SunbeamTech Chameleon

Written by Michael Larabel in Peripherals on 10 August 2005 at 01:00 PM EDT. Page 3 of 3. Add A Comment.

Performance:

One of the nice aspects of using three independent dials for adjusting the colors rather than a simple rocker switch, or alternative controller, is that you can achieve a greater number of lighting possibilities. With the red, green, and blue dials you can mix and match to achieve a greater number of lighting combinations. Installing the SunbeamTech Chameleon in a traditional computer case is quite easy. All that is required is to install the controller panel in an available 5.25" external bay and then connect all of the power and LED wires followed by placing the four LEDs around the case using the included Velcro tape or an alternate mounting method. Once we had the SunbeamTech Chameleon powered up, the endless number of lighting possibilities the unit can produce intrigued us. Below are just some of the many color possibilities.


Conclusion:

SunbeamTech has definitely brought something new to the table with their Chameleon product. The concept of having the ability to adjust between multiple colors is quite enticing however; the current generation device still has its share of flaws. When closely examining the Chameleon controller panel, we found it to be rather cheaply made and the dials along with the on/off switch could be improved. Another area we would like to see improved is a greater adjustment in the colors when moving the dials. Until we nearly maxed out the respective dials, we didn't see a large variation in the intensity of the LEDs. Furthermore, we would personally like to see SunbeamTech re-design the mounting methods for the LED lasers as many enthusiasts prefer a more reliable and clean way of mounting different components inside of the chassis. Overall, the SunbeamTech Chameleon is quite innovative and unique. Even though there are some flaws, the average enthusiast should have no troubles utilizing the device in their modded system.


Pros:

· Ability to adjust colors
· Easy to control/install
· Long wires
· On/Off switch
· Pivoting lights
· Rather bright LEDs

Cons:

· Removable lens
· Control panel interface appearance/design
· Not large change in light intensity when initially adjusting dials

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Michael Larabel

Michael Larabel is the principal author of Phoronix.com and founded the site in 2004 with a focus on enriching the Linux hardware experience. Michael has written more than 20,000 articles covering the state of Linux hardware support, Linux performance, graphics drivers, and other topics. Michael is also the lead developer of the Phoronix Test Suite, Phoromatic, and OpenBenchmarking.org automated benchmarking software. He can be followed via Twitter, LinkedIn, or contacted via MichaelLarabel.com.