Features

     The Hardcano 12 has a very functional front panel that allows for full control of 4 fans and temperature alarms. The mode button allows automatic and manual mode. Automatic mode allows for fan control when you leave your system unattended, whilst manual allows you to turn your fans up 100% for some late-night fragging...

     A full assortment of molex converters, an instruction manual, and sleeved cables, yes sleeved.. A nice touch to match your Thermaltake PSU.. Oh yes, Thermaltake also included enough thermal tape for the Hardcano 12 installation and many other projects...

     A nice touch is the blackened thermal probes which used to be the norm a few years ago. I value the need to stealth as many cable as possible so this is a nice touch. Notice also the O-ring and sealed enclosure which is nice since anything that takes voltage away from a component is sure to heat up. If you have a bay reservoir you'll understand why this is also a nice touch.

Removing the four Phillips screws reveals a nicely organized and simple construction. All of the cables have small labels allowing easy installation.

A very attractive addition to any case.

Final Thoughts...

     The Hardcano 12 is a fine controller and does a wonderful job. Of course this device isn't without its shortcomings. One of the problems is the temperature threshold is only 40-70C. Since I water cool, I haven't been use to any kind of temperature that approaches the 40C range in a very long time. Not really a problem but more of an annoyance is that my system's fan speed average at full load is 3000 rpm and the lowest the Hardcano was able to turn them was around 1800. Most of the other controllers we've reviewed will give you enough control so that you can actually turn the fan off if need be. The Hardcano also goes into "automatic mode" on every cold boot of your computer. This can be seen as an asset for those IT Groups that just want to turn it on and leave, but can be irritating to adjust unless you just turn your system on to instantly be at full load.

     Other than the annoyances mentioned above, the Hardcano 12 exhibited no weird behavior's such as fan speed fluctuations or annoying alarms when you're setting it up. It probably took me less than half the amount of time used for other controllers. It also looks nice, and the sealed enclosure is important for ambient case temperatures. For those of you out there that are familiar with fan controllers, you know how much heat they can produce which only winds up in your system. I also liked that the buttons were clearly labeled, and the instruction manual, and just about everything else was so much easier than any other controller I've reviewed thus far. Hopefully in the near future Thermaltake will tend to the limitations of 12th Hardcano, which will solve a lot of problems for those that are actually familiar with the term "Hardcore" when it comes to cooling. If this controller is what you are looking for I would suggest doing some research and read some reviews on the Kingwin Thermal Center or other controllers just to make sure this is what you want. With that little advice I'll give it a ClubOC recommended..