Overclockers

mribnik · 10-12-04, 12:41 AM

I was looking at spcr and found a link for a review of the mcubed t balancer fan controller. Anybody ever heard of this? It's a software controlled fan controller! They have a few types...

That is one that goes into a PCI slot. How awesome is that?

Then you can control the speeds of the fans on their software. How freaking awesome is that?

Here's a link to the review...

http://www.hardware-test.dk/test_show.asp?id=3149

syberspy9 · 10-12-04, 12:56 AM

finaaly i have been looking for some one to make one of these.
but i wonder if it will hold tornadows? or 120mm's?
they shouls have sleeved the wires o 2 bad they cheaped out.
nice find.

but the wires seem short to me how can i hide them if there that short? i geus ppl will have to buy it then buy their own wires and srink wrap.

Voodoo Rufus · 10-12-04, 12:59 AM

It would have to be PWM to handle 15W/ch without a heatsink.

Rather nice unit. Doesn't say in the review if it will control the fans from startup but I like it.

mribnik · 10-12-04, 01:00 AM

I have no idea how you get them in the United States though. I popped them an email. They should be able to handle a tornado just fine. They are good for 15 watts per channel. Damn this thing is awesome. How to get one though....

lol, some guy on spcr said he got his fan to turn at 51 rpm's! This thing would be fun to play with! ergg!

EDIT: you can order them online at their international web shop! The pci one is $59 and the regular one is $65.

EDIT II: Another review...

http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&articID=223

Ad Rock · 10-12-04, 02:14 AM

This looks amazing. Perfect for a case that has no door if you wanna keep the stock apearance on the front. I also am wondering if it starts to control it at start-up.

warlock110 · 10-12-04, 02:20 AM

where in the US can i get this, dam, my nexus is giving me a hard time sleeping at night cuzz it so freaking bright. any one know how to turn off the led light on these fan controlers?

bobad · 10-12-04, 07:18 AM

Does it only control 4 fans? I'm a control freak, and want to control every fan including CPU and power supply.

L337 M33P · 10-12-04, 10:25 AM

Looks like my upcoming design is going to have a bit of competition :P

I already heard about this via email from the guy that wrote the review, and although massively useful and controllable 'n all it has one major setback - one fan per channel. You could somehow hack another fan on there with soldered wires and a bypassed RPM sensor, but that'd look ugly.

I am in the final design stages of making my own PCI-slot fan controller that runs off the parallel port with low-cost and readily available parts - simple PWM control, no fancy thermal monitoring but it should be about 1/2 the price of that (£50 for a fan controller = no thanks).

Other than that ir gonna get pwnd

mribnik · 10-12-04, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warlock110

where in the US can i get this, dam, my nexus is giving me a hard time sleeping at night cuzz it so freaking bright. any one know how to turn off the led light on these fan controlers?

On the companies website, they have an international store where you can pay via paypal in US dollars. It says it takes about 8 days to ship.

I asked the company about control on startup and if you could put more than 4 fans on it. I will let you know when they reply. They replied extremely quick last time so I'm sure I'll get a reply in a few hours. They seem like an excellent company.

dukat · 10-12-04, 11:07 AM

Quote:

That is one that goes into a PCI slot. How awesome is that?

hm, i dont see a pci bridge

ciku · 10-12-04, 11:07 AM

I second that.. i wonder how u mount it thru the pci slot?

mribnik · 10-12-04, 11:11 AM

haha my bad. it doesn't actually use a pci slot, but can be mounted in an expansion slot. It actually connects to your computer through usb i think. They have another one you can just stick anywhere.

Oh, also, according to the people at spcr, they thermal sensors aren't too great. Mcubed said they were upgrading them though.

mribnik · 10-12-04, 11:26 AM

lol, I received an email response from mcubed in about 30 minutes. Here's what they said,

"Hi Mike!

Yes, we speed up all connected fans at startup for some seconds to check
their maximum speed and if they still work (safety check). Depending on what
you have configured, it speeds immediately down to zero!

Yes, if you use a 3-pin y-adaptor you can connect more fans. You can have
per channel 15Watt, that is about 5 fans. With all 4 channels you can easily
have 4x5=20 fans connected and the fan controller does not produce any
additional heat like other controllers! :-)

Please keep us updated if there a similar questions in the forum!"

Obviously if you have tornado's, you can't do 5 per channel, but he's referring to low wattage fans. Regarding startup, I guess on initial startup everything goes to full speed for a few seconds, then goes back to your configured speeds. sounds nifty.

obsolete · 10-12-04, 11:46 AM

This is a cool product. I was wondering when something like this would hit the shelfs.

Like Speedfan, I get annoyed with it being open & would rather just reach my arm down to turn a fan up or down, especially if you are gaming or something. But thats my personal preference.

I'd be curious to find out how many/much resources running this program will use in windows.

veryhumid · 10-12-04, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dukat

hm, i dont see a pci bridge

but i do see a big white molex connector! and yes, looks like all those cables go to the usb hubs on the board.

that is a very cool idea, and yes, I want one. and each channel handles 15 watts! not bad at all.

gvblake22 · 10-12-04, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L337 M33P

Looks like my upcoming design is going to have a bit of competition :P

I already heard about this via email from the guy that wrote the review, and although massively useful and controllable 'n all it has one major setback - one fan per channel. You could somehow hack another fan on there with soldered wires and a bypassed RPM sensor, but that'd look ugly.

I am in the final design stages of making my own PCI-slot fan controller that runs off the parallel port with low-cost and readily available parts - simple PWM control, no fancy thermal monitoring but it should be about 1/2 the price of that (£50 for a fan controller = no thanks).

Other than that ir gonna get pwnd

Thats awesome, lemme know if you actually get it done!

syberspy9 · 10-12-04, 12:25 PM

i like the software to controll a fan this way you can lock the settings so that parents dont get annoyed and shut off just your fans/ or so u dont bump the dial (that makes your cpu fan run, ie BBQ intel fresh off the socket)

mribnik · 10-12-04, 01:34 PM

Mcubed sent me another email (even without me asking a question!) for some more information for us. I'm very impressed so far with their service.

"The controller works autonom without mainboard or windows functionality.
That means also during start-up and even after crash of windows or mainboard
it works and controls all fans according to the temperatures. It is not a
MBM-solution which fails if windows crashes!
:-) "

Edit: a lot of common questions about this product are answered in their support section.

http://www.mcubed-tech.com/eng/support.htm

Feel free to play the video of the fan moving at slow speeds. It's pretty amazing.

syberspy9 · 10-12-04, 01:43 PM

um were is the video?

mribnik · 10-12-04, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syberspy9

um were is the video?

sorry, go to FAQ and scroll down to the question, "Fans: How slow can my fan work?"

ls7corvete · 10-12-04, 02:28 PM

sexy, 60$ though, hhmmmm

obsolete · 10-12-04, 02:30 PM

Quote:

The controller works autonom without mainboard or windows functionality.
That means also during start-up and even after crash of windows or mainboard
it works and controls all fans according to the temperatures. It is not a
MBM-solution which fails if windows crashes!
:-) "

For those or just me that don't have time to read through the info on it. How does it know the tempatures of your system?? Does it read what the motherboard thinks the tempatures are? I don't see any temp. probes in the above pictures......If this is the case, that sucks.....

mribnik · 10-12-04, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obsolete

For those or just me that don't have time to read through the info on it. How does it know the tempatures of your system?? Does it read what the motherboard thinks the tempatures are? I don't see any temp. probes in the above pictures......If this is the case, that sucks.....

I didn't show you all the pictures in the original thread, but it does come with 4 temp sensors.

" Package contents: fan control unit, 4 temperature sensors, 4 sensors cables, 3 signal cables, 2 extension cables, internal USB cable, mounting materials, Quick Install and CD with software and manual."

That's a pic of what the sensor's look like. As far as the price goes, it is a lot of money for a fan controller. Most people would rather have a sunbeam rheobus for $15. It's also a temp monitor though and offers something unique that none of the other fan controllers have. It also gives you one extra slot in your 5.25" bay if you need it (some people do). So yeah, it's not for everybody, but it's one nifty device and offers features others don't. I read some positive reviews of thise device on spcr as well, and decided to get one. I will definately give you guys a review once I get it.

Susquehannock · 10-12-04, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ciku

I second that.. i wonder how u mount it thru the pci slot?

was wondering that here too ...

Gonna be a popular item.

mribnik · 10-13-04, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susquehannock

was wondering that here too ...

Gonna be a popular item.

grrrr, you guys know what I meant

hehe

I'll let everybody know how it looks when I get mine, and revive this thread with some pics!

Susquehannock · 10-13-04, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mribnik

grrrr, you guys know what I meant

hehe

I'll let everybody know how it looks when I get mine, and revive this thread with some pics!

he he ... jus' funnin' ya

Look forward to your thoughts on this new controller.

MagnusT · 10-16-04, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obsolete

...
I'd be curious to find out how many/much resources running this program will use in windows.

None whatsoever

MagnusT · 12-17-04, 06:47 PM

Anyone having fun with v2.0 of the software?

I'm fiddling with the supported integration to LCD-displays using jaLCDs

Not there just yet... but soon

/Magnus Thomé
-------------------------------------------------------
http://rejsa.nu - Sveriges största banåkasite!
http://tystpc.nu - nytt projekt...

JTanczos · 12-24-04, 02:04 AM

Anybody else try this? Is it worth looking in to? How well to the auto fan speeds work? Worth trying in a watercooling rig? Water temp starts to rise the fans speed up more and cool the water down.

JT

9mmCensor · 12-24-04, 02:23 AM

OC review.
http://overclockers.com/articles1162/

10-12-04, 12:41 AM	#1
mribnik Member Join Date: May 2004	!!!!!!!!Check out this fan controller!!!!!! I was looking at spcr and found a link for a review of the mcubed t balancer fan controller. Anybody ever heard of this? It's a software controlled fan controller! They have a few types... That is one that goes into a PCI slot. How awesome is that? Then you can control the speeds of the fans on their software. How freaking awesome is that? Here's a link to the review... http://www.hardware-test.dk/test_show.asp?id=3149 Last edited by mribnik; 10-12-04 at 01:48 AM.

10-12-04, 12:59 AM	#3
Voodoo Rufus Browncoat Moderator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Evanston, WY	It would have to be PWM to handle 15W/ch without a heatsink. Rather nice unit. Doesn't say in the review if it will control the fans from startup but I like it. __________________ "I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar!" Serious Gamers Halo Custom Edition Green Leaves!

10-12-04, 01:00 AM	#4
mribnik Member Join Date: May 2004	I have no idea how you get them in the United States though. I popped them an email. They should be able to handle a tornado just fine. They are good for 15 watts per channel. Damn this thing is awesome. How to get one though.... lol, some guy on spcr said he got his fan to turn at 51 rpm's! This thing would be fun to play with! ergg! EDIT: you can order them online at their international web shop! The pci one is $59 and the regular one is $65. EDIT II: Another review... http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&articID=223 Last edited by mribnik; 10-12-04 at 01:11 AM.

10-12-04, 02:14 AM	#5
Ad Rock Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Montréal, PQ, Canada.	This looks amazing. Perfect for a case that has no door if you wanna keep the stock apearance on the front. I also am wondering if it starts to control it at start-up. __________________ "Because of you my lady named fame, people spot me like nerves spot pain." Heatware:

10-12-04, 07:18 AM	#7
bobad Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Louisiana	Does it only control 4 fans? I'm a control freak, and want to control every fan including CPU and power supply. __________________ -=Bob=- Temporary System: EP45-UD3R, E8400EO@4005mhz VCore 1.300, 2x1gb Corsair XMS @5-5-5-15, VRAM 2.1 Masscool 8WA741R cooler, 37 idle, 53 load Antec Neo Eco 520w PS Giga 9500GT 512 gddr3 @775, 1150, 54 idle, 64 load WD 74Gb Velociraptor boot drive, WD 320 storage Crystalmarks 190,855 SuperPi 11.716

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10-12-04, 12:56 AM	#2
syberspy9 Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Salmon Arm BC CANADA	finaaly i have been looking for some one to make one of these. but i wonder if it will hold tornadows? or 120mm's? they shouls have sleeved the wires o 2 bad they cheaped out. nice find. but the wires seem short to me how can i hide them if there that short? i geus ppl will have to buy it then buy their own wires and srink wrap.

10-12-04, 02:20 AM	#6
warlock110 Member Join Date: Jul 2003	where in the US can i get this, dam, my nexus is giving me a hard time sleeping at night cuzz it so freaking bright. any one know how to turn off the led light on these fan controlers?

10-12-04, 10:25 AM	#8
L337 M33P Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: TEH INTERNETS	Looks like my upcoming design is going to have a bit of competition :P I already heard about this via email from the guy that wrote the review, and although massively useful and controllable 'n all it has one major setback - one fan per channel. You could somehow hack another fan on there with soldered wires and a bypassed RPM sensor, but that'd look ugly. I am in the final design stages of making my own PCI-slot fan controller that runs off the parallel port with low-cost and readily available parts - simple PWM control, no fancy thermal monitoring but it should be about 1/2 the price of that (£50 for a fan controller = no thanks). Other than that ir gonna get pwnd

10-12-04, 11:07 AM	#11
ciku Member Join Date: Jan 2004	I second that.. i wonder how u mount it thru the pci slot? __________________ AMD PII x6 1055T @ 4.018GHz 1.45v \| Gigabyte 890GPA-UD3H Rev. 2 \| Corsair XMS3 8gb DDR3-1600 7-7-7-20-1T 1.65v OCZ Vertex 2 60gb \| Gigabyte GTX 465 Dual Fan 770/880/1540 \| Corsair H50 P/P 2x1200rpm Scythe Slipstream Corsair HX520w \| HT Omega Striker 7.1 \| CM Haf 922 \| Asus VW266H 25.5" \| Windows 7 Ultimate x64 [Heatware]

10-12-04, 11:11 AM	#12
mribnik Member Join Date: May 2004	haha my bad. it doesn't actually use a pci slot, but can be mounted in an expansion slot. It actually connects to your computer through usb i think. They have another one you can just stick anywhere. Oh, also, according to the people at spcr, they thermal sensors aren't too great. Mcubed said they were upgrading them though.

10-12-04, 11:26 AM	#13
mribnik Member Join Date: May 2004	lol, I received an email response from mcubed in about 30 minutes. Here's what they said, "Hi Mike! Yes, we speed up all connected fans at startup for some seconds to check their maximum speed and if they still work (safety check). Depending on what you have configured, it speeds immediately down to zero! Yes, if you use a 3-pin y-adaptor you can connect more fans. You can have per channel 15Watt, that is about 5 fans. With all 4 channels you can easily have 4x5=20 fans connected and the fan controller does not produce any additional heat like other controllers! :-) Please keep us updated if there a similar questions in the forum!" Obviously if you have tornado's, you can't do 5 per channel, but he's referring to low wattage fans. Regarding startup, I guess on initial startup everything goes to full speed for a few seconds, then goes back to your configured speeds. sounds nifty.

10-12-04, 11:46 AM	#14
obsolete Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: MN	This is a cool product. I was wondering when something like this would hit the shelfs. Like Speedfan, I get annoyed with it being open & would rather just reach my arm down to turn a fan up or down, especially if you are gaming or something. But thats my personal preference. I'd be curious to find out how many/much resources running this program will use in windows.

10-12-04, 12:25 PM	#17
syberspy9 Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Salmon Arm BC CANADA	i like the software to controll a fan this way you can lock the settings so that parents dont get annoyed and shut off just your fans/ or so u dont bump the dial (that makes your cpu fan run, ie BBQ intel fresh off the socket)

10-12-04, 01:34 PM	#18
mribnik Member Join Date: May 2004	Mcubed sent me another email (even without me asking a question!) for some more information for us. I'm very impressed so far with their service. "The controller works autonom without mainboard or windows functionality. That means also during start-up and even after crash of windows or mainboard it works and controls all fans according to the temperatures. It is not a MBM-solution which fails if windows crashes! :-) " Edit: a lot of common questions about this product are answered in their support section. http://www.mcubed-tech.com/eng/support.htm Feel free to play the video of the fan moving at slow speeds. It's pretty amazing.

10-12-04, 01:43 PM	#19
syberspy9 Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Salmon Arm BC CANADA	um were is the video?

10-12-04, 02:28 PM	#21
ls7corvete Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Tampa, FL	sexy, 60$ though, hhmmmm

12-17-04, 06:47 PM	#28
MagnusT New Member Join Date: Oct 2004	Anyone having fun with v2.0 of the software? I'm fiddling with the supported integration to LCD-displays using jaLCDs Not there just yet... but soon /Magnus Thomé ------------------------------------------------------- http://rejsa.nu - Sveriges största banåkasite! http://tystpc.nu - nytt projekt...

12-24-04, 02:04 AM	#29
JTanczos Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Eastern Pennsylvania	Anybody else try this? Is it worth looking in to? How well to the auto fan speeds work? Worth trying in a watercooling rig? Water temp starts to rise the fans speed up more and cool the water down. JT

12-24-04, 02:23 AM	#30
9mmCensor Banned Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Banned Camp	OC review. http://overclockers.com/articles1162/