Introduction

I like to think that I have been a little more than an advanced user when it came to computers. I always bought higher end parts and dabbled in a little bit of everything on the software side of things. One thing that I never had to invest in was a ton of cooling. My CPU coolers have always been air coolers and every case that I've used sufficed with what was stock. Most cases you see come with at least 2 fans, intake in the front and exhaust out the back. Stepping up out of the budget market might get you an extra fan on the side panel or the top. For my personal computer, I've never really needed more than 3 fans.

Being a reviewer has opened my eyes to many new experiences that I never really tried. Prior to this gig, I've never crossfired video cards. I never used a case that was more than a budget case. Now, I've seen cases that include 5 or more fans. I've seen how high the temperatures in a case rise with multiple high end video cards and an overclocked CPU. I can see the worth and need for things like extra case fans and fan controllers. Having two 6950s running in crossfire tends to make things a little toasty on the interior of a case. Many cases with the top exhaust fan can double as a space heater underneath a desk.

The NZXT Sentry Mix puts a new look to the fan controller. The Sentry Mix looks like it was built for the user that wants a little flare. The Mix features 6 channels for excellent fan control. Each channel has a max output of 50W, which will more than suffice for any fan out there. The controls use a matte-rubber finish with slider adjustments. There are also 5 different LED colors that can be chosen to illuminate the fan number indicators.