Lamptron FC4 Fan Controller -Review-
Lamptron FC4 Fan Controller
My Scythe "KAZE MASTER" FC just hit the dirt and was looking for something simple yet able to handle Koolance fans with ease. Lets see how the FC4 performed.
Manufacturer's specs
Quote:
It seems that all the things is decreasing recently. Pay attention to this boy, it will decrease your cost and decrease the noise of your computer effectively. But the function of FC4 is increased ! Lamptron FC4 is designed for what you want at these special days
FEATURES
- Normal output 20 Watt per channel
- 4 fan adjustable function
- Various knobs designed to control the brightness
Dimension: 148.5mm*43mm*65mm (5.25" Bay)
Max Power: 20W per channel
Control Channel: 4 Channels
DC Input: + 12V(Standard 4- Pin Connector)
DC Output: 0V- 12V DC
LED Indicator: 4x Blue LED
Fan Connectors: 4 pcs
Fan RPM Knobs: 4 pcs
COLOR AVAILABLE: Black Aluminium anodized and Aluminium Silver
Packaging
The materials used to package the fan controller were mediocre at best. The plastic screen that displays the FC4 was glued to the thin boxing and came apart when I opened it up. However, the fan controller was placed around Styrofoam with the accessories carefully set aside the sides of the box.
What is included
- (1) FC4 Fan Controller
- (4) Black screws for mounting into 5.25" drive bay
- (1) Molex cable connector [~8 inches]
- (4) 3-pin fan extension cables [~19 inches]
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Here you can see the black anodized aluminum. The lettering and fan markings are fairly easy to read within a close distance.
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One of the great things about the FC4 is that it supports up to 20W per channel.
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Installation
Since the FC4 uses shorter 5.25" bay supports, it might be a little hard to fit snugly into the bay slot. My Coolermaster ATCS 840 tool-less bay supports didn't lock the controller into the drive bay, so I had to use a few of the provided screws to screw it into place. Not a biggie as I had to do the same with my Kaze Master.
I liked how you can simply attach the fan's 3-pin connector directly to the controller without the need of 'special' cables. It does come with four extensions just in case you need the extra wire. :)
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Testing
Since I have no way to measure the RPM of the Koolance fans, I am basing my findings merely on sight, sound, and touch.
When cranked all the way, I can definitely tell my fans are running near their 2600RPM limit. After turning it down to 50%, the fan controller does a decent job keeping the fans near tolerable sound level. As you turn the dial, the LED will increase in brightness. The LEDs are not blinding when on full, however if you look at certain angles it might appear to be a little bright.
Summary
At around $20, this is a terrific budget fan controller. I wasn't able to test whether or not the fan controller supports up to 20W per channel but I was able to run all 3 of my Koolance high-speed fans without any issues. I did notice that once you get past 50%, the LED brightness doesn't increase. So it is hard to tell if your fans are running at full or somewhere in between. Even though the dial markings are readable in dim lighting, the notch on the dial isn't. Lamptron should have it white or at least larger so that it would be easier to read.
[+] Price
[+] Overall quality of the controller
[+] Easy installation
[+] Ability to turn fans completely off
[-] Hard to read fan settings, even up close
[-] LEDs don't increase in brightness past 50%
[-] Subpar packaging
