NZXT Grid+ V2 Digital Fan Controller Review

Peter Donnell / 9 years ago

Final Thoughts

Price

The NZXT Grid+ V2 fan control hub is available from most major retailers, as well as the NZXT Armory for just $29.99. This is an absolute bargain given the functionality of the device.

Overview

I really like this product, on the surface it’s quite a simple device, but it has just enough extra features and customisation to help you squeeze some extra performance from your system. I especially like the fact that I can apply custom fan curves to the channels, rather than just dial in a set speed per profile, as it gives you greater flexibility over the cooling and acoustic performance, albeit at the cost of a little extra time to configure them all.

Build quality is really nice, the unit looks smart and wouldn’t be out of place on display inside your system. Of course, it could be quite tricky to get it looking neat with all fans attached, as that’s eight cables you’re going to have to deal with, but a few cable ties and some care should fix that up reasonably well. Then again, thanks to the 3M pads, mounting it behind your motherboard, out of sight, is also an option. The only consideration here is that not all chassis have enough depth behind the motherboard to accommodate it, but that’s something you’ll need to measure up before you install it.

The unit is relatively easy to install, but with it taking up a USB port on the motherboard, it could be an issue for some users, as those USB ports seem to get used by a lot of system devices these days, such as from panel USB ports, card readers, water cooling hardware and more.

Another great benefit of the GRID is that it’s all internal and doesn’t rely on the use of a 5.25″ drive bay like many other fan controllers on the market. While I must admit, I do love fan controllers with a physical set of controls, having a software based controller allows for custom profiles and more precise tweaking. Not needing that 5.25″ drive bay is nice, however, as many new chassis do not feature an optical bay, leaving you with no room for a front panel fan controller, so the GRID is the perfect solution in this scenario.

Pros

Competitive price
Easy installation
30W total output
Software profiles and custom fan curves
Stylish design
Compact size

Cons

None

Neutral

Quite a lot of devices take up motherboard USB headers these days, be sure you have some spare before purchase

“The NZXT Grid+ V2 is a simple looking device that packs plenty of customisation options to suit your cooling needs. It’s affordable to buy, easy to install and best of all, it doesn’t require the use of a 5.25″ drive bay, like so many other fan controllers on the market.”