Thermaltake HardCano 13

Performance:

After we were done with our thorough examination of the unit, we popped the Thermaltake HardCano 13 into a system with the following components:

Right after we turned the device on, all of the fascinating colors on the LCD display amused us. Once again, the colored backgrounds were blue, light blue, red, light green, green, yellow, purple, and white. While the background colored changed, all of the text remained black.

When taking a closer look at the display, we appreciated that it was well laid out. The temperature is displayed in the dead center of the LCD, in Fahrenheit or Celsius depending upon your setting. Information relating to the built-in alarm can be found in a much smaller font in the bottom right hand corner. The fan speed is displayed in the upper right hand corner; while on the left side is the current fan/temp probe is currently being displayed on the LCD. Also shown on the left hand side is whether the fan is being controlled manually or automatically. When a memory card is inserted, the type of memory card inserted is displayed in the bottom left hand side of the LCD display.

As for the actual operation, the Thermaltake HardCano 13 was connected to four Cooler Master 80mm LED fans and the thermal probes were placed by the CPU, Northbridge, graphics card, and overall case temperature. We found the LCD to be extremely clear and sharp text and all of the functions to be easily adjustable. The clock function was also a nice feature. Overall, the fan controller and temperature monitoring worked superb, along with the memory card reader/writer worked flawlessly under Linux.

Conclusion:

The HardCano 13 is another outstanding Thermaltake product. It lives up to expectations set forth by earlier HardCano versions. Not only does the Thermaltake HardCano 13 look great, it's also a very functional piece of hardware. The device allows for fan speed controlling, temperature monitoring, and a memory card reader/writer that supports six different formats. We really enjoyed the use of a battery, which allows all settings to be saved when your system is powered off, so when you boot back up you no longer need to reconfigure all of your controls. Although the HardCano 13 currently sells for about $60-65, we feel it would be money well spent considering the features and functionality. We can only dream what future versions of the HardCano will hold for computer enthusiasts and gamers alike.

Pros:

· Construction
· 8 Color LCD display
· Memory card reader
· Four thermal probes
· Unused
· Functional

Cons:

· Cable organization