Introduction

Bob Dylan had a hit with “Blowin’ In the Wind” back in 1963. It had the infamous chorus recanting “the answer my friends is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind”. This supposed answer is to one of the two or three hundred vague (and ever so insightful) questions posed in the songs verses. You know the ones – how many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man, etc, etc…. I’m really not sure air movement solves that one clearly. Had he asked “what do I do about high case temperatures?” then the chorus may have made a bit more sense…..or, it may have made even less sense, since case temps weren’t a concern in 1963…we’ll never know.

Blowing a little wind correctly into your case certainly is a simple solution to high temperatures. A good intake of cool air from the outside, coupled with correct exhaust, and you have a nice cool breeze running through dropping the temps. In the case of case fans, people are often surprised at how even small amounts make a tremendous difference. Depending on your case and build, many times just a gentle breeze is only slightly less effective than what sounds like a hurricane. Getting the balance of proper noise/cooling ratio correct is the key.

The NZXT Sentry Mesh Fan Controller tackles the cooling to noise ratio dilemma by allowing for control of up to five internal fans individually. Using PWM control, the NZXT Sentry Mesh is capable of continually variable fan speeds from 40% all the way up to the fan’s full capacity. Mounting in an open 5.25” ODD bay, the Sentry Mesh places full control in a convenient location and a mesh face blends into most existing cases for a factory installed look. The NZXT Sentry Mesh uses slider controls for each individual fan for continuously variable speed control. One four pin molex powers the Sentry Mesh and each fan has an individual three pin plug. The Sentry Mesh is capable of powering and controlling fans up to 30 watts each, easily enough for even the most power hungry fans.