Introduction

I would like to thank Scythe Europe for supplying the review sample.

The Scythe Kama Meter is a front panel to control your fans, keep an eye on temperature and set the master volume of your PC.

This is how Scythe sums up the functions:

• 4 Fan Controller, 4 Temperature Monitor, and Sound Controller: Kama Meter is able to control and monitor up to 4 fans independently, 4 temperatures to meet user’s system requirement. The sound controller & display is also build-in to connect and play with your sound system.
• Passive Safety - Safe Alarm Feature: To safely monitor and run your system, Kama Meter comes with the alarm feature to inform the user in case of fan malfunction. If the temperature goes below 0°C (32F) or above 90°C (194F), the LCD panel will blink in red and trigger the alarm. If the controlled fan speed (rpm) becomes below RPM, the LCD panel will blink in yellow and trigger the alarm.
• Intelligent Self-Test & Storage: Kama Meter keeps the settings saved by the user in its memory, and also provides the self-testing every time you start the PC.
• Selection of 3 Front Panel Colors: Selection of black, silver, and white front panel to match with your case color!

Sounds promising, let's start off with the packaging and contents.

Packaging & Contents

The packaging of the Scythe Kama Meter is very colorful with a lot of different languages used. You will have to take a close look to engulf all the information on the packaging. It will certainly catch your attention on any store shelf, especially since some Asian writing is being used. The cardboard box is incredibly sturdy, much better than most case packaging. You will not need to worry about anything happening to this during shipping.


The box opens up just like any mainboard packaging. The first thing that was seen is the manual folded and placed atop of the foam padding. There are separate compartments for all the different parts of the Kama Meter. The top section houses cable and PCI backplane, the one below that the Kama Meter itself. The bottom two are used for the two other fronts. This is by far the best packaging I have seen in a long time.


The included manual is quite a hard read. You will need to focus on what you are reading, and the diagrams are are just that - diagrams. No hands on pictures how to install the cables or exchange covers, no pictured installation. While the information is present, most of us would not even bother looking at a manual like this.


All the cables needed are included. There are the four thermal sensors, the four fan extension cables, power cable, PCI bracket for outside audio and an internal audio cable for the onboard connector as well. There is a small bag with four screws and double sided tape for the thermal sensors as well. There is no sleeving on any of the cables, this will definitely increase your cable clutter inside the case. Sleeving would have been a very nice addition. There are three fronts included: black, white & silver. They are made of metal and are of incredible quality. The paint used for labeling is perfect for each color. The black uses silver while the other colors use blue. The quality of the Kama Meter surpasses any other front panel device I have ever used.

A Closer Look

The Scythe Kama Meter provides a lot of functions. The following image describes the display and explains the purpose of each dial:



The Scythe Kama Meter is very well made. It is quite heavy and the front display is quite large. To remove the cover, two screws need to be removed, as well as the four dials. They come off with a little force and should hold quite well for every day use. The electronics used in the Kama Meter are of very high quality. Every capacitor has been checked, as there is a red mark on each. The cables are kept short and are already connected. Each fan header is labeled, while the power connector is of different size. Only the thermal connectors are not labeled explicitly.