Front view of the PT-FN04.
The Lian-Li PT-FN04 is a 6-channel, 6 watt per channel manual fan controller. It fits in a single 5.25″ drive bay. The exterior is made of anodized black aluminum, and this controller will look great in a black case. It is rather expensive for a manual, 6 watt per channel controller ($45.99 U.S.D. at Amazon), however, so you will want to check your power requirements and do some comparison shopping before buying this one.
The PT-FN04 comes in a cardboard box with a picture of the controller on the top. The bottom lists the input voltage, fan speeds enabled (20% to full speed) and the size of the unit, but does not have detailed specifications. Inside is the controller itself, three fan cables, and some screws for mounting the controller in the case. The front of the controller contains six knobs, one for each channel. Looking at the back reveals that the controller circuitry is contained on a single PCB. The back of the LEDs dominates the front of the PCB, and there are 8 capacitors in front of the fan headers. There are six 3-pin headers on the back for the fans. If you have 4-pin fans, you will need to supply your own cables, as the extension cables supplied with the controller are for 3-pin fans. The power connector for the controller is a 4-pin Molex connector with a piggyback connector, which should help if you do not have PSU connectors to spare.
Back view of the PT-FN04.
Once installed, the PT-FN04 works smoothly. The blue LED lights along the top of the front are aesthetically pleasing (as you turn the fans up and down, the LEDs fade in and out). The fan adjustments are smooth as well. When the knobs are turned all the way counterclockwise, the fans still run, albeit at a reduced speed. This will be a bit of a disappointment to those who want to be able to turn the fans completely off, but it is a good fail-safe, since it guarantees that the fans are always running.
The PT-FN04 is a reliable fan controller, but its output of 6 watts per channel is rather low. If you plan to have more than one fan per channel, you will probably want to buy a more powerful controller, or at the very least, calculate how much power you will need to make sure the PT-FN04 is adequate. There are more powerful fan controllers at a similar price (the Lamptron FC-2 comes to mind). If this controller was priced around $25 U.S.D., it would be a more competitive product. As it is, I am not sure if it is worth the money, although it does what Lian-Li says it will do.
Lian-Li PT-FN04 Specifications:
6 sets of Fan Speed Controller, Using 1 x 5.25 Bay.
Single Fan maximum current support to 0.6A, Total of 3A (36W)
Adjust the fan speed to (H) High-100%, (M2) Middle-75%, (M) Middle-50%, (L) Low-25%
1000RPM (250RPM – 500RPM – 750RPM – 1000RPM), 1200RPM (300RPM – 600RPM – 900RPM – 1200RPM), 1500RPM (375RPM – 750RPM – 1125RPM – 1500RPM)
Dimensions: (W)149mm x (H)42mm x (D)72mm
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