NZXT Sentry LX Aluminum Fan Controller

Product: NZXT Sentry LX Aluminum Dual Bay Fan Controller
Provided By: NZXT
Price: 

Introduction:

NZXT is a relatively new company but they have already established themselves with a line of quality products that are very affordable for most users.  Products like the Lexa or Apollo cases helped put them on the map, but like any viable company they didn't simply sit back and let the money roll in.  NZXT has continued to create new cases and accessories that look good and add new functionality and convenience to your PC.  Today we are looking at their second generation fan controller - the Sentry LX.  This is a high quality fan controller that takes up a pair of 5.25" bays but gives back to the user in a few different ways.  The Sentry LX controls up to 5 fans and monitors 5 temperature locations as well.  It has temperature monitor capabilities and even a clock to help you remember when to stop playing Devil May Cry 4 and go to bed.  It's an aluminum beauty as you'll see as we carry on.

 Sentry LX Box

About NZXT:

NZXT, a company built upon gamer's dreams, hopes to create products that put consumers first. Our objective is to provide every gamer with a case that they can identify with. Combining unique design and case performance, consumers will finally be able to find a quality case that will represent their own style and personality.

In the future, NZXT wishes all gamers who desire a personalized case to find it at NZXT. With the unveiling of every product, NZXT improves upon on weaknesses and strives for excellence. Achieving perfection is not an easy task, however, NZXT is determined to meet and surpass consumer expectations.

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

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

First Look:

It wasn't that long ago that NZXT announced the launch of the Sentry LX and while the launched passed with little fanfare, this is really a nice fan/temp controller that made it to market very quickly after it was launched.  Upon opening the box, I was met with a little manual, a battery, some sticky tape and a couple of temperature probes.  I immediately wondered why I had only two probes when NZXT stated that you could monitor five temperatures with this unit.  Then I took out the Sentry LX itself and noticed that all of the fan connectors and thermal probes were already attached and they had simply included a couple of extra probes in case you destroy one by sticking it into a fan.

Accessories

The Sentry LX itself is a beautiful piece of work.  It was well-packaged and arrived unscathed from California.  The front of the unit is aluminum and it has steel side rails that allow it to be mounted in many cases tool-lessly.  We dropped it into the NZXT Tempest case and the Thermaltake Armor+ MX case without any issues.  The screen came protected with a thick plastic film that was easily removed to reveal the nice large LCD screen which we'll see uncovered in a few minutes.

Out Of Box

Sentry LX Bare Profile

About the Sentry LX + Features:

Before we take a closer look at the Sentry LX, we'll cover the features and specs according to NZXT.

Sentry LX boasts a robust feature set providing gamers and PC enthusiasts with the optimal setup for monitoring and adjusting temperatures throughout the PC.

• Simple Installation – Sentry LX slides easily into any dual 5.25” drive bay
• Complete Control – 5 Temperature Probes keep tabs on all areas of your system while the 5 Fan controllers adjust the fans’ RPM speed
• Auto/Manual Modes – Allows users to automatically adjust the fan speeds to correspond to a specific temperature or manually set your system for extreme overclocking capabilities or absolute silence
• Temperature Alarm – Instant notification if temps rise above a designated point
• Intuitive Interface and LCD Display – NZXT’s ergonomic interface design allows you to customize your airflow on the fly
• Sleek Design – Aluminum plated front panel is designed to match any high-end chassis
  

Features:

• Large dual 5.25" LCD screen
• NZXT designed intuitive control, set and change fan speeds and settings on the fly
• Auto/Manual modes, let the LCD take control or set fan speeds to your liking
• Temperature alarm
• Aluminum finish
• NZXT Designed graphical interface, easy to read and understand
• Saved Settings, calendar and fan settings are stored even during system off so settings don't need to be redone
  

On the next page we'll take a closer look before we install this unit for testing.