Aerocool X-Vision Fan Controller Review

Fan controllers are still considered a niche product, although a broader range of the enthusiast audience are adopting them to help reduce system noise. They allow the end user to control the speed of a number of fans in a computer chassis, without having to use any software. This can be very practical if you have a handful of noisy, high airflow fans and don't want to replace them all. The Aerocool X-Vision is able to control five sets of fan speeds, as well as monitoring five different temperature sensors. Is this one of the neatest, most practical, cost effective solutions available today? Features Controls and monitors five sets of fan speeds and temperatures Switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit Overheating alarm temperature warning LCD backlight on/off Fan working display Fan voltage display Specifications Dimension: 149 (W ) x 42.5mm (H ) LCD viewable area: 104mm (W ) x 21mm (H ) Connectors: 5 x 3-pin fan connector / 5 x heat sensors Material: ABS front bezel with steel bracket Max wattage per fan channel: 8W The X-Vision fan controller is supplied in a very small black cardboard box, which is not much wider than the product itself. On the back of the box we can see the product and the features, as well as what is included within the box. Inside is the User manual resting on top of the X-Vision unit, which is in a protective red bag. The multi language user guide is thin, with only 6 pages that are written in English. Included in the box are 2 x spare 3-pin fan cables, 2 x spare thermal sensors, 4 x mounting screws and several thermal stickers. The unit ships with a plethora of cables emerging from the back of the chassis. There are two sets of cables - one that provides power to all of the fans, and the second are the thermal sensors. There is also a power cable to provide power to the X-Vision unit. All of the cables are a decent length, which is good as some will be used to connect to fans on the other side of the chassis, and you will probably want to route them out of sight. At the top of the device, we can see a 4-pin cable which will provide the power to the device. On the second row are the thermal sensors, which have been glued in place, although the company have included spares. The third row of connectors are for the fans, these cables can also be replaced. There are 5 fan cables, 1 of which has a 4-pin connector (the rest are 3-pin), allowing you to plug in a CPU cooler, and 4 other fans. Of course with some adapters (that aren't included) this could cater for 10 or more fans. There are 5 temperature sensors, which can be placed all over the case and then adhered in place with the thermal stickers. On the front panel we have a control knob, and 4 buttons, which allow you to change between Centigrade and Fahrenheit, as well as setting the RPM and alarm temperatures. The view button allows you to cycle through; Voltage, Temperature and Alarm Temperature. The left-hand side of the display doesn't have any buttons but does feature the Aero Cool logo. Installation of the X-Vision Fan controller is much like any other 5.25" device, in this case we were installing the device into our Antec Solo II chassis which requires the two sliders to be screwed on either side. Once installed and powered on, we can see the 5 sections reporting fan speeds, and 5 sections of temperatures. Our first channel was for the CPU cooler, so you can see this fan was running at a modest 1400 rpm, and the heatsink where we attached the thermal sensor was only up to 28 degrees (channel 1), whereas the CPU block itself was running at 33 degrees (channel 2). We admire the design of the Aerocool X-Vision Fan Controller. While it might be quite simple by design, the display is colourful, easy to read and is bright enough to be visible in a well lit room. The interface is concise and intuitive with all the options needed at a quick press of a button. The control knob is a little stiff, but subsequently offers fine control over precise fan revolutions per minute. The device is straightforward to install and ships with a variety of spare cables in case of cable failure over a long period of time. The user guide could do with a little enhancement, although anyone with a modicum of experience, or intelligence will hardly need to refer to it. In terms of performance, the X-Vision will be perfectly suited to a more advanced audience as it offers direct access to multiple fan speed adjustment. On the other hand, there is no automatic choice of modes such as 'Silent' or 'Extreme', which could be used to store presets or help support an inexperienced user. That said, when coupled with the temperature display readout it is very easy to see which fans need to be running faster for a balanced thermal dynamic. Aerocool have created a product that is a very useful addition to cases that have several fans installed, and it allows the user to tailor the fan speeds to give the best balance of noise to performance. While its not revolutionary, it looks good and performs well. The X-Vision Fan Controller is available for just £31.99 from ARIA, which is a very reasonable price for such a device. At this price most competing devices have only 2/3 fan channels or no LCD display. Pros View up to 5 fan speeds/temps. Adjust fan speeds easily. Alarm function. Easy to install/set-up. Cons Doesn't have automatic fan controls. Kitguru says: A high value for money product.