Fan controllers are not among the most popular things gamers and those building gaming PCs go for. Nevertheless, you can hardly become a complete gamer without these, because they add to the safety and ease of operating your fan, something that any gamer would need.
You need a good fan controller just the way you need the best of all other gaming components.
In fact, there are many advantages you get with fan controllers such as the ability to turn down the speed of your fan so as to cut noise when it is not hot, or to turn it up when it is hot.
Most others come with temperature sensors and alarms to let you know when things are getting too hot and to let you know when the fan is shutting down.
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Some things I considered before selecting these fan controllers are the channels, watts, fit, and temperature sensors among other things. The watts is very important to consider since it will need power to control the fans. Those with higher watts are normally better.
Best Fan Controller For Your PC
NZXT Sentry 3 Fan Controller
With the Sentry controllers, NZXT has been able to supply very good ones that have served rather faithfully. So far, however, the Sentry 3 is where I will put my money when looking for the best fan controller.
It comes with a 5.4-inch touchscreen display that allows you a generous amount of control for the 5 fans that it is able to carry.
With 15 channel wattage, the controller is compatible with both 3-pin and 4-pin fans, and it uses a 4-pin Molex power source.
Customization and total control is another thing that is very good with the controller. The multifunctional fan allows you to control each fan and even have 3 fans easily controlled on each of the
I find it very good that NZXT designed this with a single temperature sensor and it gives you the option to have additional ones. The only thing is that I simply cannot understand why they decide to make a sensor for external use when what you really need is an internal monitoring.
Pros
- It is neater than the Sentry 2 which has many cables because of the 5 temperature sensor.
- Compatible with both 3-pin and 4-pin fans.
- It is designed solid enough to last a very long time.
- You get voltage control to keep it safe.
Cons
- The temperature sensor is designed for external use.
Verdict
There are not many fan controllers designed in the way the Sentry 3 was designed to be strong and deliver in the most extreme sense. As such, if you are looking for the one that will give you good customization and handle as much as possible, this fan controller is a cool choice.
Thermaltake COMMANDER F6 Fan Controller
The Commander F6 is what I will excuse myself to call the masculine of the list. This is whether you are looking at its looks or its features, or even the performance.
Without any lady-like beauty, the controller looks rugged and still pleasing with RGB and 16 color illumination.
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The multi fan controller comes with 6 channels that allow you monitor and control up to six fans at the same time. It also has 3-pin connector,
Designed with the single 5.25” drive bay applications in mind, the F6 can be set to up to 12V. It has a massive 30W for each of the channels which makes this to be one of the big ones.
Another thing that makes this good is that it comes with as much as 6 thermal sensors which can be used to monitor the temperature of the components.
To complement the functioning of this, there is an alarm system that can be set to go off once things get overheated or if a fan has failed.
Pros
- It has good wattage
- Fantastic thermal sensor.
- Easy to control voltage from the knobs.
- Has temperature warning system and Short Circuit Protection.
Cons
- Only comes with a 3-pin connector.
Verdict
For someone who has built a massive and rugged gaming PC, there is hardly a better fan controller that can be proposed than the Commander F6. This is because it gives you extra and better performance than anyone in the market right now.
Kingwin Multi-Function FPX-003 Fan Controller
The Kingwin Multi-function FPX-003 is a very simple fan controller that comes with easy looks and is neither serious nor as beautiful as many people may want it. With blue LED lighting, it is not ugly for many people to dislike.
Designed for a 5.25-Inch Bay, the controllers offer various controls on the device itself including 4 channels for the 4 fans it is able to accommodate and control.
Each of the channels comes with 8 watts, which is much less than what others on the list give. I truly was hoping that for the FPX-004, the watts may go higher, but it is still the same. This said, I must add that getting higher watts would have been better on this controller, but this still does a good job.
For the fan connector, the FPX-003 features a 3-pin connector, even as it also has a 4-pin Molex fan connector for the power.
Finally, it has 4 thermal sensors that would help you in monitoring the thermal performance of what you want to have monitored.
Pros
- Has good controls.
- The display is great.
- Good fit.
- Has good alarm system to let you know if the fan is failing or stopping.
Cons
- Comes with only 8W per channel.
- Many wires can get things a little confusing.
Verdict
For someone looking to have a fan controller that will change the world, this may not be it, but you can trust that it is one of those to change and control your fan cooler in a good way. More so, you get good controls with it and efficiency.
Thermaltake Commander FT Fan Controller
This may not be as powerful as the Commander F6 or as outgoing as the Lamptron FC2, but it comes as a sleek fan controller that has a lot to offer.
It is designed with 5.5 inches touchscreen which allows you to easily control the up to 5 fans that it provides channels for.
Also, for the fan connector, the Commander FT is compatible with 3-pin connectors. You can have it run on the performance or silent mode, in order to decide the RPM you want it to achieve which will, of course, determine the noise level. It can as well be set on the manual or auto mode.
With this much good of a controller, I would have loved to see that Thermaltake gets a little generous with the power for the channels, but it only lets it handle a maximum of 10W per channel.
Because it is a 5.25″ single bay controller, it will be able to fit into most cases out there.
Pros
- Good thermal sensor.
- Useful touch screen control which is easy to operate.
- Easily customizable.
Cons
- Only offers 10w of power.
- Has only 3 pin connectors.
Verdict
One of the things you will appreciate with this controller before anything else is how very clean it is. Next, it is very easy to operate and it will be able to run as good as you will want any good controller.
Buy From WalmartLAMPTRON FC2 Fan Controller
The Lamptron FC2 is designed in a different way from most others, and so it creates a more different competition for itself. Still, it ends up as the best fan controller for a lot of people.
This is because of the generosity it shows in performance even as it does not come with a display screen. It comes with control for up to 6 fans with 3-pin connector. It also offers for 4-pin Molex connector but that is only connected to the power source.
Each channel is controlled by as much as 45W of power which makes this the Hulk of the collection because you do not get this on every controller. I say this because there are many others that do not run up to 6 fans and still, they do not offer up to 10 watts per fan.
Although it doesn’t have a display, its lighting allows you to know when the fan is going faster and the RPM is increasing as the lighting will intensify.
Pros
- It controls six fans independently7.
- There is 45W power for each channel.
- Very rugged and strong controller.
- You can control different fans; 120mm, 140mm, and 180mm easily.
Cons
- It has no display screen.
- Software is needed to control PWM fans.
Verdict
If you don’t mind that it doesn’t have a display screen, this will be a good control for you as it has channels for six fans and each has 45W of power. It is best for someone with many fans running on a gaming rig.
Aerocool Fan and Temperature Controller (Touch2000)
I will point out before anything else that this controller fan is not one of the smallest there is out there. In fact, it is a bulky one, and you may need space for 2 port unit before you can use it.
That settled, the controller is one you can count on when it comes to performance temperature monitoring, even as it doesn’t have any serious beauty.
The display of the controller is large to fit 2 5.25″ bays as stated, and that makes it easy to use and it gives clear and well-spelled details. Also, the display is touch screen.
With 4 channels, it provides for four fans which you get to easily control using the touch screen. It also has 4 thermal sensors and extra 2 sensors. The only thing is that it doesn’t have the best wattage as it only gives each channel 6 watts.
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One good feature that it has is the overheating alarm temperature warning which lets you know when things are getting too hot.
Pros
- Good alarm system
- It comes with extra thermal sensors.
- Convenient and easy to use.
Cons
- It is bulky.
- Not the best in wattage.
Verdict
With this controller, the only question that may arise is whether or not it can fit into your case. Apart from that, it is a very good one that comes with many features, intelligent thermal monitoring, and control system.
Conclusion
Getting the best controller fan is important, but using it right is as important and knowing to get the right ones is likewise important. Most cases are made to take the 5.25″ controllers, and 2-pin connectors are now outdated. As such to get the right ones, ensure that it is either 3-pin connectors or even 4-pin.
I have considered a lot of things before reaching these as the best fan controllers.
