|
Layout
and Design
That's a ton of wires.
I guess in order to get all of those cool functions on the front to work
they have to be plugged into something and that requires a wire. In
fact, the PowerWatch has what we professionals like to call, "a bunch of
wires".
The PowerWatch can monitor
four temperatures with the above sensors, each sensor is labeled so you
will put it in the correct spot. Each wire corresponds to a
readout on the front, so you won't want to install them in the wrong
spot.
The PowerWatch also monitors
the RPM's of four fans. Again, each fan is labeled so you know the
one you are monitoring on the panel is the correct one. No
guessing or trial and error here.
The 25 in 1 card reader is
connected to your motherboard through a USB header on your motherboard.
The card reader has four slots but can read 25 different types of cards.
Here's a list of all 25.
| CF Port |
CF I / CF II /
MD / CF-Ultra II / CF Extreme |
| SM Port |
SM / XD Ready |
| MS Port |
MS / MS PRO / MS
Duo (adapter) / MS PRO Duo(MG) (adapter) / MS PRO(MG) /
MS(MG) / HS MS PRO(MG) (adapter) / MS PRO Ultra II |
| SD Port |
SD / MMC / MMC
II / MMC 4.0 / RS MMC (Adapter) / SD-Ultra II / T-Flash
(Adapter) |
Standard USB pins and an
audio plug finish out the connections.
The last thing you'll want
to hook up is this power connector that delivers 5v and 12v power to the
PowerUSB ports. PowerUSB is a new feature that is just starting to
appear on the marketplace. It allows you to use the port as a
regular USB port or you can actually use your computer to power devices
and even charge your cell phone. You need special USB cables to
take advantage of this and we have them and will review them shortly.
Conclusion
The PowerWatch from Aerocool
is a great product. The multifunctional panel gives you all of the
critical information about your computer at a quick glance. The
large LCD is very easy to read. The values and graphs are highly
contrasted against the background and are easy to read even from an
angle. The mode button lets you quickly scroll through all four
components that are being monitored. The only drawback in having
such a large display is the need to take up two 5.25" drive bays.
This is only a concern when you have a smaller case and your drive bays
are limited. I would gladly give up two drive bays for something
this useful. The PowerWatch is available in black and silver so
pick yours up as soon as it's released.
|
Club
Overclocker Rating |
|
Innovation: |
10
out of 10 |
|
Performance: |
9.5 out of 10 |
|
Quality: |
9.5
out of 10 |
|
Stability: |
N/A |
|
Overclocking: |
N/A |
|
Software/Drivers Pack: |
9.0 out of 10 |
|
Value: |
N/A |
|
Overall Rating
9.5 |
 |
|
Skill Level |
|
Project Skill Level
(10 being hardest) |
4
out of 10 |
|
