System monitors

We grapple with six system monitors that go beyond simple fan-speed adjustment. But which give you control, and which lose it?

Akasa Fan Control Pro

Manufacturer:	Price:
Akasa	£38.19 inc VAT
Reviewer:	Review Date:
	Nov 2003

	OVERALL RATING

SCORE

5/6

Verdict: Give your PC a licence to chill

The Akasa Fan Control Pro scores nearly double its nearest group test rival in the design category for several very good reasons. Akasa's system monitor is the only device we tested that combines ease of use with enough features and flexibility to enable you to properly fine-tune your PC's fan noise and heat management performance. That it can do all this with more than a dash of style is an added bonus.

The Fan Control Pro can control four fans and monitor four temperature probes, but unlike the presets of the Aerogate II, they can all be controlled independently.

Four separate blue LED-ringed dials make it easy to tweak fan speeds simultaneously. The dials can take a fan right down to 5V, as opposed to the more standard 7V, and coupled with the fact the LCD screen can display the temperature from any probe at any time, this makes it a very powerful and intuitive tool for balancing your system's noise and temperature. Akasa has included some presets though: CPU, HDD, case and power. It's a shame there's no video card preset, but given that in reality these settings only relate to the fixed temperature at which the alarm sounds, it's not a big drawback.

Unlike Akasa's basic AK FC-01 fan controller, everything about this Pro model exudes quality and style. The dials themselves are chunky and responsive, while the screen is easy to read. And though it lacks the retro cool of the Cooler Master Musketeer, Akasa has more than made up for this by including six coloured fascias and a multi-colour LCD. It's hard to think of any case colour scheme that the Fan Control Pro wouldn't be able to fit into. Think of it as rather like James Bond: thanks to the interchangeable fascias, the Fan Control Pro is just as endlessly adaptable and imperturbable. It's also reasonably British - Akasa is owned by Middlesex-based Lapicon.

We gave the Fan Control Pro 97 per cent for design for good reason, as it's clearly been put together with a lot of thought. At nearly £40, it's quite pricey, but for once you really get what you pay for.

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