Fan Controller Showdown: Vantec Nexus vs. Kingwin Thermal Center!!!

IN THE RED CORNER, weighing in at 19.50 (shipping incl.) at newegg... THE VANTEC Nexus Fan Controller Panel (model NXP-201)

IN THE BLUE CORNER, weighing in at 34.99 (shipping incl.) at newegg... THE KINGWIN Fan Controller Panel, Model TC-02S

Nexus PROS
- cheaper
- better looking overall, IMO
- manual rheostat control offers more precision over voltage
- has 4 channels
- Vantec reputation (they make great cases, compared to Kingwin, IMO)

Nexus CONS
- one must reach over to the case to adjust fan speeds for low noise/performance cooling
- Vantec reputation (older nexus models have killed computers)

Kingwin PROS
- Fans will adjust their speed automatically to temperature diodes you place in your case (no reaching over/forgetting to crank up when you are deathmatching)
- Pretty display

Kingwin CONS
- more expensive
- buttons look flimsy (haven't seen in person though)
- only 3 channels (in comparison)
- less control over fans' voltage means you can't make things "as quiet as is safe" for a movie
- weird panel design means it won't matchup well in texture with other bezels in my Antec P160 case (and many others')
- this is a first-generation temp-sensing fan control product, so something better looking/offering more control may be coming out soon...

WHO WILL WIN??? Which shall I choose for my fan-controlling needs?!? YOU CAN FEEL THE TENSION IN THE AIR FOLKS!!!

... so what do ya think?

i got a THE VANTEC Nexus and it sweet. i turn mine all the way down and my temp's only go up like 2 c. so that is my pick. and it looks sweet

the nexus 201 lowers the fans to 7 volts i believe,not 0 volts.i have the 205,same thing but smaller to fit in a floppy bay.

it is 7 i have my box right here it says

spec's

Input Voltage 12V+/- 10%
Output Voltage 7V+/- 20% - 12V+/- 5%
Output Current Up to 1.5A

this is for the NXP-201-SL which the 205 should be the same

i just seen i paid $29.99 plus Tax

ty dead_man311,nexus scores a point.lol

i knew keeping the box around would come in handy. other than showing me i got ripped for buying it at a store

groovy, updating the PRO/CON sections now...

what made you choose the smaller 205 over the 201? there's a reviewer for the 205 on newegg who switched to a 201 "for better performance"

I like looks of the 201 more than the 205 (namely the knobs' shape), but not by much...

and here's a pic for those who don't know what we're talking about:
"The Vantec 205 Fan controller"

i chose the 205 because i only had a 3.5 bay available for it.i put the nexus 101 multi-funtion controller in the 5.25 bay.almost everyone has an unused 3.5 available.

does the 205 make a repetitive snap, or crackley noise as it turns down the voltage? this is a common problem i keep seeing pop up in 201 reviews... ?

nope.no snap or noticeable buzz from the controller. maybe that was a prob. with early editions.

mine dont make any sound i have a older 201. had id for around a yr or more

well,so far it looks like the nexus has the kingwin on the mat....lol

it seems that way , but actually we haven't heard ANY opinions yet on the Kingwin...

I realize not many own one yet - but that doesn't mean you can't like/hate it in a biased/uninformed manner anyway

(there's a review for the kingwin on the overclockers.com frontpage if you're interested in more info)

id like to see some input on the Kingwin to. they have some desent looking heatsink's with a good price on them to

The Kingwin looks nice, but I opted for the Vantec 205 because It fit's in a 3.5" bay. My Lian Li towers have six 5" bays, but I need everyone of them for other toys...

conversely... i'm actually worried about using up my second, and last 3.5" bay... A floppy disc is still the only way to go when transferring documents at my university, so I've gotta keep the floppy drive... using up the only other slot there would leave me with no expansion room! On the other hand, I should have 2 free 5.25" bays when my P160 comes in...

chixofnix,
i did read the review on the kingwin at overclockers.com and it was a positive review.however it did enlighten me to the fact it only controls the fans thermally.some folks might love that feature(just set it and forget it) but personally i prefer to dial in the fan speed manually. i realize that a lot of people run their pc 24/7 and would appreciate less noise at night.

yea i agree, i would want the options to adjust the fan speed manually.

I just got the Nexus 205 today.
Although I have no point of comparison, I like it alot.
VERY useful for turning down the four 80mm tornados I just installed.

Well it seems the general consensus is that "control is better than convenience..."

It seems the nexus 205 will win this round, as I'm inclined to trust my fellow poster's opinions... though I am disappointed that no Kingwin owners showed up to give us a perhaps objective view of that alternative... (It must be acknowledged that if we only hear opinions from nexus owners then there must be some bias towards the equipment money was spent on)

At any rate, I'm gonna go for the nexus myself... and hope that 7V is low enough for relative silence in my case

Thanks for the input, as always, my fellow Fan-controller... erm... controllers!!!