[ninegoodthings]

If this is in the wrong place, please move it mods, I'm new...

SO. I just got some fans, but realized my motherboard won't power them, so I need a fan controller panel. I want to also get out of the way a card reader if possible.

There are really only three important things:
1) The fans must go from 0-12v aka from 0% to 100% power
2) The card reader must support CF and SmartCard
3) Must support 3-pin mobo-header-style plugs

3 1/2 or 5 1/4 are fine. Any color is fine. Lights? I don't care, particularly. LCD? I'd rather not because it's more expensive, but if it's what's available I'd do it.

Optimally, it'd just be a couple of fan knobs and a card reader.

Can anyone make recommendation?

 

[Evil XP2400]

I dont know if there's a fan controller with a card reader buint in... But anyways.

Here's a good card reader and a simple unexpensive Fan Controller.

 

[ninegoodthings]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evil XP2400 I dont know if there's a fan controller with a card reader buint in... But anyways. Here's a good card reader and a simple unexpensive Fan Controller.

Thanks for the suggestions, but I really need a controller that has true 0-12v capabilities. Unless it will go down to 0v, I cannot turn the fans off.

 

[zokus]

I would you want to turn the fans off?

 

[Evil XP2400]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninegoodthings Thanks for the suggestions, but I really need a controller that has true 0-12v capabilities. Unless it will go down to 0v, I cannot turn the fans off.

http://www.frozencpu.com/bus-55.html?id=bnYC66H4

this one ranges from 0v - 12v.. I'm with zokus on this one, I dont see why you would turn your fans off and leave the PC on...

 

[blob]

http://www.frozencpu.com/bus-53.html

Dont buy it from there though, way to 'spensive.

 

[ninegoodthings]

Thanks eveyone for your helpful suggestions.

I ended up getting the Vantec Nexus NXP-305. It's got three fan controllers, a Cold Cathode controller, and a 3pin-4pin adapter. Pretty much perfect except it has no card reader, and I'm paying for two CC tubes when I have no window on my case

... however, it will fit in a 3.5" slot.

To answer a question, the reason I want to turn the fans off is this: I have two very strong and loud Delta fans and one relatively weak and quiet Antec fan. The Antec fan intakes from the front directly onto my hard drives. The 92mm Delta blows on the CPU, and the 120mm Delta blows out the back.

I find that I get enough airflow from the Antec in front and the CPU fan to keep my system (board, CPU, and drives) cool when it's not at load. However, when it gets to load, the CPU and board heat up. When this happens, I can turn on the Delta in the back and the board stays cool and it exhausts the CPU fan quite well. I mostly have the comp at load only when I'm compressing audio and video, so it's easy to predict when I will need the extra airflow.

Seems to make sense to me

. The system's really pretty quiet when I'm not running the exhaust fan.