NZXT Grid+ V2

SO, I’VE BEEN h havingi problemsbl withih a motherboard in my home system, namely the Asus Z170i Pro Gaming. By any measure, it’s a beautiful little board. It holds its overclocks like a champ, has plenty of expandability options, and generally looks killer with a touch of modding. My only gripe is the Q-Fan technology. At first, I could run the fans as low as 20 percent; however, after allowing Asus’s Q-Fan optimizer to get a hold of them all, I’m now stuck at 40 percent, and no lower.

What’s the solution? A dedicated USB fan controller. NZXT’s GRID+ V2 was my first port of call. Support for up to eight fans, small form factor, snazzy design, and USB compatible, it’s right up my street. Installation was relatively easy, although finding room in the already cramped water-cooled Manta was a challenge. NZXT includes two self-adhesive patches of Velcro alongside 10 or so long zip ties—every modder’s best friend. Once you’ve found the perfect position, in reach of all your fans, it’s simply a case of plugging in the Molex power and the micro-USB to USB header, and you’re good to go.

NZXT’s CAM software, although occasionally being a little buggy—only in terms of graphical UI—was very easy to configure. Having the option to name each fan (including the pump), and then set my own fan curves, was simple and straightforward. And being able to turn them off entirely, while idling on desktop, was a dream come true. Cheap, highly configurable, and damn snazzy—what’s not to love? –ZS $30, www.nzxt.com