NZXT Sentry LX

A Closer Look

Taking a closer look, the main IC is supplied by ELAN Microelectronic. The specifics of the chip can be found here. To give you an idea of its function, the general description is:

Rhe EM78P510N is an 8-bit RISC type microprocessor with low power, high speed CMOS technology. Integrated onto a single chip are on-chip Watchdog Timer (WDT), LCD Data RAM, ROM, programmable real time clock counter, internal/external interrupt, power down mode, 12 bits A/D Converter, UART, SPI, 8-channel LED driver, LCD driver and tri-state I/O.

All the connected cables have been glued to the PCB, so while replacing a thermal diode is possible, it means that you will have to remove this adhesive first.


The front has various buttons. The up / down arrows are used to raise or lower the currently selected function (clock time, alarm time, fan speed and so on). Below that is the SET button, which saves the setting. The MODE button, toggles the functionality of the unit from manual fan control to automated for example. The FAN SELECT button gives you access to the five attached fans. Hitting the reset button does not only reset all your settings but also the clock and alarm settings. So if you were to hit that by mistake, you will end up having to set everything again. The bottom left corner holds a small NZXT logo.