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Enermax UC-A3FATR2 Multifunction Panel |
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Written by Jason Owens
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Wednesday, 13 June 2007 |
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Page 3 of 3
While the manual claims that the A3 uses a backlit LCD screen, this is clearly not the case. Four blue LEDs are positioned around the LCD, with two on each end. This contributes to a rather poor viewing cone for the screen of the unit. The screen is difficult to see during night and day, as the LEDs tend to wash out the numbers of the LCD. When viewing from the left or right on the horizontal with the LCD, any angle over approximately 40 degrees is totally unreadable.
When it comes to viewing above and below the horizon something interesting happens. Moving above the horizon it quickly becomes difficult to view the readout on the screen and once an angle of approximately 30 degrees has been reached it's not possible to read the screen. When moving downward from the horizon the LCD stay visible for far longer than going up or to either side and is visible through 60 degrees. While this is great if the unit is mounted in your case at a level above your eye-level, it's very frustrating if it's mounted below you.
The readouts on the display are updated about every three seconds during operation. Both temperature displays have a stated range of 40-80 degrees Celsius, but in practice the range is at least 28-80, as I have viewed temperature readings at startup in the 28 degree range. The temperature readouts are accurate to a tenth of a degree. The default temperature alarm is set at 45 degrees and the alarm sounds like a quiet alarm clock when it goes off, only more annoying. It's a set of four beeps followed by a short pause and then repeated.
During a test I placed the thermal probe between the sound card and video card in the SN45G in order to see what the temperatures were. During use the temperatures would hover between 44 and 46 degrees Celsius, meaning that any time it crossed the 45 degree threshold the alarm would sound. This became quite annoying, especially when the next item is taken in to consideration. It is a fairly simple task to set the minimum alarm and fan temperatures on the A3, but it can quickly resort to a tedious procedure that is repeated ad nauseum.
Holding the mode button for several seconds will allow the user to enter the setting mode, in which pressing the set button will cycle through values, and the mode button will select the next readout for which to set values. In the case of the probe placed between the video card and the sound card, I would raise the minimum alarm temperature to 50 or 55 degrees, only to have it reset to 45 whenever the computer restarted. This is where the lack of a battery becomes a problem, as the alarm values must be set every time the computer is started.
Pros
- Fan control and temperature sensors without sacrificing a 5.25” bay
- Extra long temperature and 3-pin fan leads
- Well constructed with no sharp corners
- Very cost effective; performance for the price is outstanding
- Brushed aluminum matches with the brushed aluminum on the SN45G
- Temperature readings accurate to 1/10 of a degree and fan speed readings accurate to 100rpm
- Blue LEDs match perfectly blue LED on Shuttle SN45G
Cons
- Does not remember settings after restarting the computer
- Not truly backlit; instead is illuminated by four side mounted LEDs
- Viewing cone is limiting with viewing angle above the horizon almost nonexistent
- Fan leads were not labeled
- Alarm is not loud enough to be heard from far away or while asleep
Overall the UC-A3FATR2 is a piece of hardware that I can recommend to anyone looking for a thermal solution that does not have the space for a full 5.25” model. It more than adequately performs its functions at an affordable cost, making the performance for the price outstanding. Once again I'd like to thank Sidewinder Computers for sending over this panel and if interested you can get yours here. Sidewinder is local to me here in Indianapolis and I have had nothing but extremely pleasant experiences with them when making purchases. Thanks for reading and enjoy the site!
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 June 2007 )
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