Question:

What is the function and purpose of this device that I found on an old PC case? It has a small LCD screen, three buttons labeled “select”, “next”, and “previous”, and some connectors that seem to attach to the motherboard and the hard disk drive. Here is a picture of the device: [device].

Answer:

What is this mysterious device from an old PC case?

Have you ever stumbled upon an old PC case and wondered what some of the components inside were used for? Well, you are not alone. One of our readers sent us a picture of a device that he found on an old PC case and asked us to identify it and explain its function and purpose. Here is the picture of the device:

[device]

As you can see, the device has a small LCD screen, three buttons labeled “select”, “next”, and “previous”, and some connectors that seem to attach to the motherboard and the hard disk drive. What is this device and what does it do?

After doing some research, we found out that this device is a fan controller. A fan controller is a device that allows you to manually adjust the speed and noise level of the fans inside your PC case. By using the buttons and the screen, you can monitor the temperature and voltage of your system and change the fan speed accordingly. This way, you can optimize the cooling performance and the noise level of your PC.

Fan controllers are usually installed in one of the 5.25-inch drive bays of your PC case, which are the same size as the optical drives (such as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM). The connectors on the device are used to connect the fan controller to the power supply, the motherboard, and the fans. The hard disk drive connector is optional and is used to display the hard disk activity on the screen.

Why use a fan controller?

Fan controllers are not essential for most PC users, but they can be useful for some scenarios. For example, if you are a gamer or an overclocker, you might want to have more control over the cooling system of your PC, as your components can generate more heat and require more airflow. By using a fan controller, you can increase the fan speed when you need more cooling and decrease it when you want less noise.

Another reason to use a fan controller is if you have a lot of fans in your PC case and you want to manage them individually. Some motherboards have a limited number of fan headers, which are the connectors that allow you to plug in the fans. If you have more fans than fan headers, you might need to use splitters or adapters, which can reduce the control and monitoring of the fans. By using a fan controller, you can connect each fan to a separate channel and adjust them independently.

How to use a fan controller?

Using a fan controller is not very complicated, but it requires some basic knowledge of your PC components and wiring. Here are the general steps to install and use a fan controller:

1. Turn off your PC and unplug it from the power source.

2. Open your PC case and locate an empty 5.25-inch drive bay. You might need to remove the front panel of your PC case to access the drive bay.

3. Slide the fan controller into the drive bay and secure it with screws or clips.

4. Connect the power cable of the fan controller to a free molex connector from your power supply. The molex connector is a four-pin connector that is usually used to power the optical drives or the hard disk drives.

5. Connect the temperature sensors of the fan controller to the areas that you want to monitor, such as the CPU, the GPU, or the hard disk drive. The temperature sensors are thin wires with metal tips that can be attached to the surface of the components with adhesive tape or clips.

6. Connect the fan cables of the fan controller to the fans that you want to control. The fan cables are usually three-pin or four-pin connectors that match the connectors on the fans. Make sure to connect the fans to the corresponding channels on the fan controller, as indicated by the labels or the manual.

7. Optionally, connect the hard disk drive cable of the fan controller to a free SATA connector from your power supply. The SATA connector is a 15-pin connector that is usually used to power the hard disk drives or the solid state drives.

8. Close your PC case and plug it back to the power source.

9. Turn on your PC and use the buttons and the screen of the fan controller to adjust the fan speed and monitor the temperature and voltage of your system.

Conclusion

A fan controller is a device that allows you to manually adjust the speed and noise level of the fans inside your PC case. It can be useful for gamers, overclockers, or anyone who wants more control over the cooling system of their PC. To use a fan controller, you need to install it in a 5.25-inch drive bay and connect it to the power supply, the motherboard, the fans, and optionally the hard disk drive. By using the buttons and the screen of the fan controller, you can monitor the temperature and voltage of your system and change the fan speed accordingly.

We hope this article helped you to understand what this device from an old PC case is and how it works. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Thank you for reading!