Articles

Scythe Kaze Q12 12-Channel Fan Controller Review

Details: Written by Inferno on June 29th 2011 at 3:45pm

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For the extreme cooling enthusiast, an all-in-one controller to control 12 fans is hard to find. In comes Scythe, a leading cooling manufacturer with the Kaze Q12, which will control and power a whopping 12 fans. The Q12 should certainnly help up that mess of wires and/or multiple fan controllers you currently use!

Introduction

The KAZE-Q12 is a simple to use 12 channel Fan Controller mountable to 5.25” bay.

Features:

2 channel fan controller mountable for 5.25” bay
Adjusting knob for fan speed control. Power LED for all channels.
Blue LED – when turned on. Connected fans and LEDs can be turned off.
Stops powering fan and LED by turning the corresponding knob to the left end.
Hairline polish aluminium front panel.
In compliance with RoHS standard.

Specifications:

Model Name: Kaze Q12 12-Channel Fan Controller
Model-No.:
- KQ02-BK (Black)
- KQ02-SL (Silver)
Dimensions: 148,5 x 42,5 x 63 mm | 5.85 x 1.67 x 2.48 in (WxHxD)
Voltage Range: 5 V (±10%) - 12 V (±10%)
Fan Channels: 12 channels
Output Ampere: max. 1 Ampere
Fan Speed Range: 0 - 9,900 rpm
Weight: 142 g / 5.00 oz
Accessory:
- Main Unit (x1), Fan Cable (x12), Power Cable (x1), Screws (x4)

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The KAZE Q-12 comes in a Scythe-typical colorful box with multilingual specs and features listed and illustrated.

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The KAZE Q-12 comes with a large bundle of fan cables to power all 12 of them. They are quite long, and should allow for very clean cable management on the back of the case unless the power cables from the fan itself are quite short. It also comes with four mounting screws.

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The KAZE Q-12 has a beautiful polished brushed aluminum face. It has a great-looking texture and a subtle shine to it. The buttons are very solid, they have a firm turn, and the switches feel very well made and built. The KAZE Q-12 also comes in a silver version with the same build and the same brushed aluminum face.

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The rear panel with the electronics is also sturdy, the components are cleanly laid out and the panel is assembled in a durable fashion. Instead of putting the electronics in a closed cabinet, it opens up a few extra inches inside the drive bay for cable management and routing, which, if you have 12 fans to run, you ought to appreciate.

Final Thoughts

The KAZE Q-12 has a beautiful brushed aluminum front panel and is sturdy, with excellent build quality. The knobs turn firm and are themselves very solid. All of the componentry is well reinforced and well laid out and assembled. A little extra cable management room is also opened up by not using a closed cabinet, and instead leaving it open.

The ability to turn off fans completely and also the LEDs on the controller itself are both nice touches, especially for those who use a high-end computer in a low-power setting where all of the fans, and the noise associated with them, are not needed, or where the "flash" of the lights is not preferred.

The controller works as simple as the turn of a button, and it doesn't get any easier. It works great, and we are looking into getting 12 high-power draw fans to see how well it performs when heavily loaded by 12 demanding fans, and will update the review when those come in.