The fan controller monitors fans accurately and adjusts their speed quickly. The User Interface is intuitive and easy to use, and it keeps things simple. Just hold down the button to adjust fan speed, and click through to select one of the four channels. Turn the knob to the left and right to change the RPM.
Unfortunately, despite all my efforts, the power meter simply would not function. It doesn't seem likely that I have an incompatible setup, so I'm going to blame the fan controller for this one. Maybe it's a faulty connector.
I applied each thermal probe behind the CPU and GPU sockets, and the fan controller reported idle temperatures at 29.2 and 34.8 degrees Celsius respectively. Using speedfan I measured the temperatures using the internal sensors, and got nearly 10 C higher readings. I have to question the usefulness of the thermal probes if they can't report temperatures correctly. Perhaps if the manual detailed application procedure, there would be no room for testing error, but alas, it is not so.
Conclusion:
The Zalman MFC3 comes well-packed with a solid batch of accessories. The controller's UI is simple and intuitive, so ease of use is not a problem. The screen is bright and stays readable from most wide angles, despite the color distortion. Installation is straightforward and easy, but be sure to take the extra few minutes to clean up your cable clutter, otherwise you'll be stuck with an expensive airflow blocker. The ability to control four channels, with multiple fans on each channel is a great feature, and probably the one element that holds this package together.
The thermal probes are a nice addition, but if they can't report temperature accurately, all the do is clutter up the case with unnecessary cables. The power meter is useless brick that would not function no matter what I tried. I wonder why they even included a power brick at all, especially since the lack of thorough instructions prevent you from using any of the "extras" effectively? If you can get the controller's features to work, great, it's well worth the $69 it costs, but otherwise, there are cheaper options.
Pros:
+ Bright screen, readable at most angles, but with color distortion
+ Nice kit, pretty inclusive
+ Simple UI, easy to get the hang of
+ Simple installation
+ Can control multiple fans per channel (cables sold separately)
Cons:
- No instructions for installing thermal probes or handling UI
- Annoying thermal probe tape
- Inaccurate thermal probes
- Cable mess
- Load monitor wouldn't work
