There is a fine line between obtaining peak cooling performance and having a whisper quiet system. Many of the higher end cases come with fans that have speed controls accessible from outside of the case., the Antec P182 is one such model. Unfortunately, these controls are usually dip switches and can only adjust the speed from low to medium to high. This type of set up prevents fine control of the fan speeds and thus the volume of the fans.

To help gain more precise control of our fans, Scythe has sent us the KazeMaster KM01-SL Fan Controller and Temperature Monitor. This unit fits in the 5.25 bay of any standard case. The KazeMaster is capable of monitoring up to four fans and four separate temperature probes. It even features an alarm for fan failures and high temperature readings, plus, all this information is presented on a beautiful VFD screen.

How well does the KazeMaster control the cooling and volume of your case fans? Lets take a closer look. Lets get started..

Scythe "KAZE MASTER 5.25" Multi Channel Fan Controller Review

Reviewed by: Tomas Ratas

Sponsor: Scythe

Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:

Scythe "KAZE MASTER 5.25" Multi Channel Fan Controller

Stylish 5.25inch Multi Channel Fan Controller to control up to 4 fans and display up to 4 temperature figures.

Passive safety alarm feature is build-in to safely monitor and protect your systems!

You have also fan stop function by turning the knob to counter-clockwise all the way to stop the fan. Not to forget the stylish wide view angle and high contrast VFD display to provide clear viewing.

4 Fans Controller and 4 Temperature Display.

Passive Safety Alarm Feature is Build-In!

Clear and Stylish VFD Display!

Price:$42.80

Specs:

Model Name: Kaze Master 5.25

Model Number: KM01-BK (Black) KM01-SL (Silver)

Manufacturer: Scythe Co., Ltd. Japan

Dimension (W x H x D): 148.5 x 42.5 x 63 mm

Display Dimension: 114 x 20 mm

DC Input: 5V or 12V (From PC Power Supply)

Fan Adjustment Range: 3.7V (10%) ~ 12V (10%)

Fan Channel:4

Maximum Fan Ampere per Channel: 1A per channel

Fan Speed Range: 0 ~ 7500 rpm (Display Range: 30rpm Incremental)

* Package indicates the maximum range as 9,990 rpm, but the actual range is 7,500 rpm.

Temperature Module Channel: 4

Temperature Range: 0 ~ 100C / 32 ~ 199.9F

Measurement Frequency: Every 2 Seconds

Weight: 165 g

NOTICE: Please be aware that the KM01s panels have a thin layer of plastic that can be peeled off at your convenience.

Features:

Fan Controller and Temperature Monitor Features
Kaze Master is able to control and monitor up to 4 fans and 4 temperature monitor independently. These figures are displayed on VFD display.

Passive Safety – Safe Alarm Feature
To safely monitor and run your system, Kaze Master comes with the alarm feature to inform the user in case of fan malfunction. Also if the temperature goes above 75C (165F), or in case of the temperature sensor failure, VFD display will blink the number 0 or 0.0 and trigger the alarm sound. The alarm sound disturbs you? You can even shut down the alarm sound by a simple jumper setting!

2-Way Temperature Display
Both Celsius and Fahrenheit unit can be displayed by a simple jumper setting!

Fan Stop Function
By turning the knob to counter-clockwise all the way, the fan can be stopped.

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Wide Variable Voltage to Control Fans
You can control fans between 3.7V 12V to meet your needs for system requirement.
By setting the voltage to the lowest level can silence your PC or turn it up to the highest to get the maximum cooling performance.

{mospagebreak title=A Better Look at things}

A Better Look at Things

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The Scythe KazeMaster comes in a black box with a picture of the KazeMaster on center of the package. Listed in six smaller gold boxes are the features of the KazeMaster.

The back of the package features a diagram/schematic of the back side of the KazeMaster. The sides list the specifications on one side and show another picture of the KazeMaster on the other.

Upon opening the box, one is greeted by a soft foam protector box which holds the KazeMaster, four temperature probe cables, four fan connector cables, a molex power connector, screws, adhesives, instructions and a fan molex adapter.

The KazeMaster comes in either black or silver. The KazeMaster is a 5.25 bay mountable device with four fan controller knobs located below the VFD. When off the VFD display area is hidden behind a mirror silver finish.

The rear panel circuit board features a warning beep speaker, a jumper for this speaker, a power connector, a connector for the temperature sensors, a jumper for Celcius/Fahnrenheit and a connector for the fan cables.

Along each side of the KazeMaster are two screw holes for mounting the device to your case.

Installation, Testing and Comparison

Installation is rather straight forward. Plug the connectors into the circuit board of the KazeMaster and then run these cables to the desired fans and locations you wish to have thermally monitored. Once all the connectors are set, then you can fasten the KazeMaster to your case.

Scythe has applied a thin plastic layer to the cover panel to protect it from getting scratched. Dont forget to remove this!!!

For testing, I installed the KazeMaster into my Lian-Li PC-60B case which features four built in 80mm case fans. Unfortunately, only two of these case fans are three pin connector controlled. So, I removed the ones from the top of the case and the rear panel and replaced them with a CoolerMaster Neon LED fan and the Scythe Kama-Flex (which I will be reviewing very shortly), which are both three pin connector fans.

The CoolerMaster and Lian-Li case fans are 2500 RPM fans. While the Kama-Flex is a 1500 RPM fan. Now at full speed the 2500 RPM fans are fairly loud and the exhaust on the top of the Lian-Li can make things a tad noisy.

Using the Kazemaster, I was able to drop these fans down to 1500 rpm, which made things much quieter. Even at lower fan speeds, there was not a big hit in the cooling factor on the inside of the case.

The temperature monitor is applied with the enclosed adhesives. I prefer to monitor the case temps with the built in probes of the motherboard, but these probes seems to give comparable readings to the motherboard readings.

Well, it is no surprise that the KazeMaster works as advertised. Not only is it nice eye candy for the outside of ones case, but it helps maintain the noise level of the case fans.

Summary:

I have not come across a Scythe product that is not top of the line in terms of quality and function and the Scythe KazeMaster KM01-SL is no different. Not only does it make your case look more high tech, it is very functional and useful.

Like the Scythe KazeMaster 3.5 that Kris reviewed, this one is just as capable and has twice as many probes and controls for ones case.

DragonSteelMods gives the Scythe KazeMaster KM01-SL a 5 out of 5 score and our Recommended Award.

Pros:

– Nice design

– Easy to install

– Easily controlled

– Excellent VFD

Cons:

– None

I would like to thank Scythe for the chance to review the Scythe KazeMaster KM01-SL and for their support of DSM.

Questions, Discuss, HERE

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