Cooler Master Musketeer

Reviews: Cases

Author:
Editor:
Sponsor:
Published:

Kurtis Kronk
Brian
Cooler Master
Oct. 20, 2003

<< Previous

Home >>

Testing

I decided to test each function in order from left to right (Volt + slider, VU + slider, & Temp gauges).

Volt Function

For testing the Volt function, I first hooked up a case fan to the back of the device. The slider next to the Volt meter will control the voltage supplied to the fan you hook up. Cooler Master suggests you hook up your CPU fan to the device to control it. I chose not to hook up my CPU fan because I have an Aero 7+ which already has a fan control knob. As such, I hooked up a normal case fan. I was able to control the fan with the slider between ~ 6-11 volts. Most fan controllers have a range of 5-12 volts, which lets you run your fan at the lowest speed (in most cases) as well as the highest speed. The Musketeer shows a range from 0-12 volts on the gauge, but you can only control the fan you hook up between ~ 6-11 volts, which means limited control. This is another reason you may not want to hook up your CPU fan: it won't be able to run at full speed, and will hinder performance. To be frank, the fan control function is pretty useless on the Musketeer, as even cheap fan controllers will do a better job.

VU Function

To test the VU function, I first installed the included PCI relay, and then hooked up the sound cables as specified in the manual. I then plugged the sound cable from the PCI relay (inside case) into the back of the Musketeer. Once it was hooked up, I proceeded on to testing. I quickly found out that the slider to the right of the VU gauge controls the VU meter's sensitivity to sound. In case you are wondering, no, the VU gauge does not rely on a microphone to test the sound level. The PCI relay actually transfers the audio through the device so that it gets an accurate reading of what sound is coming from your computer, even if you have your speakers turned down. When you push the slider all the way down, the VU meter will not move at all. If you move the slider all the way up, the device will be much more sensitive to sound and will cause the VU meter to be in the red most of the time. I found that the gauge was most accurate when I set the slider just a little bit above halfway. Like the fan control function, this one is pretty useless as well. However, in its defense, the device looks quite cool with the VU meter dancing around to the beat of music.

Temp Function

The temperature function is very easy to get set up. All you have to do is plug in the 2-pin connector trailing from the thermal probe (into back of Musketeer), and then decide where to place the probe. You can place it anywhere; as it is very thin (under processor, on heatsink, on hard drive, floating in case!). Unfortunately, I found the temperature gauge to be just about as useless as the other two. On one hand, it will give you a good idea of the temperature of whatever you decide to monitor! I say good idea because the markings on the temperature gauge do not really make it possible to record an accurate temperature at a glance. One gripe that I have with all three gauges is that fact that they are impossible to read from a steep angle. If you have your computer sitting on the floor as I do, you will need to bend down to see them. However, if you have your computer sitting on your desktop, you will easily be able to read all gauges. Another small gripe which I alluded to earlier, but haven't yet explained, is the vertical sliders. The VU slider doesn't raise any concerns because it can't affect your computer. The thing that worries me is that someone might hook up their CPU fan to the VOLT function and unintentionally put it on minimum speed, and their processor could get too hot.

Conclusion

Overall this isn't a very useful product, but it looks great, it does its' job, and it oozes quality. Unfortunately, the Musketeer lacks purpose. Although it looks cool and may get some compliments at a LAN party, it really doesn't do much of anything. For around $50.00 I couldn't possibly justify purchasing the Musketeer simply because the fan control function is limited, the VU function is useless (albeit cool), and the Temperature gauge is just a tad difficult to read. If you are looking for something cool, then this may be an option for you! But if you are looking for something practical which will allow you to control fans and monitor temperature(s), look elsewhere.

View a movie of the Musketeer in action here.

Pros

Stylish
Easy to setup
Available in black/silver
Quality

Cons

Expensive!
Useless?
Limited fan control (~ 6-11 volts)
Hard to read gauges at steep angle
Hard to install (tight fit)

Extra Images

<< Previous

Page 3 of 3

Home >>

Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: First Looks & Installation
Page 3: Testing & Conclusion

Subscribe to Accessories [more info]

Add Comment

5 User Comments

1 - Posted by A Person on October 20, 2003 - 7:07 pm

I really like how it looks. I like blue stuff.

But it seems like there are better, more efficent, ways to use your 5.25 inch bays. To only have 3 functions and one of them being a sound meter seems like a waste. I would rather have 3 temp meters. Well, if I didn't have an Aero7+ I might like 2 temps and a voltage.

But still, it looks pretty cool.

2 - Posted by Kurtis on October 20, 2003 - 11:46 pm

yeah 'a person' that pretty much sums up my thoughts...

sure it looks cool...

but would i recommend paying $46 for it? i couldn't do that unless i recommended that you give me $46 as well :D

3 - Posted by MaNiAk21 on October 21, 2003 - 2:12 pm

Haha, yeah, they look nice, but I'd rather go wtih something with more functionality myself. And damn, has anyone else noticed that those things are like flooding review sites? Musketeers everywhere... :shock:

4 - Posted by handrail on October 21, 2003 - 2:37 pm

yeah, the case that i am reviewing now has a great little temp gauge built right into the front bezel and it seems there are several case companies that are starting to include that feature.

the big problem i see is that almost every decent mobo has auto shutdown for when your machine temp goes too high. in most cases it shuts down faster than you can hit the powerswitch...ask rich about this and his recent "oops i knocked the cpu fan power wire off the mobo" incident. not to mention that most mobos also come with a temp monitoring program.

i agree, i like the look of the temp monitors, but monitoring the temp on the outside of the case is rarely a necessity.

5 - Posted by Kurtis on October 21, 2003 - 3:56 pm

but its so cool! ;)

Add Comment

To add a comment without being a member, you may omit the password field, but you must enter your name (or nickname) along with your comment. * Denotes required fields.