*These are not to be mistaken for the standard Lamptron -FC3- version below:*

Like we said before, we have the Model A version here today to review, so let’s get to it!

*UPDATE January 31st*

We just received new pictures from Lamptron showing off their new FC3 Limited Edition box design. As I said below they were still in the process of finalizing it and now it is complete. Here are the new pictures:

As you can see there is a noticeable difference in the designs. It will have the picture of the model A or B design, depending on which version you buy. It has ‘Limited Edition’ printed in the top right to help make it stand out from the normal FC3 unit. They also took the background out from behind the fan controller so that nothing will take your eyes away from the amazingly designed limited edition fan controller.

*Below are pictures of the regular FC3  from Lamptron. Now you can see for yourself the difference in box designs.*

*January 31st update complete*

Specifications:

• Dimensions: 5.25″ Bay / 150mm*43mm*80mm
  Max Power: Up to 30W per Channel
• Control Channel: 4 Channels
• DC Input: +12v (Standard 4- Pin Connector
• DC Output: 0v-12v DC
• LED Indicator: 4*Blue LED
• Fan Connectors: 4 Pieces
  Colors Available: Black Anodized Aluminum

Features:

• CNC milled from blocks of 3/4″ Thick Solid Aluminum
• Normal Output 30W Each Channel
• Four 3-pin Fan Connections on Backside
• LED Brightness is Controlled by RPM Knob

Colors Available: Black Anodized Aluminum

You may have noticed the same thing we did once we got the package for the limited edition FC3. It is the normal box for the non-limited edition FC3. Maybe they are still working on a sweet limited edition box for it? Either way, it’s just a box, am I right? And it’s all about what’s on the inside, and what is on the inside of this box is something magnificent in fan controller standards!

When we opened the box and we finally got to see this beauty. We also took everything out for a quick picture to show everything inside that you would get when you purchase this fan controller. Here are a few quick notes on the wires. The power connection extender is just under 10 inches. The fan connection extenders are about 20.5 inches long. Both should give you ample length in connecting most everything you want in your case.

Most skeptics out there have an idea that most fan controllers are wimpy, with cheap aluminum and/or plastic. For this guy, this could not be further from the truth. You will find this out once you pick up this unit. It feels heavier than the other average fan controllers on the market and there is a very good reason why. This fan controller is CNC milled from blocks of 3/4″ thick solid aluminum. Now, for the ‘naysayers’ out there, we bet you are saying, “OK, but I bet that mesh grill behind the design is just thrown in there and will rattle around and make all sorts of noise.” Hey guess what? Wrong again! The mesh grill behind the design is bolted down to the frame. We even tried to move it with a flat head screwdriver just to test it out and it did not budge! Now that you are 0-2 in your false claims about this product, you start to act out in frustration. “I bet they spent all their money on fabrication and design and just threw on cheap .05 cent knobs to make up for it.” And once again you would be wrong, bringing the count to 0-3! We tested the knobs on this device thoroughly. We tried turning them too hard and pulling on them to see if the knob would pop off. We pushed them from side to side. We were defeated by the FC3 once again. The knobs are rock solid and they did not budge at all!

When we take a look at the back end of the Lamptron -FC3- Limited Edition, we can see a very simplistic design. It is everything you need with nothing you don’t. With this effective layout, there is a lot less chance that something could get broken off while installing your connections to it. You can see they perched all 4 fan connections and the power connection along the back for extremely easy access! With the 4-pin power connection sitting off the end of the device, it makes it easier to connect multiple components above and below it.  Especially if you have more than one 4-pin connection you need to plug in.

Let’s move on to the installation of the FC3 into our test case to see how it looks. It was a very simple to install using the 4 screws that came with it.

Once we installed it, the beauty of this product started shining through. In the pictures above, you can see how nicely it fits into the bay drive. Also, in the bottom picture we turned out the lights and you can see the back lit LED’s shining through. A very cool thing about those LED’s are that they get brighter when you apply more volts to your fans. As you can see, knob 1 is extremely bright (12v) and knob 4 is off (0v). We adjusted each knob to a different voltage to show off the range of brightness on the LED lights. This is another welcomed addition put into the fan controller from Lamptron, but we would expect nothing less from this very solid product.

Final Thoughts:

With Lamptron’s promise of 30 watt channels, we went digging for a formula to help us out. We found this: “To get the watts, multiply the amps times the volts. IE: 10 amps at 120 volts is 1200 watts.” Using our example formula, in theory, we could hook up 8.3 of our .3 amp fans (.3amps x 12volts = 3.6watts). With each fan pushing 3.6w, guess what? We hooked eight .3amp fans up (28.8watts) and, not surprisingly, this fan controller held up to the test. Even though we did not reach 30watts, it was still impressive to have 8 fans controlled by one turn of a knob.  The fabrication of this fan controller is top notch! Everything on the face plate was extremely solid and well put together. With all 5 connections installed straight out of the back of the fan controller it allowed for easy installation and removal of the wires. This comes in very handy when you are working in small spaces. This product was built to last, and last it shall, with the great craftsmanship that went into building these units.

You can purchase the Lamptron FC3 here at Performance-PCs (non-LE).

The Lamptron FC3 LE has earned the TechREACTION Gold Silicon Award!

]]> http://www.techreaction.net/2010/01/31/review-lamptron-fc3-limited-edition/feed/ 2 http://www.techreaction.net/2010/01/28/update-whine-from-the-fc3-no-thanks-i-prefer-beer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=update-whine-from-the-fc3-no-thanks-i-prefer-beer http://www.techreaction.net/2010/01/28/update-whine-from-the-fc3-no-thanks-i-prefer-beer/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:39:04 +0000 The Duke http://www.techreaction.net/?p=3606 With the recent concerns about the FC3 limited edition having a “whine” when fans were set at low speeds, we dove back into testing this unit further to see if we could duplicate the issue.

The main question/concern about this unit was: “Does this unit ‘whine’ like the other FC3 units in the past. The actual unit made noise and so did the fans when low volts were applied.”

We set out to answer this the best we could. Let’s get started, shall we?

Our test set up:

*We had 3 120mm fans hooked up to the top of a radiator (real world application) and 1 120mm and the 92mm fans just laying around. We cranked everything up and listened. We also turned off all other electronics in the room: file server, TV, ceiling fan, ect. ect.

Our findings:
Well as far as a “whine” we did not hear anything coming from the FC3 unit itself. However, there was a slight buzzing sound coming from the 1 Yate Loon on the desk (D12SM-12). We could not hear anything from the 3 120mm fans on the radiator or the 92mm Sunon. To hear the buzzing, at low speeds, we actually had to put our ear about 3-4 inches from the fan. Another thing, we found that the low speeds had to be extremely low. We are talking just enough volts to get them started. We used 5v and flicked the fans to get them going. With our tests we could not duplicate this “whine” people mention. The buzzing we created with low volts could not be heard over about a foot away, with NO other fans on and room in complete silence. Throughout the day we ran several different scenarios. We did not hear any whining, screaming, crying, or anything other noises from the fans or the FC3 unit itself. Keep in mind that running at 5v is not in the manufacturers listed operating voltage.

Our Conclusion:
Once we got our fans up to the manufacturer specified operating voltage we heard nothing but the sweet sound of air being blown around. We have come to find 2 things are certain:
1) The Lamptron FC3 limited edition has NO sound coming from the unit.
2) Running the fans at the manufactures rated / operating voltages they specified created 0 extra curricular noises.

What does this tell us? When everything is run at the correct specifications, there is not a problem. Would you under volt your CPU, and then get mad at AMD/Intel when it will not boot? No! That’s crazy talk! Before you buy a fan, skim over the rated and operating volts for it and stay within that range. If you do this, you will not have any problem at all. If you want silent fans, then buy the silent fans. If you want high speed fans when benching and somewhat silent when not benching, then just make sure you are running within the operating volts and you can have the best of both worlds. Be smart with your purchases! Understand the decibel ranges you will be dealing with and you will not have any problems. The problems come in when you try and get a little something extra out of what you have. If the fans are not made to run at 5v but that’s all you will give the fan, then quit your complaining and go find a fan that fits your needs with the 5v operating range. Trust us there are fans out there for every single person and their exact needs. Do a little ‘googling’ and you can find what you want to match your needs in no time.