NZXT Sentry LXE Review - PAGE 2

The NZXT Sentry LXE comes packaged in a simple, yet elegant box that shows an image of the LXE on the front and highlights all of the important information a consumer would need regarding fan controller.

The Sentry LXE comes with a very sleek look that uses a brushed aluminum front panel that is slightly tilted back to put the 5.27”screen into the proper viewing position. Additionally, the aluminum is 5mm thick, which will ensure the LXE is structurally strong enough to reduce the chances of the controller being tipped over or damaged.

From the side it is easier to distinguish the tilt of the unit and just how thick it is. Each of these design features really shows that the LXE is well thought out product.

The bottom of the LXE was a bit surprising as it only has only two thin pads to prevent the unit from moving while being pressed.

All of the internal connections that are displayed on the fan controller are transferred via the included circuit board. This board is the connection point for all the fans, temperature probes, and power for the controller. All of the connectors on the PCB use a modular design, which makes it easy to remove unnecessary cables and reduce the amount of cable clutter.

The included circuit board uses a design that will allow it to easily fit into a case's rear expansion slot, and since it does not use the PCI slot to draw power it can be stored in any open slot. Once in the 8-pin power connector is positioned out of the case, the power cable easily travels from the PCI card to the external fan controller.

The cables for the fans, temperature gauges and power connectors all use a thin black design which will allow them to be easily hidden inside any case. The cable that supplies power to the circuit board uses both a male and female connection type, so the board can be supplied with power while simultaneously powering additional internal components. The fan and temperature gauges use each have five connection points labeled by number, one through five.

The 8-pin power cable that is included with the LXE uses a thin black design, again allowing it to be run across any work area without it being an eyesore. Also, since the cable is 7' long the LXE should be able to accomodate for situations where the host PC is positioned far from the fan controllers location.

The LCD on the LXE uses a very clean layout that allows the user to tap on a specific area of the screen to adjust a setting. Once an area of the display is tapped, the user can alter the settings, which is done primarily by the plus and minus icons found at the bottom of the screen. Through the LCD a user can control and monitor up to five case fans and the temperatures simultaneously. In addition to controlling the attached fans and reading temperatures, the LXE displays the date, time and day. So, this controller has multiple functions that could allow it to work as the primary clock in a work area.