Conclusion:
The styling and features of the Aerocool FP-01 55-in-1 Multifunction Panel with Card Reader impressed me from the start, as it seemed to offer everything I wanted, without any unnecessary extras, and without being gaudy. The fact that the screen can be slid away to look like an optical drive is a big plus, as it not only keeps your system looking uncluttered, but it also prevents the curious passer-by from fidgeting with any of your settings.
Overall, it lived up to my expectations in all area but one, as it offered easy access to the included ports and card slots, an excellent card reader with useful extra features, quick access to temperature data, and it installed easily into a case with a tool-less drive bay system.
The one thing keeping me from getting really excited about the Aerocool FP-01 is that for some fans, the speed registered on the display was not accurate at all. When I know a fan is rated for 5600 RPM at full speed, and the display shows 560 RPM, that is a problem. Even worse, if you slow the fan down from the supposed 560, you should get a lower value on the display, not something close to double the original value. While this type of thing did not happen on all fans, the fact that it happened at all makes me uneasy about trusting it to manage key fans like those found on a CPU cooler or motherboard chipset.
Reading other reviews on this device as a point of reference shows that no one else had such issues with fan control, so I have to wonder if it was an isolated incident. Considering that I was able to accurately control some other fans makes me wonder if it is a compatibility issue with the device and certain fans.
The review's sponsor, Xoxide , has a wide variety of multifunction panels for sale, from the simple to the extreme, and from budget conscious to budget busting. They sell the Aerocool FP-01 for $52.99, which isn't cheap, but it is far less than many other devices they offer in this category. A search of PriceGrabber shows Xoxide and a few other outlets carrying the FP-01, and the Xoxide price is competitive, especially when you add in tax and shipping.
Given the extremely convenient card reader, well selected ports included on the front panel, and the general function of the fan speed controller and temperature display, the Aerocool FP-01 55-in-1 Multifunction Panel with Card Reader earns the award of "Great Idea". It is probably the best conceived bay device I have used, and is only prevented from achieving our highest award of "Highly Recommended" due to the issues with reporting the speed of some fans.
Pros:
» Easy installation
» Works with tool-less cases
» Fits a wide variety of very useful features into one 5.25" bay
» Includes 3 temperature monitors and 3 fan speed controllers, with alarm
» Does not include (redundant) audio ports
» One click Copy button is a nice touch
» Identification of removable drive type in Windows Explorer is very helpful
» Relative value of fan speeds is easy to control
» LCD display is well laid out and easy to read
Cons:
» Actual value of fan speeds was not reliable on all fans
Special thanks to Xoxide for providing the Aerocool FP-01 55-in-1 Multifunction Panel with Card Reader to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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