Case Fans

  • Thread starter Thread starter Eric Scofield
  • Start date Start date
E

Eric Scofield

If given the option, is it more beneficial to plug a case fan directly into
the motherboard using the 3-pin connector or directly to the power supply
with the 4-pin connector? My motherboard is an older Gateway model and does
not have a thermal control option for fans that I know of.

- E
 
If given the option, is it more beneficial to plug a case fan directly into
the motherboard using the 3-pin connector or directly to the power supply
with the 4-pin connector? My motherboard is an older Gateway model and does
not have a thermal control option for fans that I know of.

- E
Click to expand...
Only advantage to motherboard plug is ability to monitor fan speed with
MotherBoard Monitor and similar programs. Can alert you to a fan failure,
etc.. Also, be aware that some fans pull more than the motherboard can
supply, but those are rare.

JT
 
If given the option, is it more beneficial to plug a case fan directly into
the motherboard using the 3-pin connector or directly to the power supply
with the 4-pin connector? My motherboard is an older Gateway model and does
not have a thermal control option for fans that I know of.

- E
Click to expand...

The power supply. There is a risk that the fan could draw more
current than the motherboard's components are designed to supply and
might fry the motherboard. I would hope that newer boards have some
sort of built-in protection that would limit the current, but I don't
know for certain.
 
Only advantage to motherboard plug is ability to monitor fan speed with
MotherBoard Monitor and similar programs. Can alert you to a fan failure,
etc.. Also, be aware that some fans pull more than the motherboard can
supply, but those are rare.
Click to expand...

Where is the MotherBoard Monitor program available from or is it integrated
in the motherboard itself? Also, if a fan pulled too much power from a
motherboard, what effect would you see in your computer's performance?
Thanks again.

Sincerely,

Eric Scofield
 
Where is the MotherBoard Monitor program available from or is it integrated
in the motherboard itself? Also, if a fan pulled too much power from a
motherboard, what effect would you see in your computer's performance?
Thanks again.

Sincerely,

Eric Scofield
Click to expand...

Mother Board Monitor, and similar programs are available for download lots
of places. Some motherboard companies, like ASUS and MSI provide a
monitoring program with the board. Runs in the tool tray. Similar programs
are available for Linux.

If your fan pulls too much from the motherboard then it could damage the
12v line, which is shared by some components on the motherboard. Normally,
the fan will just not work. If your fan is a normal, 300ma or less draw it
will work either place.

JT
 
If your fan pulls too much from the motherboard then it could damage the
12v line, which is shared by some components on the motherboard. Normally,
the fan will just not work. If your fan is a normal, 300ma or less draw it
will work either place.
Click to expand...

I bought a the Pro 80 mm Double Ball Bearing Case Fan from Antec. Do you
think that it will be alright if I leave it plugged into the motherboard.

Thanks,

Eric
 
If your fan pulls too much from the motherboard then it could damage the
12v line, which is shared by some components on the motherboard. Normally,
the fan will just not work. If your fan is a normal, 300ma or less draw it
will work either place.

JT
Click to expand...


The risk from high-current fans isn't that they just won't work, they
will fry the circuit from overcurrent, heat. The effect may not even
be obvious immediately but close examination of the board can show
bubbled coating, discolored or lifted traces, and eventual breakage of
the traces.

The larger issue, that motherboard manufacturers don't often mention,
is which fan headers have the specific limitations, if it's just one,
a pair, or all of them. Some boards can't take over 6W with all fans
combined, which with 3 fans is an (average) max of .16A each. Usually
it's not that limiting though, but still 2 may be sharing a common
supply rail and be limited to .25A each, at least if the
manufacturer's intentions are to be met.


Dave
 
Where is the MotherBoard Monitor program available from or is it integrated
in the motherboard itself? Also, if a fan pulled too much power from a
motherboard, what effect would you see in your computer's performance?
Thanks again.

Sincerely,

Eric Scofield
Click to expand...

I prefer,"Speedfan",
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php
small and easy to setup/use.
HTH :)



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The risk from high-current fans isn't that they just won't work, they
will fry the circuit from overcurrent, heat. The effect may not even
be obvious immediately but close examination of the board can show
bubbled coating, discolored or lifted traces, and eventual breakage of
the traces.
Click to expand...

So therefore, if I have one 12 V case fan in the entire PC (of course there
is a PSU fan), my motherboard should be relatively safe? Should I just
unplug from the motherboard and plug it directly to the PSU to be safe?

Thanks,

Eric
 
So therefore, if I have one 12 V case fan in the entire PC (of course there
is a PSU fan), my motherboard should be relatively safe? Should I just
unplug from the motherboard and plug it directly to the PSU to be safe?

Thanks,

Eric
Click to expand...

I run a cheapy ECS K7S5A and have run both my CPU and Case fan off the
mother board headers for over two years on an O/C XP1800 @ 143/143 no
problems.



--
Free Windows/PC help,
http://www.geocities.com/sheppola/trouble.html
email shepATpartyheld.de
Free songs download,
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/8/nomessiahsmusic.htm
 
I run a cheapy ECS K7S5A and have run both my CPU and Case fan off the
mother board headers for over two years on an O/C XP1800 @ 143/143 no
problems.
Click to expand...

Okay, then I should be relatively safe. Thanks for the help.

- Eric
 
So therefore, if I have one 12 V case fan in the entire PC (of course there
is a PSU fan), my motherboard should be relatively safe? Should I just
unplug from the motherboard and plug it directly to the PSU to be safe?

Thanks,

Eric
Click to expand...

The "average" two fans are safe to use, but once one starts drifting
towards high-current, super-flow fans, a closer look at the current
is needed. Personally I wouldn't recommend using ANY fan rated at>
..2A, there isn't any need for it unless the fan is grossly
misengineered for the application or paired with an undersized,
inadequate heatsink. Of course this assumes use of a case appropriate
for the system, having adequate fan intake and exhaust vents for the
heat density within that system..


Dave
 
The "average" two fans are safe to use, but once one starts drifting
towards high-current, super-flow fans, a closer look at the current
is needed. Personally I wouldn't recommend using ANY fan rated at>
.2A, there isn't any need for it unless the fan is grossly
misengineered for the application or paired with an undersized,
inadequate heatsink. Of course this assumes use of a case appropriate
for the system, having adequate fan intake and exhaust vents for the
heat density within that system..
Click to expand...

So then if I had four case fans in my system, it would better to have them
connected to the PSU?

- Eric
 
So then if I had four case fans in my system, it would better to have them
connected to the PSU?

- Eric
Click to expand...

Well I would use the two standard headers and then the power supply
unless there are more supplied but why anyone would want 4 case fans I
wouldn't know.
Some people have a thing about sticking loads of fans in when they
aren't needed and it can actually decrease the performance of the
cooling.



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http://www.geocities.com/sheppola/trouble.html
email shepATpartyheld.de
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http://www.soundclick.com/bands/8/nomessiahsmusic.htm
 
Well I would use the two standard headers and then the power supply
unless there are more supplied but why anyone would want 4 case fans I
wouldn't know.
Some people have a thing about sticking loads of fans in when they
aren't needed and it can actually decrease the performance of the
cooling.
Click to expand...

It was more of a worst-case scenario than something I would actually do.
Four case fans WOULD be too much. Many times it would cause turbulent
airflow in the case.

- E
 
It was more of a worst-case scenario than something I would actually do.
Four case fans WOULD be too much. Many times it would cause turbulent
airflow in the case.

- E
Click to expand...

It depends on the system... one very popular case is an
Antec/Chieftec/Chen Ming 1030/1040 series, which has two front fans
for two HDD racks, and two rear below the power supply. Using 4,
..08A fans can be an effective way to keep everything cool enough at
low noise levels. Given the choice of quiet low-flo fans, more fans
mean quieter cooling.


Dave
 
It depends on the system... one very popular case is an
Antec/Chieftec/Chen Ming 1030/1040 series, which has two front fans
for two HDD racks,
Click to expand...

<snip>

Hmmmm. It seems that I added a 3rd HDD rack behind the lower front
fan myself, those cases come with two racks but the upper doesn't have
a fan in front of it.


Dave
 
for two HDD racks, and two rear below the power supply. Using 4,
.08A fans can be an effective way to keep everything cool enough at
low noise levels. Given the choice of quiet low-flo fans, more fans
mean quieter cooling.
Click to expand...

Slightly unrelated to everyone else, but Dave - you said you've owned and
dealt with several Q-Tech 400w Gold Dual power supplies - do you happen to
remember if they have power leads for case fans on them? - because the new
mobo I've just ordered I've noticed only has a CPU fan and a chassis fan
connection and I was thinking about adding an additional intake fan at the
front of the case to improve airflow - and I can't find details anywhere if
the Q-Tech has the necesssary power leads as I'll have to connect it
directly.

Cheers.
 
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