Published in Reviews

Scythe Kaze Master Ace 5.25" tested

by on22 February 2010

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Our test Kaze Master ACE 5.25’’ sample is black although the device is available in silver color as well. Basically, the only difference is in the front panel. The panel is made of quality brushed aluminum.

The vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) is at the center of the panel and it displays letters and numbers in two shades of blue.

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In practice, Kaze Master Ace 5.25’’ is quite a useful controller that not only professionals will benefit from. We’ve heard too many complaints on the noise levels of the fans in users’ cases and apart from changing the fans altogether, Kaze is your best shot towards relieving some of the noise at an expense of fan speed. Kaze Master Ace 5.25’’ can control up to 4 fans which will be enough in most cases. As you can see, each fan is equipped with one control regulator – twist it and set your preference, as simple as that.

RPM is displayed in the upper row whereas temperature readouts are in the row below. Temeperature and RPM readouts are independent of each other, and thanks to the long cables, no spot is out of reach.

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As you can see from the picture above, turning off a fan will display OFF in the screen, whereas an error would display a flashing 0. To further alarm the user of the error, the sound alarm will go off as well.

Display is 114mm long and 20mm high (4.49" x 0.79") which is enough for displaying four digit values.

Kaze Master Ace 5.25’’ will theoretically follow the fan from 0-9990 RPM in 30 RPM increments. Naturally, such values will hardly ever be seen in practice because each of the four fan channels will provide up to 12W. This means that if you use faster fans with over 3000 RPM, which usually require more than 12W, the controller will not be able to run them at maximum RPM. Note however that this is not a problem, as most users use standard fans with 12V and 1A which will be taken in stride by this controller. By turning the regulator on the controller, we provide from 3.7 to 12V to the fan, and thus directly affect the fan speed.

The following picture shows the back of the device, or PCB with resistors, chips, connectors, etc., to be more precise.

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Starting from left, you’ll notice a Beep speaker which will sound if the fan stops or temperatures exceed 75°C. The speaker is numbered 4 on the diagram.

Number 5 on the diagram shows the ON/OFF jumper, which is used to turn sound alarms off (ON by default). Kaze Master Ace 5.25’’ has its power connector and is marked with 6.

Next in line are the two pin connectors for temperature sensors. As you can see from the picture, the device supports up to four heat-sensors with readings in °C or °F depending on the jumper position in the spot marked with 8.

The fan connectors are in a vertical row on the right. Scythe advises users to use 3-pin connector fans, because 4-pin (PWM) connector fans can cause the absence of or incorrect speed readouts.

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Specs

 • Model Name:
   Kaze Master Ace
 • Model No.:
   KM02-BK (5,25" black version)
 • Measurements (W x H x D):
   148.5 x 42.5 x 63 mm / 5.85 x 1.67 x 2.48 in
 • Display Measurements (W x H):
   114 x 20 mm / 4.49 x 0.79 in
 • Length of the control dial:
   12 mm / 0.47 in
 • DC Input:
   5 V or 12 V (From PC Power Supply Unit)
 • Fan Adjustment Range:
   3.7 V (±10%) ~ 12 V (±10%)
 • Fan Channels:
  4
 • Maximum Ampere per Channel:
   1 Ampere (= 12 W max.)
 • Fan Speed Range:
   0 ~ 9990 rpm (Display: 30 rpm steps)
 • Number of Temp Channels:
   4
 • Temperature Range:
   0 ~ 100°C / 32 ~ 199,9°F
 • Measurement Frequency:
   2 Seconds
 • Weight:
   165 g / 5.35 oz


Last modified on 22 February 2010
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