Stillhouse

Today I received my Scythe Kaze Master KM01-BK 5.25" fan controller from Petra's Tech Shop and I thought I'd give a quick review.




First, the specs:

In addition to the 5.25"(KM01) version there is also a 2 channel 3.5" controller, the KM0135. Both sizes are available in black or silver.

Prices are ~$35 for the KM0135 and ~$40 for the KM01.

Scythe Kaze Master KM01

Scythe Kaze Master KM0135

In the box you'll find the panel, a 4-pin molex adapter for power, 4 3-pin fan connectors, 4 thermal sensors, two baggies with mounting screws and tape for the thermal sensors and instructions.



Installation is simple, fan connections are labeled on the rear of the panel as well as on the connectors themselves. Though it does add a good bit of extra wires to your case, with a little routing and tucking they can be managed quite well. For the sake of brevity I'll skip the setup process and bring us directly to the installed product:



Though it can take up to 4 fans, I only have three fans that can be controlled by the Kaze Master: My AC Freezer 64 Pro, Zalman VF900-CU and Yate Loon 120MM front intake. For the time being I opted to not use the thermal sensors.



Pretty sexy, yes?

As you can see, if there's no fan connected to a channel there's no speed displayed. I wish the same went for the temp sensors. Even with nothing attached they dipslay 0.0°C.

The display is bright and clear and readable at any angle. As seen in the next pic, the speed display is a slightly greener color than the temperature readout, while in most promotional pics it appears to be a lighter blue.



The knobs are small and spaced far enough apart so changing speeds is easy. They extend about half an inch(11-12MM), which gives plenty of room for the door of my P182 to close.

Turning a knob to the 7 o' clock position turns the fan connected to that channel off, while full speed is achieved by turning the knob clockwise to the 5 o' clock. With all my fans dialed in right my rig is now dead silent from 3 feet away!

On the rear of the panel there are two jumpers, one for selecting Celsius or Fahrenheit for the temperature display. Changing the jumper position switches between the two. The second jumper is for the speed/temperature warning beeper. Disabling the beeper is done by simply removing the jumper. When enabled the alarm will sound if:

A temperature sensor fails
Temperature exceeds 75°C
Fan speed reaches 0 RPM

*UPDATE*

I finally got around to installing the temperature sensors. Installation was annoying, as the tape included isn't very sticky and comes loose easily. Once the yellow tape comes up it won't stick again. I had to resort to plain old electrical tape for a couple of them that came loose after a few minutes of just sitting.

I strategically placed the sensors to make hiding the wires easy, and in places I thought monitoring temps would be useful, as follows:

1. Front Intake
2. PSU
3. PWM MOSFETS
3. Top Exhaust



All-in-all, I say this is a pretty good fan controller. I can't think of any real negatives to it. The only things I'd be nit-picky about are the greenish color on the fan speed display and the feeble tape for the temp sensors, but since they don't actually effect the functionality of the controller I can live them, but deduct 1/10 a point for each from its final score.

That said, I give the Scythe Kaze Master KM01:

9.8/10

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markkleb

Very nice, I will be receiving the 2 fan version tomorrow (dont mess up UPS)
I think its nice to finally see a quality controller.

One thing I wish is the knobs didnt stick out so far.

Stillhouse

Yeah, the reason I picked the KM is due to the looks. It's simple but functional, and the VFD display isn't as bright and overpowering as LEDs. With the case door closed there's almost no light from it bleeding out.

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Stillhouse

Bump for update and final score.

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grossebeaver

I am also very happy with the Kaze Master I installed in my Silverstone TJ-09.

I was a bit disappointed in the adhesive tape they provided for the temp sensors, it didn't seem to stick very well to machined surfaces even after cleaning them thoroughly. Also the extension cables provided for the fans could be a bit short for people that have a large case or have an elaborate wire hiding setup.

Overall, the mounted display looks phenomenal and is well built down to the solid aluminum knobs.

RonindeBeatrice

Very nice. Thank you for sharing. I was planning on picking up the silver unit, but I have a few different models to consider.

Good review.

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xdaseinx

Good review, and good pics.

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Dirtyerny

cool, can you post picks of how you managed the wires?

sc30317

Looks sick!

Stillhouse

I'll do that tomorrow. I've been meaning to go back and sleeve all the wires and make 'em look nice but I've been too lazy, so that'll give me a good excuse to.

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On a mission to end poverty, one person at a time. Starting with me.

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