Fan connectors

[circusslaughter]

3 x Chassis Fan connectors (1 x 4-pin, 2 x 3-pin)

I have 4 fans but 1 plugs in the PSU.

Will I need an adapter for the other 3?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835181045

2 will be these and the other will be a 140mm version.

My case has fan controls, will that work for all fans connected on motherboard or just the fan plugged into the PSU?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

3 x Chassis Fan connectors (1 x 4-pin, 2 x 3-pin)

I have 4 fans but 1 plugs in the PSU.

Will I need an adapter for the other 3?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835181045

2 will be these and the other will be a 140mm version.

My case has fan controls, will that work for all fans connected on motherboard or just the fan plugged into the PSU?

Tell me: what sort of fan ports do you have on the motherboard? What are you using for a CPU fan (unless you're using water-cooling)? I assume latter would be a PWM fan, and these Corsair units are all 3-pin.

The Corsairs in the Egg link are 0.40A fans with RPM of ~1,500, and CFM around 52. The amperage draw seems high to me, given both the RPM and airflow. Most motherboards will handle 0.40A 3-pin fans if the board has a mix of PWM and 3-pin ports, but probably not all three fans unless the board is "top-end." Usually, more fan-ports are provided by top-end boards.

If a case component provides fan plugs and some sort of controller, the wattage of those fans are likely within any spec limit. If you want to run them directly from the PSU and allow them to go full bore, that also would work: You'd need either Molex-to-3-pin cable patches or SATA-to-3-pin cable accessories. Those sorts of things usually come with the fans themselves.

It's a good idea not to load up the motherboard too much with fans drawing power, but it's also a good idea to use motherboard thermal control of essential fans. What sort of case are you using?

 

[circusslaughter]

Tell me: what sort of fan ports do you have on the motherboard? What are you using for a CPU fan (unless you're using water-cooling)? I assume latter would be a PWM fan, and these Corsair units are all 3-pin.

The Corsairs in the Egg link are 0.40A fans with RPM of ~1,500, and CFM around 52. The amperage draw seems high to me, given both the RPM and airflow. Most motherboards will handle 0.40A 3-pin fans if the board has a mix of PWM and 3-pin ports, but probably not all three fans unless the board is "top-end." Usually, more fan-ports are provided by top-end boards.

If a case component provides fan plugs and some sort of controller, the wattage of those fans are likely within any spec limit. If you want to run them directly from the PSU and allow them to go full bore, that also would work: You'd need either Molex-to-3-pin cable patches or SATA-to-3-pin cable accessories. Those sorts of things usually come with the fans themselves.

It's a good idea not to load up the motherboard too much with fans drawing power, but it's also a good idea to use motherboard thermal control of essential fans. What sort of case are you using?

Stock cooler. Says I have 2 cpu fan connectors, 3 case fan connectors.

Raidmax Vampire.

Is there something you can buy to install in your case to have fan control? Think it's this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811992005

Should I get one?

The motherboard is the ASRock z87 extreme4.

 

[circusslaughter]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820300009

Can I shove that in there too?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Assume that's a good one

The Sentry is apparently a decent controller for the price. Somebody who posted on this forum in the last couple weeks is pleased with it.

I've posted much over the last three weeks here about strategies with fans for air-cooling.

I get an impression that you are fairly new to this?

Just some thoughts.

You don't need to use all of the vented provisions for fans in any particular case. You want instead to promote sufficient or good airflow with good CFM's or cubic-feet-per minute, from front and bottom of the case to rear and (possibly) the top. You also want to keep noise at a minimum.

Nor do you want to overwhelm the motherboard with fans. There are spec limits on the amperage draw per mobo fan-port, and there is a cumulative limit.

I've had several experiences with fan controllers, some cheaper but still fair, others which cost more and would only work best with certain chipsets. The best fan controllers can read the motherboard and CPU sensors (through third-party software in conjunction with SW of the controller-mfgr), and allow you to thermally control fan speed and noise.

Some people like knobs to play with, and are comfortable with manual fan controllers. Others like me want the fans to respond to CPU (and possibly) GPU temperature. My best advice is to avoid the expense of a controller unless you really think you need it. On the other hand, a unit like the Sentry is not too expensive, and probably serves its intended purpose.

 

[circusslaughter]

If I go with the fan controller thingy, will a 550w PSU be able to handle it?

I think I'd rather do that, then plug them into my board, for safety.

I know more fans are necessary but I want them so I am getting them.

This is my 2nd build and I want to go all out with it. So just looking at buying more stuff then I probably should.

I have a i5-4670 (non k)

 

[BonzaiDuck]

If I go with the fan controller thingy, will a 550w PSU be able to handle it?

I think I'd rather do that, then plug them into my board, for safety.

I know more fans are necessary but I want them so I am getting them.

This is my 2nd build and I want to go all out with it. So just looking at buying more stuff then I probably should.

I have a i5-4670 (non k)

I'm guessing that a controller like the Sentry has four 3-pin fan ports. Each port on such a controller should be able to handle at least 10W of power draw,, or a fan drawing maybe 0.8A or less. Do the arithmetic: say you use three ports and 0.5A fans. That's 18W or 6W per fan channel. After that, you'd only want to hook up the controller to a molex or SATA plug from the PSU on a 12V rail that isn't already overloaded with drives, opticals or other stuff. 550W should take care of everything -- unless you're using a super-dooper high-power graphics card. Some single VGA cards are recommended to work with PSU's that are 600W or higher.

 

[circusslaughter]

I'm guessing that a controller like the Sentry has four 3-pin fan ports. Each port on such a controller should be able to handle at least 10W of power draw,, or a fan drawing maybe 0.8A or less. Do the arithmetic: say you use three ports and 0.5A fans. That's 18W or 6W per fan channel. After that, you'd only want to hook up the controller to a molex or SATA plug from the PSU on a 12V rail that isn't already overloaded with drives, opticals or other stuff. 550W should take care of everything -- unless you're using a super-dooper high-power graphics card. Some single VGA cards are recommended to work with PSU's that are 600W or higher.

I have a GTX 760

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I have a GTX 760

I won't do this for you, and I only advise that you go through this exercise to get a reliable determination of a proper power-supply wattage for your equipment:

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

I usually build my parts list with a provisional guess about which power-supply I need. If I plan to overclock -- something I don't think you'll do with a "non-K" processor -- it's especially important to arrive at a good idea of what the load wattage is likely to be under those circumstances.

So what I mean by "provisional guess" is a choice of the PSU make, and a range of models. Then I pick the model so that the peak load on the PSU is somewhere just above the mid-range of its capability. PSUs are less efficient at their lower ranges, but efficiency is no problem in that case.

The Outervision site is probably the handiest tool you can find for determining your power needs. For all I know -- you may be fine with the 550W unit, but why take a chance?

On the other side of the issue, especially for no overclocking, you may seldom approach a situation that pushes the PSU to the limit. But again -- why take a chance?

Your other option is simply to do a parts inventory, add up the wattage-draw on each item, and get your estimate that way.

 

[circusslaughter]

I won't do this for you, and I only advise that you go through this exercise to get a reliable determination of a proper power-supply wattage for your equipment:

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

I usually build my parts list with a provisional guess about which power-supply I need. If I plan to overclock -- something I don't think you'll do with a "non-K" processor -- it's especially important to arrive at a good idea of what the load wattage is likely to be under those circumstances.

So what I mean by "provisional guess" is a choice of the PSU make, and a range of models. Then I pick the model so that the peak load on the PSU is somewhere just above the mid-range of its capability. PSUs are less efficient at their lower ranges, but efficiency is no problem in that case.

The Outervision site is probably the handiest tool you can find for determining your power needs. For all I know -- you may be fine with the 550W unit, but why take a chance?

On the other side of the issue, especially for no overclocking, you may seldom approach a situation that pushes the PSU to the limit. But again -- why take a chance?

Your other option is simply to do a parts inventory, add up the wattage-draw on each item, and get your estimate that way.

That was confusing, mostly. All I know is I have a 550w Rosewill Gold Certified PSU, 1 stock fan, and I am getting 3 of those fan to make more lights in my case. My cpu is a i5 4670, mobo is a ASRock z87 extreme 4, 1 optical drive and my graphics card is a PNY GTX 760. Looking to get that touch screen fan controller to run the 3 non stock fans on.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

That was confusing, mostly. All I know is I have a 550w Rosewill Gold Certified PSU, 1 stock fan, and I am getting 3 of those fan to make more lights in my case. My cpu is a i5 4670, mobo is a ASRock z87 extreme 4, 1 optical drive and my graphics card is a PNY GTX 760. Looking to get that touch screen fan controller to run the 3 non stock fans on.

The wattage draw on the controller would be mostly the accumulated draw of the fans connected. You shouldn't "have" to do this, but you should want to know how close your 550W PSU meets the needs of stuff attached to it. If you go to that link, you only need to go down the list and pick the parts you have -- mostly.

Put it this way. I was planning a project with a power-hungry processor and a "workstation-class" motherboard. Not many hard disks. An SSD. An NVidia 770 or 780 card, but possibly two in SLI. I was guessing maybe an 850W unit. Throwing in a few other items to add wattage because I might eventually need them, I come up with an estimate for one GFX card of 860W, and 1000W more likely with two.

I'm pretty sure I should get a 1000, but the 860 will likely do.

 

[coffeejunkee]

Just connect those fans to your motherboard, won't be a problem at all.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Just connect those fans to your motherboard, won't be a problem at all.

I'd give that a :thumbsup:, but somehow I got the idea that he was using more fans than he had mobo fan-ports.

I'd had various experiences with the mobo ports over the years. I always find -- even for mid-range boards -- that loading up all the fan-headers leaves me with some shortcoming or trouble. Sometimes, a tach-sensor on the mobo doesn't work properly. Other times, there's a fan that has trouble spinning up or running at its top-end as desired.

The boards nominally have a spec amperage limit of 1.0A per fan-port. Here and there, I'd seen boards specify an overall cumulative amperage limit, suggestion you could exceed a "per port" limit if you didn't have other fans drawing power on the remaining ports.

For this reason, I'd always used the mobo headers sparingly -- first for the CPU fan(s) and the nearby exhaust fan. If intake fans have low RPMs, I'd power them directly from the PSU. With a lot of fans, one is inclined to "need" a controller, but I try to avoid the prospect by choosing a strategy that is sparing in the number of fans used overall.

I just think it's also a good idea to reduce the power-draw for fans from the motherboard, but thermal control is also a priority.

 

[coffeejunkee]

Well, I never had trouble just connecting them to the mobo, used plenty of y-splitters too to run 2 fans of 1 header.

So I'd say the issue is exaggerated. Maybe if you have those 5000rpm Delta fans but with a normal run-of-the-mill fan like the Corsairs I don't expect any problems.

 

[circusslaughter]

I think I'll go with the fan cooler just to use up one of my multiply extra bays and get the card reader thing.

Plus it's more buttons for me to play with.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Well, I never had trouble just connecting them to the mobo, used plenty of y-splitters too to run 2 fans of 1 header.

So I'd say the issue is exaggerated. Maybe if you have those 5000rpm Delta fans but with a normal run-of-the-mill fan like the Corsairs I don't expect any problems.

I only ran a 0.80A DELTA fan off the CPU header for an LGA-775 Springdale board. It never gave me trouble. I think using all the fan-ports increases certain motherboard temperatures, even so.

You can do that -- run fans connected in parallel, probably using the tach wire from only one of them. The amperage is just additive.

I'm a bug for thermal control, while some people are fine playing with their controller knobs. Mobos offer that essential feature for the fan headers. But you only get so many fan-headers, and so many amperes . . .

 

[circusslaughter]

I got a fairly expensive PSU so might as well us it for a fan controller...

Plus it's a full tower, has a lot of bays.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I got a fairly expensive PSU so might as well us it for a fan controller...

Plus it's a full tower, has a lot of bays.

You did good with that PSU, from what I was able to find quickly at the Egg. I could wonder if the Rosewill is a rebadged unit made by some other manufacturer, like Seasonic or Top-power. It is a fairly common practice.

But -- no -- it is not a "fairly expensive" PSU if it's the 550W Capstone. Usually, good PSUs cost $100 or more. But the one thing about PSUs that isn't so consistent about other computer parts: the longer the warranty, the more likely the PSU lives up to its specs and demonstrates reliability and longevity. [Another rule of thumb is the weight of the unit in lbs or kilo-grams.]

Also, the more I think of it, an NV 760 GFX card with your other devices is not going to stress that PSU. I was a bit too dogmatic in promoting the Outervision calculator. Even so, it's a good exercise to follow in this business.

 

[circusslaughter]

You did good with that PSU, from what I was able to find quickly at the Egg. I could wonder if the Rosewill is a rebadged unit made by some other manufacturer, like Seasonic or Top-power. It is a fairly common practice.

But -- no -- it is not a "fairly expensive" PSU if it's the 550W Capstone. Usually, good PSUs cost $100 or more. But the one thing about PSUs that isn't so consistent about other computer parts: the longer the warranty, the more likely the PSU lives up to its specs and demonstrates reliability and longevity. [Another rule of thumb is the weight of the unit in lbs or kilo-grams.]

Also, the more I think of it, an NV 760 GFX card with your other devices is not going to stress that PSU. I was a bit too dogmatic in promoting the Outervision calculator. Even so, it's a good exercise to follow in this business.

http://m.newegg.com/Product?itemNumber=N82E16817182262


Was $120, now it's $85. I got it for $70.

Doesn't appear to be the best brand but whatever.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

http://m.newegg.com/Product?itemNumber=N82E16817182262


Was $120, now it's $85. I got it for $70.

Doesn't appear to be the best brand but whatever.

Rosewill, Koutech, Bytecc and other companies take over functions or product types that had once been premium-priced items from companies long-established in those products -- some of them bought out and consolidated like 3Ware and LSI.

It may be that Rosewill has some contract with some Asian company -- maybe Seasonic -- and the PSU's are rebadged. The point about it: it's got a 7-year warranty. Even PC Power & Cooling only slapped 5-year warranties on their $200+ 550W "Turbo Power" model or whatever it was called in the day . . .

As a rule of thumb about PSUs, the warranty period had long been considered an indicator of quality. The only other possibility is that Rosewill doesn't buy these from a premier mfgr, and they departed from good business practice hoping to leverage sales while flirting with the RMA risk.

 

[Essence_of_War]

Rosewill's Capstone series is very high qualiy.

It may be that Rosewill has some contract with some Asian company -- maybe Seasonic -- and the PSU's are rebadged. The point about it: it's got a 7-year warranty. Even PC Power & Cooling only slapped 5-year warranties on their $200+ 550W "Turbo Power" model or whatever it was called in the day . . .

Rosewill doesn't actually make very much if anything, they're a re-branding group, but the OEM for the Capstone series is SuperFlower, and they have an excellent reputation.