If you are enough of a computer enthusiast to purchase a nifty device such as this, then you’re meaning to show it off, which means you already have a windowed case… which means you’ll probably take the extra time to route the fan extensions and temperature probes so they can’t be easily seen. If this is you, thenpractice your Zen chants before attempting installation, becuase it will likely take several hours to do properly.
It is helpful to prepare all cable routing while you’re installing the fan controller, which means temporarially removing any bulky cables that will get in your way. Minimize what is not absolutely essential to make snaking the fan leads through your system easier. Detach any fan leads from your motherboard and put on the appropriate fan extension cable (use a 4-pin cable if you have a 4-pin fan, 3-pin cable for 3-pin fans, etc). You can also use a Y-cable to allow your motherboard to still monitor that particular fan’s RPMs (helpful to avoid “CPU fan” errors on POST).
After your extension cables are attached, snake them aound, tucking them out of sight wherever possible, eventually leading to the empty drive bay you have reserved for the display unit. You may even want to put a paper label on each fan lead so you know that “fan 1” is your air intake, for example. Fan 4 will probably be your CPU fan, as that is the only 4-pin port. You should also route the CVS cable to the display unit as well, and poke it through the front of your case. It’s a good idea to route the thermal sensors at this time, as well.
Now that all the leads are poking out the front, attach them to the back of the display unit. Load the display unit into your free drive bay and attach with the four included screws. Attach a molex connector to the back of the unit.
Now place the CVS unit between the wall outlet (or power strip) and the power supply. Just plug your normal power cable into the CVS, and then insert the tethered male power cable into your computer’s power supply. Connect the “non-USB” cable to the “non-USB” port and you should be all set to power up! Your system should come on and the Fan Controller’s front panel should illuminate a “test pattern” before showing real readouts.
