SUMMARY: We've got Thermaltake's latest PC thermal control unit under the spot light today, in the form of the Hardcano 12. It carries over all the solid features of its older brothers but with a bunch of new and intelligent options which make the latest incarnation an even better option for thermally controlling your computer. Read on!
When you first crack open the box you will be greeted with the main unit assembly. It measures in at 14.6cm x 17cm x 3.8cm (that’s 5.75” x 6.7” x 1.5” for those not metrically inclined). This size allows it to be used in a standard 5.25” optical drive bay. It has several sets of mounting holes so you can be ensured of a good fit into any case, even those relying on a rail system.
Turning the unit around shows us the main power connector for the Hardcano system. When you hook up the power to this device, it handles all power needs to the fans installed. This allows you to run a huge number of fans without having to find Molex splitters. This in itself can make a huge difference when cooling the enclosure.
Also of note was the fact that even when I ran a system with eight fans (including the CPU cooler), I was never able to exceed an amperage draw and make the unit unstable or non-functional. Folks, we’re talking hooking up multiple fans on a single feed line where each fan draws .5 amps! For those who have played with fan speed controllers in the past, you’ll remember having to carefully set up the fans so each channel didn’t exceed a specified amperage rating. With the Hardcano 12 this is a thing of the past; or at least set to a level where even insane fan setups couldn’t ruin the unit.
The wiring harness used on the Hardcano 12 follows the same protocol as the Butterfly PSU. The cables are surrounded by a flexible mesh covering that allows you plenty of length and also gives you the capability of easily controlling the internal wiring array. Since all the wires are kept together, it is a simple matter to collect the unused portion and zip-tie it out of the way of your normal case airflow pathway.
Also included for each channel is a thermal probe. This gives you the ability to monitor the temperature in the region of each channel’s fans. If one portion of the case is getting too warm, you can set the fan speed to a higher level in this area alone without having to increase the fan speeds (and noise levels) of all other fans.
From the wiring harness you hook up this wiring assembly. One end hooks into the Hardcano cabling system while the other end hooks into the fan(s) being used on that specific channel. It is compatible with either 3-pin power needs of a 4-pin Molex. If using the Molex to power the fan, the fan speed monitoring wire (yellow 3-pin connector) can be hooked up as well to allow the Hardcano unit to monitor fan speeds. While this monitoring wire is not required, if it does not exist then the fan speeds will not be displayed on the face of the Hardcano unit.
All in all this is a very simple setup. Getting everything hooked up and working properly was a breeze, so no experience is necessary at all for using the Hardcano 12.
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