Review on 💨 Cooler Master 1 to 10 PWM Hub: Chassis Fan Cable Adapter with Strong Magnetic Adsorption by Vishal Geske

Pros: Does EXACTLY what it's designed to do and does it very well. Cons: Build quality is a bit poor. (b) The way this (or any other) hub compares to a full controller just amazes me. This does NOT allow independent fan control. If you want it, you need a full blown PWM fan controller, not just a hub. They are significantly more expensive, usually require connection to a SATA power supply and mobo's internal USB connector, and require special additional software (e.g. Corsair iCUE), etc. It's not *it*. It's a simple PWM *hub* (can you see it in the title?). You connect it to SATA power, the SYS_FAN header of the mobo chassis, and then start connecting 4-pin PWM fans to it (up to 10 fans total). The fan in slot 0 is "one" which is read by the system BIOS monitor SYS_FAN as a "detected" fan for RPMs etc. The fan curve and settings in the system BIOS use this sense to adjust the speed of ALL 4-pin PWM fans connected to the hub at the same time, as if it were just one fan running at the same speed. This is the same goal. You can also drive simple 3-pin DC fans, but you will not (and cannot) use PWM for these fans. You're running at 100% speed (and power); they are either "on" or "off". PLEASE READ THE SYS_FAN MOBO HEADER SPECS AND THE FAN SPECS CAREFULLY. You may not need it. Most (not all, so you need to check FIRST) mobo sys_fan connectors deliver a maximum output of 1A (1000mA). If you try to draw more, you can prepare a title; not good. To be honest I stray from anything over 80% of the mobo's power limit on the header, so the 1A limit quoted makes me reach for an active hub (like this) as soon as I know I'm going to exceed 800mA will. All fans have a specific power requirement, and by connecting them to the same mobo header with one or more simple splitters, their power consumption adds up. Here are some examples: Four PWM Arctic P12, 80mA on a sys_fan 1A header. The total current consumption is 4x80mA = 320mA. Therefore, you do NOT need this powered hub; A simple unpowered PWM splitter, probably $8-$10, will work just fine. Four Noctua NF-A12x25, 140mA on a 0.5A sys_fan (500mA) connector. You need an active hub (like this one) as 4 x 140mA = 560mA is above the 0.5A limit of your mobo connector. Hopefully it's now clear how this hub works and how to determine if you need/want this or something else in your fan case. It does NOT provide individual addressing for each connected fan; They are all treated the same as the first fan on the hub. The purpose of the hub is to allow you to connect many fans to the mobo's sys_fan header than it could otherwise handle by (a) providing external power over SATA power and (b) using how the mobo is configured what it counts as a fan. regularly ALL at the same time. Much luck.