Hardware mCubed HFX-112 T-Balancer MiniNG Review

This dual-channel fan controller can keep your PC cool and quiet via temperature-controlled magic!


http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cooling/2010/08/22/mcubed-t-balancer-mining-fan-controller/1

 

Fully automated cooling? Zero user interaction? Yes please!

Shame it's a bit hard to setup. Apart from this minor flaw, I can see this being a must for all normal (those who don't do benchmark 24/7) users.

 

Are you sure this runs 100W per channel? As the mCube website says its 20W.

 

from their website:
http://www.t-balancer.com/english/bng.htm

im a confused.... does it have software or not? are those connectors by the potentiometers? also, what is a T-Balancer, if MiniNG isn't one?

 

In PWM mode it's 100W combined or 50W per channel. In analogue it's 20W per channel or 25W combined. During short periods it can handle a lot more. Also these limits depend on the cooling it receives.

I've had a couple of them but sold them when I gave up watercooling (my passive hfx-mini rendered my watercooled rig obsolete). I mounted my miniNGs on old AMD stock coolers and had no problems running 2x 18W DDCs per miniNG. Not even during startup when they draw a whole lot more than 18W.

They might be expensive, but if you need the high output you don't have too many options. At least they're cheaper than a similar aquacomputer setup. Although I still feel they should be more user friendly and have a higher analog output, and/or a lower price.

Also it's a shame that you can't control more than one through a bigNG...

EDIT:

It doesn't have software control, it's big brother T-balancer bigNG does and with a bigNG you can control a miniNG through software.

 

*cough* Austrians speak German, not 'Austrian'.

I've been curious about mCubed's products for quite a long time, (the more comprehensive ones) but the niggling little difficulties and complexities I've heard about have always put me off - and I can't say this has really changed my mind to be honest.

I'm probably just lazy...

 

Sounds interesting, now I'd really like to know more about the bigger T-Balancer with software configuration.

Seems to be the norm with a lot of German/Austrian hardware, that they're really functional if you know how to use them but a pain in the @$$ to learn. I had an Alphacool front LCD screen years ago and it was almost useless for that very reason. Plus it doesn't help if you don't speak German - all the useful support forums are in German.

 

I'd still prefer using Speedfan over this, because of the digital speed levels and ability to read out fan RPM, etc. Even though it's a good attempt!

 

Nice to see something new and different, but I'm perfectly happy with the motherboard fan controllers these days.

 

I was just wondering if you could run a D5 off one of the BigNG units?

 

my lian-li pc-a77b came with an automated fan controller, shame it was terrible.... the temp sensors seemed to report bad data every so often which would send the alarm off on the fan controller.... would wake me up in the night... so i dont use it anymore.

 

From mCubed:
"Specifications:
dimensions: 88x88x16mm
weight: 150g
max. current: 7A
max. power: 80W (PWM)/20W (analogue)
power per channel: 40W (PWM)/20W (analogue)"

D5's start up power draw is 24W... So if you should be fine if you don't use anything else... you should be you'll also need to change/adapt the D5's molex plug to a fan plug.

With improved cooling the Balancer can put out more power, it has 4 power chips and a temperature sensor under it's Al heat sink, so as long as you ensure any change of sink keeps the connection between the power chips and the temperature sensor it'll auto shut off if you put to high a load through it... of course that would mean that the water cooling you're relying on to keep your components cool is now purely pumped by convection...

 

the mini by itself is not the best. I've been running the T-Balancer (BigNg) for 2 years now with 6 fans connected to it and my pump connected via some other kit that I can't remember the name of but Mcubed sells.

I'm really happy. The software was a little hurdle, but other than that I run my system on curves that I set up and have both digital and analog thermometers spread through the insides and on blocks and 1 on each rad wall. Does the job and I don't have to worry about it. The configurations are endless with the BigNg.

The Mini I feel is really meant to work with the Big and if ytou're running the Mini by itself it's really cumbersome.

 

What I may do is get the BigNG to rin my fans off then get a MiniNG to just run the pump, as it seems to have a bigger heatsink so it should deal with the power draw better. If I got the Vario version of the D% would if draw less wattage at lower settings?

 

Been using a BigNG and MiniNG for a good while, at least 3 years cause i've not been able to afford anything new since the birth of my daughter - she's 3 1/2yo now

The software was always the issue with the T-balancer stuff, i got it working in sorts but never to the level i would have liked. Mine is more of a Boost when hitting hi temps, then temps drop so fans slow, then another boost... not ideal but works ok. Got a Xbox there days for gaming so PC doesn't get much heat generating action any more.. This is on a dual loop setup controlling 6 120mm fans for the rads, I left the two D5's on there own not being controlled.

 

they speak Österreichisches Deutsch in Austria - or austrians peopleish

 

If you're going to be running just the pump off one device then you might be better with their fan-amp, it isn't very smart, has a few different setting options, one converts a fan signal (eg from your MoBo/BigNG) 7-12v into 0-12v and gives it up to 25W output.

I'm not explaining this very well, but it would allow you to set up your curves for that channel in the BigNG then output that to the FanAmp that would power the pump (and cost less than a miniG) or you could control it using speed-fan etc. in windows.

 

I have the miniNG, but cant it get running at all, it doesnt eaven want to run the fans and pump via the potentiometers , nothing happens when i turn them clockwise or anti-clockwise !
I have it on manual mode ofc (no jumpers)

I would really need some help with this!