Zalman Multi Fan Controller Review

Overclocking seems to be a standard practice for gamers trying to get more out of their hardware without spending extra money. To really get the most out of an overclocked system, temperature monitoring and fan control become a requirement. This is where the Zalman Multi-Fan Controller 2 comes in. The device, like many other fan controllers on the market, sits in a 5.25″ optical drive bay, and allows the user to control the speed of up to five fans (four independently). Unlike other models, the Zalman incorporates temperature and power usage monitoring. Also, the digital control, rather than simple rheostats, is a welcome change. The unit looks more like a car stereo than a fan controller, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Fan Control

The ZM-MFC2’s primary role is a fan controller. At this task, it does the job well, but without one or two features that would really make it an essential enthusiast component. The controller has headers for three three-pin fan connectors (voltage controlled) and one four-pin (PWM controlled). The unit comes with extra extension cables to make sure all the fans can reach their desired locations inside the case. One extension cable also has a splitter to add a second fan onto a single header, bringing the total number of fans powered by the unit to five. This fan is powered as the same level as the one it is joined with on the splitter. The four-pin extender also has an extra connector for use exclusively with the motherboard. The connector sends the fan speed signal to the motherboard’s own PWM connector to avoid a “CPU fan fail” alarm if it cannot be disabled in the BIOS. The fan speeds can be set easily within the unit’s simple controls; one button selects the fan to set, and one dial is turned to set the speed. The fan speed is stored in memory so that the correct speeds are resumed when the computer is powered up again. Each fan can also be monitored for failure; if  one of  fans stops spinning, an auditory alarm is triggered (which can easily be disabled per channel if desired). If the unit ever loses your customized stored fan speeds, it defaults to 1,500 RPM for every fan, so a meltdown related to lost settings is unlikely.

Temperature Monitoring

The temperature monitoring embedded in the Zalman unit is simple an effective. Four thermo-couple temperature sensors are provided, along with adhesive strips to secure them in place. During installation, I had no trouble securing sensors to a hard drive, a RAM module, the motherboard voltage regulator heatsink, and the northbridge heatsink. I avoided the CPU and GPU, as they already had existing and effective internal sensors. The temperature sensors are quite accurate compared to the laboratory grade thermo-couple that it was tested against; the Zalman never deviated more than half a degree (the device reports whole numbers only). The leads on the sensors are long enough to route them inconspicuously throughout the case, and the adhesive strips secured the sensors well enough that they haven’t moved in the two weeks since installation.

Power Usage Monitoring

The feature that really sets this unit apart is its ability to monitor the raw power of your system. Similar to the popular Kill-A-Watt device, there is a small block that connects inbetween the wall and the computer. From this unit a small USB cord plugs into an included expansion slot bracket, which in turn connects to the MFC2. It is unfortunate but understandable that Zalman chose a USB shaped connection. This is not a USB connector, so you shouldn’t plug it into a built in USB port. It was most likely chosen because the expansion slot port and connectors are cheaper than manufacturing a proprietary connection. Once the connections are made, the power usage is displayed as a value and bar graph on the top of the unit. If nothing else, it was nice to see that my system uses much less power than expected.

If the unit also harnessed the ability to combine its unique features, it would be an essential device for many overclocking gamers. Perhaps a future model will have the ability to set profiles for different power or temperature thresholds. With this unit, if the temperatures get too high, it’s up to you to notice and crank up the appropriate fans. For users afraid of having that much responsibility, you can always leave your CPU in the hands of the motherboard’s automatic control and leave the fourth channel empty or use it for an additional case fan. As someone who really prefers a bit more control and feedback from his computer, I really enjoy having this unit in my PC. I can keep it quiet as a whisper during general desktop use or light gaming, or I can turn up a couple of  fans for long playing sessions to keep things cool. Although the price tag is a bit high for just a fan controller,  for those looking for a hardware solution to control fan speeds and monitor temperatures, the Zalman MFC2 provides additional and very useful capabilities that make it worth the average $55 retail price.