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1 2 3 NextApril 23, 2005 by Charles
Gilliatt with Russ
Kinder
| Product |
Cooldrive 6 |
MX411 |
| Manufacturer |
Cooler Master |
Matrix Orbital |
| MSRP |
US $64.99 |
US $119.99 |
Over the past few years, there has been explosion in tools and gadgets
to strap to the front of your PC for the purpose of monitoring and controlling
what is going on inside it. Perhaps the increase is due to a buying public
that has become more savvy about the internal functionings of their computers,
or maybe it represents yet another successful ploy from the marketeers
to get us to buy more knickknacks. Whatever the cause, we have seen numerous
combinations of fan controllers, hard drive coolers, and information display
screens addressing this new concern.
On hand today are two of these devices,
the Cooler Master Cooldrive6, which aims to combine them all into one device,
and the Matrix Orbital MX-411 leaves out the hard drive cooling, but adds a
more powerful display component into the package.
COOLDRIVE 6
Cooler Master's marketing blurb on the
box describes it best:
"The Cooldrive 6 is designed for the
HDD cooling with a front panel that displays temperature and [fan] speed.
In addition, it provides PC software to detect the information on the HDD
such as space and transfer speed. You can directly monitor the information
on the HDD by the control panel or through the PC by software."
The Cooldrive supports RPM readings and controls one of up to 4 fans,
one of which by default is the small blower fan within the unit itself. The
drive also supports 4 thermal probes.
MX-411
Matrix
Orbital's website description is similar:
"With the
new MX4 series we have enlarged the size of the display and added more keypad
functionality. This double drive bay PC insert incorporates a 20 character
x 4 line USB display and a 15 button keypad. The MX4 also allows you to plug
4 fans in directly to the back of the unit for all you quiet and cooling PC
needs"
KEY FEATURES
|
Cooler Master Cooldrive 6
|
Matrix Orbital MX411
|
| All aluminum case with heat sink bottom for maximum cooling
efficiency |
15 button programmable keypad
|
| Integrated 40mm blower, bottom and front panel
venting for total HDD cooling |
Supports 4 fans and 6 temperature probes
|
| CoolDrive 6 software interface for easier monitoring
and control |
Dynamically adjustable fan speed based on thermal
probes
|
| Supports 4 fans and temperature for complete
control |
Includes LCDC for complete control of the LCD
|
| Temperature , speed and HDD alarm |
Large 20x4 line LCD display
|
| User friendly front panel LCD and controls |
Available in a multitude of LCD colors
|
| Available in silver and black models |
Available in silver and black models
|
The packaging is a study in contrasts: The Cooler Master arrives
in a flashy retail package sure to catch your eye on a store shelf, while
the Matrix Orbital's plain-Jane box is clearly designed for sturdy shipping
from an internet store, rather than an in-person impulse buy. Consider the
packing to be symbolic of the difference in the target market for these
two companies: CM is clearly painting as wide a stripe as possible across
the PC knickknack market, while Matrix Orbital is aiming at a very focused,
very technical segment: People who know what they want and aren't likely
to be swayed by pretty pictures. Further evidence of this difference will become apparent.
Both devices come complete with a gaggle of goodies:
Inside the Cooldrive 6 box
one finds the Cooldrive itself, an external and an internal USB cable,
a thermal pad, and the usual package of screws, as well as directions and
software CD (not shown).
The MX-411 includes the display itself, external and internal USB cables, a driver CD, two 36" temperature probes (nice and long!), an LED display with a cutting template, and the obligatory bag of screws (not shown). Noticeably lacking is a printed manual. A variety of pdf
manuals are included on the mini CD, leaving it up to the user to decipher which
cryptically named file is relevant to the display they purchased.
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