With a lot more searching, finding nothing worthwhile, and with considerable thought, I’d like to suggest this hardware/software combination:
http://www.mellen.biz/fancontroller/
Do you want to automatically adjust your fan speeds based upon case temperature(s), and/or want some more fan headers of the type you want for the fan make/model you want to use, and monitor all your fan speeds in the best respected application out there? This relatively simple controller board, in conjunction with SpeedFan’s new fan control user interface (as of 4.44β), is a great way to automatically control your fans to keep your build cool, as quiet as possible, and safe. Tom’s hardware says that “If you are interested in regulating your fans, you should also furnish your system with numerous heat sensors. An alarm function triggered at critical levels should alert the user that the PC is getting too hot, or better yet, automatically take control of and adjust fan settings.” This solution is all that and more, without paying too much for it.
To obtain it, you have three choices…
1) You need to ask your favorite manufacturer to make it so. Apply pressure showing a market, and manufacturers won’t want to be the last with the solution. Along with a personal note, send the information below to them, so they get a consistent picture. Are you listening Antec?, Silverstone? LianLi? Gelid? ArcticColling? Thermaltake? CoolerMaster? Zalman? Scythe? Noctua? NZXT?
2) If some electronics, Win7 programming, and marketing people can get together and get it prototyped & proven, they could perhaps work something out with a PCB design & assembly service to get it to market at a reasonable price point, or
3) Arm-twist a local university that might entertain this as an interdisciplinary project that could be subsequently run with…
Write me at fancontroller@mellen.biz if you have further improvements for the product or visit
www.mellen.biz/fancontroller if you want the latest thoughts on the product. I’d be glad to get this rolling…