Legit Cooling Reviews
NZXT Sentry LXE External Touch Screen Fan Controller Review
| Manufacturer: | NZXT |
| Product: | NZXT Sentry LXE Fan Controller |
| Date: | Sun, Jul 18, 2010 - 12:00 AM |
| Written By: | Brian Giacoletti - |
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Final Thoughts On The Sentry LXE
With the ability to control and monitor five case fans and the temperature of the zones they are meant to cool, the Sentry LXE is right on par with what we have come to expect in the functionality of the products from NZXT, and let's not forget the styled, modern look of the unit itself. The Sentry does a great job of controlling your fans and keeping your case at the temperatures you desire. Installation is a snap and can be done in a matter of minutes. It also bring touch screen fan control to an external desktop solution, which is very nice. But that is where the good stops, and some concerns arise.
The NZXT Sentry LXE is not heavy enough to keep it planted to your desk. So even the lightest touches cause the unit to slide around the desk. The touch zones on the touch screen are also really close together and you can hit unwanted buttons by mistake. Those that like clean and tidy cases might also find a wiring nightmare due to the placement of the PCI card. And, let's not forget the PCI card itself takes up a slot that some of may not want to give up. But coming to the market at the sub $60 price point and being one of the only external fan controllers our there I can imagine there will be a lot of NZXT Sentry LXE's on the desktops of enthusiasts everywhere. The NXZT Sentry LXE is also backed by a two year warranty should it ever start to flake out on you.
Overall this is not a bad fan controller; there are few other external fan controllers out there but none that have the style and features of the NZXT Sentry LXE. With a few small changes the Sentry could be a desktop regularity. First and most important is the issue with the sliding around. Perhaps stickier strips on the bottom to hold it in place during use or just adding more weight to the bottom of the chassis would be a great improvement. The second is the little tiny touch zones; if there were some way to increase the size of these, it would make a great difference for those like me with big stubby fingers. I have included a video so that you can see the ease of installation, as well as the problems with the unit that are discussed in the above paragraph.
The NZXT Sentry LXE isn't a perfect product, but it is innovative and we have to thank NZXT for taking the time, effort and the expense to bring a product like this to the market. Far too many companies these days just re-badge another companies product and call it their own. NZXT does that with some of their products, but with their cases and fan controllers we see them designing products from the ground up and that is the sort of company we like to see in the enthusiast community. We can't wait to see what NZXT brings to market with their second external controller as the first model is pretty darn good other than our couple gripes.
The Legit Bottom Line: The NZXT Sentry LXE does its job controlling fans and it monitors the temperature inside the computer case quite well, it just falls short by sliding around the desk, and the touch zones are too close together.
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Page 1 - NZXT Sentry LXE Touch Screen LCD Fan Controller
Page 2 - The NZXT Sentry LXE Fan Controller Page 3 - Sentry LXE Areas Of Concern Page 4 - Final Thoughts On The Sentry LXE |
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