Lian Li Fan/Temp Controller

Lian Li was nice enough to send a sample of their  5.25″ Fan/Temperature Controller Kit (TR 5A) to try out.

This controller fits into a standard 5.25″ drive bay on a desktop case.

Key Features:

• 5.25″ LCD Display with indicators for calendar, HD access, temperature/fan speed display.
• Automatic / Manual Fan Speed Curve Control
  Set 4 different fan speeds and temperatures manually.
• 4 sets of Fan Speed Detection
  Use individual design on the LCD 4 sets of fan speed independently.
• Alarm for fan Error / Over temperature
  
• Icon shows Power On/ HD access on LCD
  
• 6 modes of fan speed adjustment to manage fans – S-A (Automatic) to S-L (Low Speed) to S-1 to S-2 to S-3 to S-H (High Speed)

The controller can accommodate four fans; each fan can be set with a temperature profile so that it will speed up as temps increase. In addition, each fan has temperature thresholds which can be set to trigger an alarm. The alarm will be a buzzer and the LCD display will flash and turn red.

A view from the back shows the PCB – not much space is taken up here:

This “spaghetti shot” shows the various leads that come with the Kit – a four pin HD plug to power the unit, four three pin fan plugs labelled Fan 1 to Fan4, four thin-film temperature sensors labelled CPU, VGA, SYS, SYS2 and one plug to monitor one HD’s activity:

Here is the display all lit up – very clear:

The kit ships with a 120 mm fan which features 4 LEDs for some bling:

There is a manual which shows how to set the various functions. The detectable range for temps ranges from 0 to 90°C, fan speeds from 0 to 9999 rpm; defaults for CPU alarm temp 70°C, VGA 60°C, Sys 1 and 2 50°C. These temps can be manually adjusted with a range from 40 to 70°C. In additon you can set the time and date functions which are powered by a small battery to retain settings when powered down.

Overall, a nice piece of kit. The manual is minimalist to say the least, although I did not find settings difficult at all. If you have a spare bay and think a fan controller would be a nice add-on, the Lian Li Fan/Temperature Controller Kit is one to consider.