Enermax EN-006-TM1 Transfer Panel

Reviews: Cases

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Brian Kristensen
Kurtis
JacolTech
Jun. 22, 2003

Specifications

Introduction

Enermax has been long known to produce quality power supplies and cases for years. Recently they have spread their wings to cover other accessories to go along with their cases. The bulk of the accessories they produce are devices that fit in the front drive bays of cases. These include fan controllers and port extensions. Today we will be looking at the Multifunction Transfer Panel (EN-006-TM1) from Enermax.

The Transfer Panel

The transfer panel is meant to be mounted in a spare 5.25" bay in your case. The panel is designed to make it easier for the user to use commonly swapped hardware such as headphones, microphones, USB and Firewire devices and joysticks and game pads. For these, there are two USB connections, a Firewire connection, line in and line out ports and a game port. Also located on the panel is a LCD screen which is used for monitoring the temperature of your computer.

To accomplish these tasks, there are several wires included that will extend each port (USB, Firewire, Audio, and Game ports) from the back of your computer to the transfer panel through an open PCI slot. There is a small manual included with the transfer panel that explains the installation of the panel. The written directions of the manual are a bit shady, but the pictures do a good job of telling you what to do.

The cables included with the transfer panel plug directly into the ports in the back of your computer. The transfer panel will not give your computer extra ports; it only extends the current ports for easier access. It would have been nice if Enermax included USB cables that would plug directly into the motherboard so the transfer panel wouldn't take up the rear USB ports. The cables are all 36 inches long. This will work in most cases, but for full tower cases, the cables may not be long enough.

The panel itself is very well built and longer than most other devices of its type. The panel is long enough to support drive rails, and the mounting is very secure.

The LCD screen used for reading your case temperature is powered by a small battery that is easy to replace. The display is in Celsius only. An ability to choose between Fahrenheit and Celsius would have been nice.

Installation

The installation of the transfer panel was very easy. First I routed all the wires through the included PCI bracket in the back of my computer, up to the top 5.25" bay where the panel would be installed. I connected all the wires to the panel and installed the panel using drive rails. Then I connected all the wires to the corresponding ports in the back of my computer. Finally, I used the included tie wraps to tidy up the cables and route them along the side of my case.

Conclusion

Of all the front port devices, I must say that Enermax has the best looking and performing panel out there. They included the most used ports, while still saving room for an LCD screen to monitor your systems temperature, and it is all done with style. This may not be an ideal solution if you have a full size case, as the cables could have been a little bit longer. My only other gripe is the lack of USB and Firewire connections that would plug directly into your motherboard, and not take up the ports you already have. All in all, this is a very flexible and useful device that can add convenience to almost any computer user out there.

Pros

USB, Firewire, Audio AND Game ports
LCD temp monitoring
Supports drive rails
Sexy

Cons

No USB and Firewire wires that plug directly into motherboard
Cables may not be long enough for full tower cases

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1 User Comment

1 - Posted by Sapphire9800 on August 30, 2003 - 9:45 pm

i need something like this but im out of money, how does this thing cost? do u know if there are any cheaper alternatives?

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