if ($script:h1count -eq $null) { $script:h1count = 0 }
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
NZXT Grid+ V2 Digital Fan Controller Review
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
By Tom Jaskulka
Manufacturer: NZXT
Product Name: GRID+ V2 Digital Fan Controller
Model Number: AC-GRDP2-M1
UPC: 815671012593
Price As Tested: $34.99 (Newegg | Amazon)
Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by NZXT.
One of the common complaints of many budget computer cases from users is the lack of a fan controller. Normally, an enthusiast must step into the $100+ category to get a chassis with any sort of built-in fan controls. Sure, a 3.5 or 5.25 bay device could do the trick, but with optical drives (and the associated bays) becoming less and less common this isn’t always a viable option. Enter NZXT and the GRID+ V2 digital fan controller.
It only makes sense something like this would come from NZXT; they were one of the first manufacturers to forgo external drive bays entirely. The NZXT Grid+ V2 is a voltage regulated, 30W digital fan controller that fits in practically any case (it’s about the size of two SSDs stacked on top of each other) and adds digital fan control capability for up to eight fans across six separate channels. Join Benchmark Reviews as we take a quick look at the capabilities NZXT’s GRID+ V2 digital fan controller will bring to your build. Will NZXT’s reputation for innovation pull through, or will the GRID+ need a V3?
FAN CONTROL MADE EASY
GRID+ V2 combines intuitive software and variable installation options to provide a simple, unintrusive solution for digital fan control. With CAM support, the GRID+ V2 allows you to name your fans and adjust your fan speeds easily using versatile preset or custom fan profiles.
INDIVIDUALLY CONTROLLED
Now with individually controlled channels and up to 30 watts total output, the GRID+ V2 allows you to control six separate fan channels. Using CAM, users can set and create independent profiles for each fan.
DISCREET INSTALLATION
Following in the footsteps of the NZXT GRID, the GRID+V2 can be installed in any discreet location, making cable management a breeze.
Features & Specifications
| Model Number | AC-GRDP2-M1 |
| Dimensions | 73mm x 18mm x 73mm |
| Material | Plastic |
| Fan Control | Controlled via CAM Software |
| Included Accessories | 5 x Zipties 2 x 3-Pin Female to 4-Pin/3-Pin Y extension cables 1 x Molex to phone jack connector 1 x Micro-USB cable |
| Product Weight | 94.2g |
| UPC | 815671012593 |
| EAN | 5060301692880 |
| Fan Connector Quantity | 6 |
| Maximum Combined Wattage | 30 |
| Mounting | 3M Dual Lock |
| Input Connector | 12V with Molex 4-Pin connector |
| Warranty | 2 Years |
if ($script:h1count -eq $null) { $script:h1count = 0 }
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
NZXT GRID+ V2 Overview
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
Despite the “V2” in the name, this GRID is actually the third iteration in a series of GRID devices. The first was merely the hub from an H630/H440 chassis dressed up in a plastic housing, allowing anyone to add a central hub for 10 fans. The GRID+ followed soon after, adding the “digital fan control” portion to the fan hub. The V2 adds a few subtle improvements and subsequently replaces the preceding GRIDs.
The GRID+ V2 arrives safely packaged in a plastic insert. A bundle of cables accompanies the digital fan controller – the 4-pin Molex power connector for feeding 12V to the GRID+ V2, a micro-USB cable that terminates in a standard USB motherboard header/connector, and two 3-to-4-pin “Y” extension cables. A total of eight fans (with use of the extension Y cables) can be powered by the GRID+ V2. Some of 3M’s “Double-Loc” mounting tape will ensure the fan controller will mount practically anywhere in a case (the controller housing is only 18mm “tall” – any case with ~20mm of cable clearance should be able to mount the GRID+ V2 behind the motherboard tray if desired).
The GRID+ V2 follows the same design language as NZXT’s DOKO streaming device – although at 73mm square, it’s quite a bit smaller (about two-thirds the size). A single power LED is visible on the top of the device alongside the engraved GRID+ logotype.
It’s a pretty simple device. A micro-USB header sits alongside the 12V DC jack, and six 3-pin fan headers are positioned in groups of three on the left/right sides of the housing.
Some vents for the circuit board and components inside sit on the “top” of the device (if positioned vertically). The GRID+ V2 doesn’t generate much heat under typical loads (it can handle up to 30W), but allowing the components to breathe a little bit certainly doesn’t hurt.
The first two GRID fan hubs required an adapter to be used with 4-pin fans. Not so with the GRID+ V2. NZXT extended the opening slightly to allow users to plug in 4-pin fans without the use of an extension. Regardless of the type of fans used, all speeds of those connected to the GRID+ V2 will be controlled via voltage, not PWM. Speaking of fan speeds, let’s get to the software portion of this digital fan controller.
if ($script:h1count -eq $null) { $script:h1count = 0 }
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
NZXT CAM and the GRID+ V2
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
The main advantage of moving to a digital fan controller is CAM, NZXT’s ever-growing control and management software. First introduced with their Kraken AIO liquid coolers, CAM has grown over the years to accommodate many functions; the GRID+ V2 being the latest.
I was nervous when I opened CAM for the first time. A prompt with those all-too-common words “Create Account” popped up immediately – I wasn’t excited about another Razer Synapse approach to obtaining the greatest functionality out my peripherals. Thankfully, NZXT makes this optional. A link to “Continue As Guest” is located directly below the “Register Now” button. Clicking that link generates a prompt that explains why an account would be helpful and what it enables, and allows a user to continue with the full functionality without signing up (other than the cloud/history data storage). I sincerely hope this NEVER changes! This is the right way to approach these sorts of things, rather than the Razer “you don’t actually need Synapse for your mouse to work/just kidding it’s necessary to change ANYTHING” approach. Kudos to NZXT for not forcing users to register an account just to use the full functionality of a device.
Full functionality indeed – even without signing in, CAM immediately displays a wealth of information about your machine. In fact, you don’t even need any NZXT peripherals to use CAM!! The default tab is the Dashboard which provides a quick overview of temperatures and load data of the CPU/GPU/HDD/Network etc. As a side note, ignore the CPU temp – AMD’s newer APUs use a thermal margin instead of a direct core temp; the only utility that seems to read this correctly is AMD’s Overdrive utility.
The Specs tab was more useful than I expected. I generally use CPU-Z or AIDA64 to get a quick snapshot of system specs; most of the same data is available in CAM. The Advanced tabs display what you would expect – RAM shows RAM timings/speeds, HDD shows S.M.A.R.T. data if applicable, Motherboard shows BIOS manufacturer/version etc.
Downloading CAM also gives users access to an in-game overlay that can show FPS, CPU/GPU temperatures, current graphics settings, and (surprisingly helpful) the current time! Again, this is a free utility that doesn’t require any NZXT accessory or account. We haven’t even gotten to the GRID+ V2 yet!
If you DO have any NZXT/CAM compatible devices they’ll show as additional tabs. Above is a snapshot of how the GRID+ V2 appears in CAM; the six different fan headers correspond to individual channels (which can be custom-named).
Clicking a fan channel will allow you to set a custom curve for that fan or pick from the typical Performance/Quiet settings. The custom controls available here rival most built-in fan controls on high-end motherboards – the GRID+ V2 could be an easy way to add this type of functionality to any board. Setting a custom fan curve is as easy as picking “Custom” from the drop down and dragging the points on the fan curve to match the settings you desire.
The Settings tab contains the usual start-up and temperature options, as well as allowing a user to set a custom color for the entire CAM application.
Notifications can be set for every system category. The “Load” notifications may not be terribly useful; the various temperatures only marginally more so, especially since they all come in the form of Windows notifications. A notification sent to a mobile device would be much more useful and would allow a user to monitor a system remotely (much more useful – it’s pretty easy to monitor a system when you’re already sitting right in front of it). This feature seems to be planned for release sometime in 2016 according to the NZXT GRID+ V2 product page:
- Full mobile control is planned to be released in 2016 on Android and iOS through our CAM Mobile platform.
Finally, a “Mini-CAM” mode keeps a quick overview handy in the corner of your screen. Hopefully the planned CAM Mobile has a similar feature – while it’s nice as an option, this type of information seems much more useful on a second screen.
if ($script:h1count -eq $null) { $script:h1count = 0 }
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
Digital Fan Controller Final Thoughts
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
I wasn’t expecting to receive a fan controller with the recent delivery of a NZXT S340 “Designed By Razer” edition ATX case, but it makes sense considering the main difference between the S340 and H440 (other than the size and greater water cooling capabilities) is the distinct lack of a fan controller.
I grew to really appreciate the strengths of a device like the GRID+ V2. It was compact enough to fit in any case, which is especially important for those tiny ITX enclosures (doubly so, since most ITX motherboards only contain one additional fan header at most). It has the potential to “grow” with your system and can be transplanted from one build to the next; something that can’t be done with a built-in fan controller (for those with the constant “upgrade” bug, this is a very valuable quality). It simplified fan wiring and helped with overall cable management – rather than routing fan cables across a motherboard or from one side of a case to the other, all fan wiring could go to one central location.
if ($script:h1count -eq $null) { $script:h1count = 0 }
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
NZXT GRID+ V2 Conclusion
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
The GRID+ V2 performed exactly as expected. No complaints here. I suppose it may be possible to bump up against that 30W capacity if using high-amp, high-end fans all running at the full 12V, but I’d expect most users to invest in a fan controller to avoid that very situation. 30W is about perfect for six typical fans at 12V and ~0.40A.
The GRID+ V2 follows the same design language as other NZXT products. For a device that isn’t really meant to be seen or displayed the GRID is a pretty good looking little box. Again, no complaints here.
The plastic housing seems durable enough to house an internal fan controller PCB; the construction of this device is perfectly adequate for what it is designed to do. I’m sure there would be ways to improve this even further, it just really wouldn’t be necessary for a device that will be hidden in a corner somewhere. Perhaps a stronger material could enable thinner construction?
CAM enables quite a bit of functionality in the GRID+ V2. There’s nothing stopping someone from using it just as a simple fan hub, but those users would be missing out on all that the GRID+ V2 could offer. Some may lament the lack of physical/analog controls – after using the enhanced functionality of the GRID+V2 with CAM, I couldn’t imagine going back to a 5.25″ bay device.
The GRID+ V2 is shipping now for $34.99 (Newegg | Amazon). While that’s easily approaching a third of the price of many cases that a user would want to add a fan controller to, it’s also priced directly in the thick of many other bay devices and accessories. The GRID+ V2 stands relatively on its own as far as a device; even among the logical competition it offers just as much or more than most fan controllers on the market. It increases the total cost of an enclosure but adds a healthy amount of capabilities in doing so. Overall, I feel like it is a great value.
There’s really not much to say about the GRID+ V2 – it does exactly what a fan controller should do (and more), and it does it very well. I would easily recommend the GRID+ V2 to anyone looking for more control over a range of fans – it’s a simple, relatively inexpensive way to add high-end fan controls (or just simplify fan wiring/add fan headers) to any system. For all of these reasons, I feel the GRID+ V2 is one of the best picks on the market for a fan controller with these types of capabilities.
Pros:
+ Surprising amount of functionality with CAM
+ Easy to use
+ Small size fits practically anywhere
+ Fits in any chassis
+ Easy way to add high-end fan controls
+ CAM actively developed with more features releasing over time
Cons:
– Can approach 1/3 or even 1/2 the cost of chassis that would benefit from a fan controller (or that don’t include one stock)
– Max amount (6+) of high-RPM fans could potentially surpass 30W limit
Ratings:
-
Performance: 9.00
-
Appearance: 9.00
-
Construction: 8.50
-
Functionality: 9.50
-
Value: 9.00
if ($script:h1count -eq $null) { $script:h1count = 0 }
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
Final Score: 9.0 out of 10.
$script:h1count++
if ($script:h1count -eq 2) { return “
” }
else { return $args[0].Value }
