no1 · 25th Nov 2007, 12:39

whilst it looks great and appeals to the exhbitionist crowd in the computer world, a few years ago a bought the Akasa AK FC-03 Fan Controller Pro and it tells me fan speed, tempartures if i wanted to connect the temp nodes (x4) and has the usual fan failing alarm system etc and in my opinion as a 'practical application' is much better than the zalman one reviewed, plus the 4 knobs make it easier to turn all 4 fans (2x120mm hdd cooling, 1x 120mmcpu cooler, 1x120mm GPU cooler) to max when gaming really quickly and easily, the zalman wouldnt appear to be quicte so quick as control has to be shifted to each fan through one control knob.

As for viewing angle that is resticted slightly as the screen is set back some 5-8mm so the facia gets in the way but there are no magic 8's to be seen at all.

IMO the akasa is better for £30, but if you solely want something that looks nicer the zalman is the obvious choice, but for doing what it says on the tin i'd favour the AKASA due to a delightful experience (as much as that is possible with a fan speed controller :P )

@Bit-tech staffing - Might it be worth the bit-tech review possy checking out these one's...
http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/...ntrollers.html
the mCubed T Balancer BigNG ones as i was interested in knowing if they are anygood at all as they can be hidden behind a facia this leaving the front of a pc nice and sleek. And i think i read that they can be used to regulate the water pump on a water cooled system also...interesting, but is the hardware/software combination reliable and/or worth the money, who knows?

peace

speedfreek · 25th Nov 2007, 14:14

I found that only the cheap fan controllers actually work. After trying out one of those piece of crap ultra fan commanders, which I read good reviews for, it was complete crap. I thought I was going to crush the thing putting it in and when I got it working one of the buttons broke the first time I tried using it, this is after I realized the poor build quality and took extra care not to smash the thing. And then it kept crashing, freezing up and shutting off all your fans. It didn't matter how long you computer was on but it would just stop without any warning, your case temperatures would skyrocket and if you didn't have your cpu fan plugged direct to the motherboard then things would get really really hot.

I found since then that all fan controllers are crap and at least not to get anything that can actually shut off your fans or even worse your cpu fan. I suspect that this will have the same problems as my fan commander and that its not worth it.

Bindibadgi · 25th Nov 2007, 14:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrb_no1

@Bit-tech staffing - Might it be worth the bit-tech review possy checking out these one's...
http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/...ntrollers.html
the mCubed T Balancer BigNG ones as i was interested in knowing if they are anygood at all as they can be hidden behind a facia this leaving the front of a pc nice and sleek. And i think i read that they can be used to regulate the water pump on a water cooled system also...interesting, but is the hardware/software combination reliable and/or worth the money, who knows?

peace

The last Vadim we looked at had one of these in, it needs to be properly configured to work right (theirs wasnt) but once it does work it's arguably the best out there. It was regulating the entire water and fan system

Blademrk · 25th Nov 2007, 15:28

How about keeping one for case reviews? that way we can find out how the tool-less cases handle half length bay devices...

Bluephoenix · 25th Nov 2007, 16:22

I like my NZXT Sentry, same sort of deal, but more readable

keir · 25th Nov 2007, 17:47

Was going to get this a week ago, so glad I didn't.
The viewing angle is just pants.

Omnituens · 25th Nov 2007, 18:56

thats a real shame.... i need a fan controller too.

Hazardous · 25th Nov 2007, 19:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omnituens

thats a real shame.... i need a fan controller too.

There are literally dozens of others to choose from... including the original ZM-MFC1 +/or ZM-MFC1 Plus

Brooxy · 25th Nov 2007, 19:30

Why do I keep looking at it and thinking that it would be good to have a volume control included as a function for the dial, and play back info for music?

Anywho, I was tempted by this like many others to replace my akasa controller, but it looks like i'll still be some time before a replacement..

wharrad · 25th Nov 2007, 19:32

Big fan of the T-Balancer aye. Got to admit that the software is a bit buggy, and it's a pain to get it setup... But once it's done it's a really good fan controller you can forget about.

It doesn't have an LCD, but personally prefer a more software LCD Smartie type of setup... You just get a nicer design (in my option) and more usable output... Ach, beyond that, if you have time, even one of those modded PSOne screens is more useful and pretty in my opinion...

However, looks like a good attempt by Zalman to put something more consumer friendly together... shame about the viewing angle.

r4tch3t · 26th Nov 2007, 08:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Article

In addition there’s no voltage monitoring either – this can be done considering the unit is powered by a Molex which contains -12V, +12V and +5V

Slight mistake here, there is no -12V on the Molex... or is there???

I have never really seen the point in Fan controllers personally.

[USRF]Obiwan · 26th Nov 2007, 13:33

Well if you look at the shots from zalman here are they misleading custommers this way.

Are there any other fan controllers with 4 temp probes and avarage power wattage measuring?

Bindibadgi · 26th Nov 2007, 13:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by r4tch3t

Slight mistake here, there is no -12V on the Molex... or is there???

I have never really seen the point in Fan controllers personally.

Yep, I meant ground, there's no -12V on a molex.

Obi - no, that's why this is so disappointing: so much potential but it just fails on the one thing.

malam · 12th Jan 2008, 22:04

I did purchase the Zalman ZM-MFC2 controller and thought something was wrong with it until I read the review on this forum. Yes, the viewing angle is not the best especially if your computer is on a floor. I moved the Zalman to the top drive bay of my system and that seems to help. Once you get over the viewing angle issue, the unit is awesome. I like the fact that it has the power meter also and it does not require a software. Its well built and very easy to setup too. You can dial down your fans to the lowest (actually until they stop spinning) to regulate the noise level.

25th Nov 2007, 08:59	#1
Tim S Pewlius Caesar bit-tech Staff Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ascot, Berks Posts: 18,021	Zalman ZM-MFC2 Multi Fan Controller http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...n_controller/1 Zalman reinvents the fan controller - transforming it from something boring and unappealing into a sleek, multifunctional panel with a cool looking LCD display. But what if it's all bling and no follow through? __________________ Tim on Twitter \| Tim's Blog \| Tim's Flickr The bit-tech Blog \| bit-tech on Twitter \| Join the bit-tech & Custom PC folding team (#35947)

25th Nov 2007, 09:09	#2
Asulc Learning to mod Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: United States Posts: 379	Too bad...It looks amazing, and I might have bought it if not for that. __________________ ~Asulc~

25th Nov 2007, 09:16	#3
mm vr The cake is a lie Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Finland Posts: 2,214	I were nearly buying this thing once! I'm really happy I didn't... It sure looks cool and the idea is great but if the LCD panel is that bad it's not worth the money. __________________ Q9550 @ stock \|\| Asus P5Q Pro \|\| 4x 2GB Corsair XMS2 800MHz CL4 \|\| Radeon 4870 512MB \|\| Asus Xonar DX \|\| 2x WD 640GB \|\| Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme \|\| Corsair HX620 \|\| Antec P182 \|\| Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit

25th Nov 2007, 10:43	#5
Bindibadgi Richard Swinburne bit-tech Staff Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Omnipwntent Posts: 28,274	Once they fix it I'll be sure to tell you then __________________ Made you look, made you stare, made you clicked this in your underwear! Den of Geek!

25th Nov 2007, 10:46	#6
steveo_mcg What owl? Join Date: May 2005 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 3,988	tbh i'd probably have bought it despite the viewing angle if it had OS level recording. But then i'm a sucker for statistics and graphs. __________________ No boom today, boom tomorrow... there's always a boom tomorrow.

25th Nov 2007, 10:32	#4
johnnyboy700 Hypermodder Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 788	Damn, I was all set to buy this little beauty, shame its naff. Oh well I guess I'll spluge the Â£35 on something else then.

25th Nov 2007, 12:39	#7
mrb_no1 Pie Eater Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pyrford, England Posts: 365	whilst it looks great and appeals to the exhbitionist crowd in the computer world, a few years ago a bought the Akasa AK FC-03 Fan Controller Pro and it tells me fan speed, tempartures if i wanted to connect the temp nodes (x4) and has the usual fan failing alarm system etc and in my opinion as a 'practical application' is much better than the zalman one reviewed, plus the 4 knobs make it easier to turn all 4 fans (2x120mm hdd cooling, 1x 120mmcpu cooler, 1x120mm GPU cooler) to max when gaming really quickly and easily, the zalman wouldnt appear to be quicte so quick as control has to be shifted to each fan through one control knob. As for viewing angle that is resticted slightly as the screen is set back some 5-8mm so the facia gets in the way but there are no magic 8's to be seen at all. IMO the akasa is better for £30, but if you solely want something that looks nicer the zalman is the obvious choice, but for doing what it says on the tin i'd favour the AKASA due to a delightful experience (as much as that is possible with a fan speed controller :P ) @Bit-tech staffing - Might it be worth the bit-tech review possy checking out these one's... http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/...ntrollers.html the mCubed T Balancer BigNG ones as i was interested in knowing if they are anygood at all as they can be hidden behind a facia this leaving the front of a pc nice and sleek. And i think i read that they can be used to regulate the water pump on a water cooled system also...interesting, but is the hardware/software combination reliable and/or worth the money, who knows? peace __________________ Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 3600Mhz ¦ Asus Maximus II Formula ¦ ATI Radeon 4890 (1000Mhz Core + 1200Mhz Mem OC) ¦ 2x2G Corsair Dom. PC 8500 @ 1080Mhz ¦ Aquacomputer WC ¦ Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty ¦ 150G Raptor, 2x1500 + 1x750 + 2x500 Seagate (SATA2) ¦ Pioneer DVD burner ¦ Lian Li - PC 73SL Aluminium Silent Server Case ¦ Dell 2007WFP 20" Widescreen ¦ Logitech Z-5500 5.1 Speakers ¦ Sennheiser HD270

25th Nov 2007, 14:14	#8
speedfreek Ultramodder Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: SE Wisconsin (us) Posts: 1,439	I found that only the cheap fan controllers actually work. After trying out one of those piece of crap ultra fan commanders, which I read good reviews for, it was complete crap. I thought I was going to crush the thing putting it in and when I got it working one of the buttons broke the first time I tried using it, this is after I realized the poor build quality and took extra care not to smash the thing. And then it kept crashing, freezing up and shutting off all your fans. It didn't matter how long you computer was on but it would just stop without any warning, your case temperatures would skyrocket and if you didn't have your cpu fan plugged direct to the motherboard then things would get really really hot. I found since then that all fan controllers are crap and at least not to get anything that can actually shut off your fans or even worse your cpu fan. I suspect that this will have the same problems as my fan commander and that its not worth it. __________________ New Rig, Quad Core and 8800 baby! Now with 6gb of RAM and a nice even 2tb now my server\|Athlon 64 3700(2.64ghz)\|7800gs\|2gb XMS 2-3-3-6\|2tb+ total HD space... In raid\|I have a problem. New Laptop: HP EliteBook, its fast!

25th Nov 2007, 15:28	#10
Blademrk Why so serious? Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Here Posts: 2,359	How about keeping one for case reviews? that way we can find out how the tool-less cases handle half length bay devices... __________________ The Bit-Tech.net X-Box Live! Leaderboard My X-Box Live & X-Fire GamerTag: BladeMRK WII#: 0379 8536 3210 2060 My Flikr albums Twitter

25th Nov 2007, 16:22	#11
Bluephoenix Spoon? What spoon? Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Daytona Beach, FL Posts: 936	I like my NZXT Sentry, same sort of deal, but more readable

25th Nov 2007, 17:47	#12
keir S p i t F i r e Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Middlesbrough \| UK Posts: 3,069	Was going to get this a week ago, so glad I didn't. The viewing angle is just pants. __________________ Latest project ¦ Project \| Black-SpitFire ¦ 89% still Move house clear out, buy my stuff! 360 Games for sale UV . Silent . waterCooled - AMD 64 X2 4800+ . 2GB DDR400 . DFI SLi-dr . BFG 8800 GTX WC . Audigy2 ZS

25th Nov 2007, 18:56	#13
Omnituens Supermodder Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stockport Posts: 411	thats a real shame.... i need a fan controller too. __________________ Current Rig: i7 D0 2.66GHz, 6GB 1066MHz Corsair "Dominator", 285 GTX.

25th Nov 2007, 19:30	#15
Brooxy Powered by the PG Monkey... Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,255	Why do I keep looking at it and thinking that it would be good to have a volume control included as a function for the dial, and play back info for music? Anywho, I was tempted by this like many others to replace my akasa controller, but it looks like i'll still be some time before a replacement.. __________________ Scorpion - Opteron 146 - 1GB RAM - 120GB Maxtor ATA133 HDD - 8x DVD-RW - 16x DVDROM - nVidia 7800 GTX Graphics - Gigabyte GA-K8N51GMF-9 Mobo - Undergoing Case Mod Phoenix - Toshiba A120 - 1.73 Celeron (Dothan) - 1GB RAM - 60GB HDD - ATi 200m Graphics Salamander - Intel Pentium III @ 733MHz - 256Mb RAM - Total HDD @ 80Gb

25th Nov 2007, 19:32	#16
wharrad Hypermodder Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Burford, Oxfordshire Posts: 866	Big fan of the T-Balancer aye. Got to admit that the software is a bit buggy, and it's a pain to get it setup... But once it's done it's a really good fan controller you can forget about. It doesn't have an LCD, but personally prefer a more software LCD Smartie type of setup... You just get a nicer design (in my option) and more usable output... Ach, beyond that, if you have time, even one of those modded PSOne screens is more useful and pretty in my opinion... However, looks like a good attempt by Zalman to put something more consumer friendly together... shame about the viewing angle. __________________ Jimmy Carr - "It's easier to get forgiveness than permission"

26th Nov 2007, 13:33	#18
[USRF]Obiwan Ultramodder Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,220	Well if you look at the shots from zalman here are they misleading custommers this way. Are there any other fan controllers with 4 temp probes and avarage power wattage measuring? __________________ Mascleta: "The most accurate simulation of thunder, humans can simulate..." The answer is 42, so... whats the question again? If you know what 'Peek' and 'Poke' represents, then you are probably as old as me.

12th Jan 2008, 22:04	#20
malam What's a Dremel? Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2	I did purchase the Zalman ZM-MFC2 controller and thought something was wrong with it until I read the review on this forum. Yes, the viewing angle is not the best especially if your computer is on a floor. I moved the Zalman to the top drive bay of my system and that seems to help. Once you get over the viewing angle issue, the unit is awesome. I like the fact that it has the power meter also and it does not require a software. Its well built and very easy to setup too. You can dial down your fans to the lowest (actually until they stop spinning) to regulate the noise level.