measuring heat, controlling fans

Okay so most of my kit is here or on order

the one thing I need to look at next is HEAT / Air flow / noise

So I have 2 x PA 120.3 top and bottom of the 800D
on each Rad I will have 3 x 120mm Fan .. as SILENT as possible

what do I need to use in the 2 loops to monitor the temps accurately
and to automatically (when I can't be assed)
and to manually adjust the fan speed across the rads

Seen a few fan control units for 2 x 5 1/4 inch bays .. touch screen and all funky stuff.

but what do you guys use ?


ta
OCD

Based on comments here I've recently bought the Sunbeam Rheobus Extreme http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=93&products_id=522 which is currently controlling 6 Rad fans, 2 exhaust fans, RAM cooler and an 80mm motherboard fan. I wanted a controller that could handle the wattage and this seemed to be the best one.

The only thing I don't like about it is that the voltage range starts at zero so I've had to mark each knob to show the minimum required for the fan(s) to spin. Also you might find the LEDs in each knob a bit garish if you're going for the understated look.

You don't necessarily need temperature monitoring in your loop unless it's just for your own curiosity. Using Coretemp / Realtemp to monitor the CPU is fine.

For fan control, I really like my Lamptron FC-5 (reviewed by Earthdog here). It has no auto control, but tells you fan RPM and either fan voltage or temperatures. If you don't need the screen, both the FC-2 and FC-3 are good controllers (both reviewed here). All three of these are at least 30W/channel (FC-2 is 45W/chan), so you don't have to worry about overloading them within reason.

If you really do want to monitor your loop, put one or two of these where you would like. Don't forget these to couple them to your equipment. The FC-5 has two-pin temp lead inputs and I've heard those are the correct thermistor for it, so readings should be accurate (NOT positive on that one).

To better match those water sensors and for automatic fan control, you could use the Aquaero 4.00. Watch the wattage you put on the channels though. "Channel 1 can handle up to 25W ... . The other three channels can handle a load of up to 15W." You have to buy the black face plate separately.

Monitoring with automatic fan control is an expensive and not necessarily needed proposition. What are you doing that will have temperatures swinging so much while you're away? Can you just turn the fans up a little bit while you're gone to save you from having to go that route?

hokiealumnus said:

Monitoring with automatic fan control is an expensive and not necessarily needed proposition. What are you doing that will have temperatures swinging so much while you're away? Can you just turn the fans up a little bit while you're gone to save you from having to go that route?

Click to expand...

Cheers Hokie ... I'm not doing nuffink .. honest ....

to be honest you are right I could just turn it up a few notches while I AFK ...

Have today spent over $3000.00 equivalent in £sterling on my new kit

not got the motherboard yet .. thats the only item left .. bloody Gigabyte

anyway, after spending all that, I just want to be sure that when I walk away from it for 5 minutes it doesn't up and implode on me for lack of some adequate cooling .. ya dig ?