AeroCool Intros Strike-X Multichannel Touchscreen Fan-Controller

[btarunr]

Close to month after releasing the Strike-X ATX mid-tower case, AeroCool released a new touchscreen multichannel fan-controller under the same banner. The Strike-X fan-controller occupies two 5.25" drive bays on your case (designed to look best with the Strike-X case), and has a fuzzy-looking LED display that looks like one of the touchscreen computers from the retro generation of the USS Enterprise (in which William Shatner plays Capt. Kirk). The controller supports five independent fan channels, with fan-speed and thermal-zone monitoring. The unit also doubles up as a 2-port USB 2.0 and front-panel audio hub (by relaying the same from the motherboard). It is available with red+black and all-black bezel options. Available soon, the Strike-X fan-controller from AeroCool will sell for €54.90.



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[Animalpak]

Enterprise console

 

[erixx]

lol, yeah

I have had most of Aerocools panels (compulsive shopping, haha) and after a year or so, or when upgrading the computer, I removed them, as they have no real use (if you are fine with BIOS or software fan managemnt)

 

[pantherx12]

lol, yeah

I have had most of Aerocools panels (compulsive shopping, haha) and after a year or so, or when upgrading the computer, I removed them, as they have no real use (if you are fine with BIOS or software fan managemnt)

System obviously needs MOAR fans

I don't understand the point of this, they could make this fit a single slot given that it's a screen instead of dials : / could just page through to the next 8 fan channels or something.

I've an aerocool touch-1000, they are good fan controllers at-least.

 

[AsRock]

System obviously needs MOAR fans

I don't understand the point of this, they could make this fit a single slot given that it's a screen instead of dials : / could just page through to the next 8 fan channels or something.

I've an aerocool touch-1000, they are good fan controllers at-least.

Yeah seems like they wasted so many possibility's like more fan readings and watt usage would of been nice.

Only reason i would buy one that size would be 8 fan readouts and a wattage readout which reads from different parts of the comp.

Like hell Zalman fitted 4 fan readouts +wattage readout on there's and it's just a single bay for the same price.

 

[_JP_]

A bit on the expensive side, for it's features, if you ask me...
Also, what's the deal with touch screens? Didn't buttons work fine?
I'm saying this because I hate to see huge greasy fingerprints in screens...takes all the beauty away.
I'm happy with my FP-01.

 

[AsRock]

A bit on the expensive side, for it's features, if you ask me...
Also, what's the deal with touch screens? Didn't buttons work fine?
I'm saying this because I hate to see huge greasy fingerprints in screens...takes all the beauty away.
I'm happy with my FP-01.

LMAO, Space saving ?. But this design contradicts that as there is so much wasted space lol. But i guess it suppossed to give that star trec feel looooool

 

[_JP_]

LMAO, Space saving ?. But this design contradicts that as there is so much wasted space lol.

Space saving? for what? Recent AeroCool fan controllers (and others) are everything but space savers, their screens occupy (almost) all of the space and the ones that don't have screens also do it as well.

 

[Sasqui]

System obviously needs MOAR fans

I don't understand the point of this, they could make this fit a single slot given that it's a screen instead of dials : / could just page through to the next 8 fan channels or something.

I've an aerocool touch-1000, they are good fan controllers at-least.

Yea, here too. I was picturing an iPhone in a front panel. "Yes, there's an app for that"

 

[AsRock]

Space saving? for what? Recent AeroCool fan controllers (and others) are everything but space savers, their screens occupy (almost) all of the space and the ones that don't have screens also do it as well.

Well that explains why i will not buy and and why i have a Zalman one . Space saving why hell not more space you save on the front of a case the more fans you can have there .

 

[erixx]

System obviously needs MOAR fans

hahahaha, ok: i have 4 fans for input and 4 fans for output. What did you say? MOAR?? hahaha

 

[_JP_]

Well that explains why i will not buy and and why i have a Zalman one . Space saving why hell not more space you save on the front of a case the more fans you can have there .

The Zalman fan controllers are very good and I like them too, but I also consider space saving important hence why I bought a FP-01 instead of any other offer. And the number of fans depends. In 3 different case I have, the choices are 4x80mm, 1x120mm and 1x140mm. None of the bays are for fans though, I just prefer using them adapted to HDD bays.

 

[WarEagleAU]

I like the looks but I agree should use one 5 1/4" slot. However, unless you are packing dual burners (like me) and a bluray burner (which I want) you wont really miss the 5 1/4. Well I guess you would if you use one slot for a reservoir bay/pump deal for liquid cooling.

 

[timta2]

I can't believe that such an ugly device got past the doors of the design department. I was recently looking for a fan controller and a lot of the Aerocool units had features that I wanted but most look horrible. Ah, if I could just be 13 again.

 

[AsRock]

The Zalman fan controllers are very good and I like them too, but I also consider space saving important hence why I bought a FP-01 instead of any other offer. And the number of fans depends. In 3 different case I have, the choices are 4x80mm, 1x120mm and 1x140mm. None of the bays are for fans though, I just prefer using them adapted to HDD bays.

Thats your case though with mine i can have up to 3x120mm in the front but with having a single fan controller stops me but been thinking about moving the power buttons to another part of the case so i can.

At this time 2x120mm + 1 80mm. And able to fit over 12 HDDS in it lol.

 

[_JP_]

Thats your case though with mine i can have up to 3x120mm in the front but with having a single fan controller stops me but been thinking about moving the power buttons to another part of the case so i can.

At this time 2x120mm + 1 80mm. And able to fit over 12 HDDS in it lol.

Seems very nice, I forgot to mention the cases were budget ones...below 60€, yours seems over 100€.

 

[AsRock]

Seems very nice, I forgot to mention the cases were budget ones...below 60€, yours seems over 100€.

Well i got mine on sale for $70 ( tigerdirect ) over 2 year ago. It's a very solid case all though they don't make mine no more.

 

[Meizuman]

What I would want is to have a controller that takes its power from sata plug and has at least two fan header INputs (from BIOS controlled headers, be it CPU, case_fan or even from GPU). The thing should have minimalistic appearance, should have clear rpm/voltage meters for every channel (6 or more), and dedicated open-source software.

At first I thought that I would just want a controller that uses a mobo header for "definitive" fan speed for all fans, but then my thought went a little further:

The thing is, I would want to have a controller that can adjust to both high CPU and/or high GPU load. So if I would play a game that stresses the GPU very much but has only one or two threads and doesn't put a high load to CPU, the CPU fan speed would be on low-normal, while the case fans and GPU fan would blow at higher rate. Of course the GPU would have an aftermarket fan or the original fan would be hooked to the controller (that takes an input from GPU fan header).

Controller should have RPM meter on/off switch and automatically switch a single RPM display off, if there is no RPM signal detected. Also the controller should show the voltage going to the fan.

The thing should hook up to internal USB and be fully programmable, for example:
spin-up voltage, min/max voltage per fan (1V-12v), fans used in high cpu/high gpu "mode", fan names/properties.

There should be a test mode for detecting the fans spin-up voltage and speed/voltage ratio. Also there should be a noise "test-run"/setup that is user-controlled. The controller would start the fan and find it's lowest spinning voltage. After that it would start to add voltage and the program would ask the user to set the noise "steps" (programmable to maximum of 5 steps) something like: 1. silent - 2. comfort - 3. audible - 4. clearly audible - 5.noisy

These would be also user programmable (1-5 steps, renaming ability, adjustable speeds after initial "test-run"). For example there could be modes, something like "Silent", "CPU intense work" or "Benching". Also speed-lock (for enthusiasts/silence oriented people) that would not change the speeds before going to very high temps (alarm beep), and dynamic mode that is flexible and adjusts all fans according to load/temps.

...list could go on and on

In these highly controlled days, I would think that designing/manufacturing a decent fan controller wouldn't be so much asked.

 

[_JP_]

How much are you willing to pay for that?