NZXT Sentry-2 Touchscreen Fan Controller

Benchmark Reviews has the pleasure of testing NZXT's newest fan control: the Sentry 2 Touchscreen Fan Controller. A step up from the Sentry 1 and a worthy stable mate for the Sentry LX. The Sentry 2 is a different approach to the same problem. A more elegant solution to a problem that has plagued computer enthusiasts since their earliest days; fan noise. With it's touchscreen controls it's a definite step in the right direction above and beyond it's predecessor the Sentry 1, the Sentry 2 is simplicity itself.

Taking up only half the space of the Sentry LX you might think the NZXT Sentry 2 has only half the features or capabilities but you'd be wrong. Gone are the buttons bells and whistles but what's left is the best of the LX with a touchscreen to make those core features even better and easier to use with some added benefits as well.

Hot on the heals of my earlier review of the NZXT Sentry LX Fan Controller comes the brand new NZXT Sentry 2 Touchscreen Fan Controller. You guessed it; it's all touchscreen controls. No knobs or buttons to accidentally bump or break off, just pure technology put to use in a very unique way. Gone is any hint to buttons or knobs just 100% touchscreen goodness. Can something so small and simple really be powerful enough to control 5 fans and will it actually work or is this more gimmick than go? Read on.

Features and Specifications

• Touch screen interface
• Five fan control through an intuitive interface
• Ultra fast selection and response time
• Display temperatures in both F and C
• Light switch turns off the meter when sleeping
• Automatic and manual modes of control
• Full compatibility with all types of fans using voltage control
• With a minimum of at least 10 Watts per channel, the Sentry 2 will support almost all high end fans
• Tuned accuracy with only a tolerance of one degree
• Sound alarm to alert when the temperature is over
• Stored settings, the Sentry keeps your settings even after power off

About the company: NZXT

NZXT, a company built upon gamer's dreams, hopes to create products that put consumers first. With the objective of designing unique products catered for hardware enthusiasts and gamers, NZXT has grown into a globally renowned brand recognized for dedication towards creating the next great gaming product. NZXT has won numerous awards from media and publications from across the globe with a product line spanning from gaming chassis, power, and gaming input devices. As a corporation formed by gamers, NZXT continues to expand into new horizons and push the limits further with each product unveiling.

Our dedicated sales and customer service team will work diligently to earn your trust and loyalty. All our products are built with high quality material and engineered in the best conditions.

NZXT was established in 2004 in Los Angeles, California. NZXT products are designed and engineered in the United States and manufactured overseas in China and Taiwan.

Closer Look: Sentry-2 Fan Controller

Ok, let's take a look at the NZXT Sentry 2 touch screen fan controller, and see if it's a dramatic improvement of its predecessors.

The Sentry 2 arrived to me in the tiniest of boxes. Full color artwork with simple product images and brief but clear descriptions of the features and capabilities of the unit. No unnecessary battle axe wielding scantily clad women here. Just clean and clear marketing.

As you can see the Sentry 2 is quite small. It's face roughly the size of any CD/DVD ROM panel and it too only takes up a single external 5.25" drive bay. This may be important to some mid/micro tower or HTPC chassis users with limited external bays. The Sentry 2 has an attractive layout but like with most LED/LCD readouts the numbers are hard to read at angles. Minor complaint.

The Sentry 2 is also quite shallow. This will allow the unit to be installed in any unused external 5.25" drive bay. Using only the front most mounting holes in the 5.25" external drive bays. Keep in mind this will not work with most if any tool-less/screw-less drive mechanisms. This is not to say you can't use the unit, you will just need to use two screws per side to hold it in. Most computer chassis made today do allow the optional use of screws in their tool-less/screw-less designs so most should have no worries. The Sentry 2 has a very intuitive layout and design. I had the unit installed and up and running, using about 95% of the features without a hitch. It's a good thing too because the included instructions are basically worthless.

Made of plastic composite it blends nicely with the typical black DVD-ROM drives. I do like the aluminum of the Sentry LX but as this will go into my Spedo Advance the black plastic goes fine with the steel mesh. Not as strong as the aluminum but when this type of accessory is made out of aluminum, it's usually more about matching a case than strength. Some manufacturers do use the aluminum as a heatsink as well, so only time will tell if the plastic truly holds up. I'm sure the use of anodized aluminum would add to the cost but with such a techie looking product already I feel they should have gone this one last step. The display colors used are a decent choice, with the important information always shown in bright white so it stands out from the rest.

NZXT Sentry-2 Detailed Features

The rear of the unit shows just how thin the Sentry 2 is. There's not much to it. The circuit board is made almost entirely with surface mount technology.

To the bottom left is the power and fan connectore plugs. On the bottom right is the temperature sensors connector. Above that on the top right is the built in speaker. This will give warning beeps when fans stop running or when the temperature rises above a preset level. Those familiar with the Sentry LX will notice there is no backup battery here... Despite this all settings are retained durning shut downs. This alone makes the Sentry 2 more reliable than the Sentry LX.

Here is just one part that makes this fan controller more versatile than the Sentry LX. It allows 3 pin fans or 2 wire molex fans to be connected. This may not seem like a big deal to some but I disagree. Both the Antec 1200 and the Thermaltake Advance computer chassis come with many fans. All of the included fans in these chassis use 2 wire molex connectors. This controller will let you control and monitor the fan speeds without the need for 3 pin fans.

Temperature sensors. There are five on the pre-attached harness and two extras included loose in the package. The two extra are longer than the rest which will allow you to mount temperature probes almost anywhere in most computer cases. The fans and temperature probes work hand in hand. It is recommended to mount a temperature probe to a heat source near the fan that is cooling your heat source.

Here's a breakdown of the business end of the Sentry 2 touchscreen fan controller. I'll start at the top left with the Temp indicator. Here you'll see the temperature for the selected fan and temp probe in either Celsius or Fahrenheit (selectable by pressing and holding). You can also set the alarm temperature for the selected fan/probe by pressing once. Next is the Fan indicator. This is just as it says, it shows you which fan/probe you have selected. Top right is a Reset button. Hold this down to reset the Sentry 2 to default settings. To the middle is the Speed indicator. This will show you the fan speed in a percentage. By displaying the percentage instead of actual RPM the Sentry 2 allows the use of 2 wire molex fans while still offering fan speed feedback. The fans did not run below 40% speed. This is directly proportionate to voltage. On a 12v scale you'll have 1.2v per 10% that's 4.8v at 40% and most fans will not run below that.

To the right of that is the Fan selector. Pressing this repeatedly will cycle through the 5 fans. On the bottom right is the Fan speed up/down. This is the temperature and fan speed increase and decrease buttons. On the far right is the Display on/off. This will allow the display to be turned off while still continuing to function. Useful in bedrooms etc. at night. Now I did miss labeling the auto/manual. Press here to put the unit in auto mode or manual mode. Manual mode directly alters voltages to the fans and is the only mode which will allow you to manipulate the fan speeds, which is the way to go. Auto mode in my experience just doesn't cut it. It's like many of the video cards out there, fan adjustments are too little too late. Although auto mode may work well for general pc use: email, word processing, web browsing, but not very useful for power users.

NZXT Sentry Final Thoughts

I think the Sentry 2 is a huge success for NZXT. With the change from the Sentry LX's actual RPM to the Sentry 2's speed percentages they've opened the door to double your fan options, or just flat out save you money eliminating the potential need of buying new fans. While I really did like the Sentry LX despite it's downfalls but the Sentry 2 simply outperforms it both in simplicity of operation and reliability. I miss the aluminum but consider it a fair trade off for the intuitive design and reliability.

Sentry-2 Fan Controller Conclusion

The retail packaging is full color and very clear and understandable. Less is more in this case, no overwhelming technical specifications that most people will not read, just clear and precise descriptions. The Sentry 2 has a colorful touchscreen panel. Much more attractive than the Sentry 1 with it's single color LED readout. The Sentry 2 appears more hi tech than any mechanical fan controller I've ever seen. Made mostly of molded plastic it's not as solid as the Sentry LX or Sentry 1 but it is definitely strong enough to deal with some fingers touching on the screen. I'm not afraid of it breaking but aluminum would be nice.

Functionally speaking the Sentry 2 has been easy to operate and has been absolutely smooth and responsive. I have no complaints. Initially I was a bit put off when the fans would not operate below 40% but when I thought about it I realized that is the way it will be for most 12v rated fans. Currently available at NewEgg for $29.99 I feel you get a solid deal. Much more affordable than many fan controllers, throw in the touchscreen and intuitive and reliable operation I feel it's a pretty decent value for your dollar.

Given the relative short amount of time I've had with the Sentry 2 it has been a pleasure. Except for the poor instructions I've had no issues at all except deciding which bay to install to. I can easily recommend this to anyone wanting easy operation and control of your case fans. Although I like the cool factor of the Sentry LX, if I had to pick just one I'd pick the Sentry 2 touchscreen. It just works and the touchscreen controls are very cool.

Pros:

+ Single bay installation
+ 10w per channel
+ Intuitive interface
+ No pesky backup battery
+ Touchscreen
+ 3 wire or 2 wire fans

Cons:

- Plastic construction
- Non existant instructions
- Auto Mode is not very useful

Ratings:

• Presentation: 9.00
• Appearance: 9.00
• Construction: 8.50
• Functionality: 9.50
• Value: 8.75

Final Score: 8.95 out of 10.

Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award

Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.

Related Articles:

• Fractal Design Adjust 108 Fan Controller
• NZXT Sentry LXE Digital Fan Controller
• NZXT Sentry Mix Fan Controller
• NZXT Sentry LX SEN-001LX Digital Fan Controller