SunbeamTech Chromatic Windmill

Written by Michael Larabel in Peripherals on 18 July 2005 at 01:00 PM EDT. Page 2 of 3. Add A Comment.

Examination:

Starting off on the front left side of the SunbeamTech Chromatic Windmill, the first item to catch our attention was the controlling dial. While a knob was found on the left hand side of the unit, on the right hand side were four controlling buttons. The four buttons consist of fan, key, set, and C/F. Between these control functions was the LCD display. Displayed on the LCD is the date, time, temperature, key lock, overheat alarm, speeds of seven fans, and usage.

As for the construction of the actual multi-function panel, the 5.25" housing is constructed entirely out of metal. Unlike the Thermaltake HardCano 13 multi-function panel that offers an entirely removable motherboard top, the same isn't true for the Chromatic Windmill. All of the construction for the unit is entirely secure and the only way to access the innards of the unit is through removing the front and back portions of the unit.

Turning around the unit to the rear is the power connector, seven 3-pin fan connectors, three thermal sensor connectors, and HDD LED connector. Above the connectors are the battery compartment, reset switch, and Celsius / Fahrenheit switch. As for the construction of the actual cables, they are all EMI shielded to prevent the possibilities of experiencing any interference but there are some other aspects of the unit we would like to present. The thermal sensor range for the SunbeamTech Chromatic Windmill is from 25°C to 80°C. This range is enough for most average enthusiasts but for users getting into water cooling or sub-zero cooling will find these sensors inoperable. Another quirk with the panel is the abilities to only adjust the year from 2002 to 2009. Although the Chromatic Windmill will probably seize to exist in the next decade, it’s a bit odd that SunbeamTech was only able to program the date support until year 2009.


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