[SOLVED] regulating case fan speed

[veilreaper]

hello. i recently made my first computer build. it was quite fun. My motherboard has 4 case fan connectors. i have 5 fans. i wanted to get a splitter like
Cables to Go - 3-Pin Fan Power Y-Splitter Cable - 27391
if i have 2 of the same exact fan, will both fan speeds increase or decrease as i change them in the bios? i guess what i am mean is with just 1 fan plugged into my mobo, i can change the rpms that it runs. with the splitter, will that make both fans slow down? also i believe the mobo will only show the rpm's of one of the fans, but since they are the same running the same rpm's, is it safe to assume the other is running the same speed? hope thats not too confusing. thanks alot.

[gcavan]

First of all, I'ld be wary of connecting more than one fan to a single motherboard port. Too heavy of a load could permanently damage the board.

If you do go this route, you should disconnect the feedback wire (yellow) from one of the fans. Otherwise, you will get incorrect RPM readings. If the two fans are identical, they should (theoretically at least) turn at the same RPM.

[GZ]

Originally Posted by gcavan

First of all, I'ld be wary of connecting more than one fan to a single motherboard port. Too heavy of a load could permanently damage the board.

Yes. Only use fan splitters if connected to MOLEX. The traces on the motherboard are only designed to handle the power draw of one fan.

If you want control of your fans, I would like to suggest that you use a fan controller.

You could use something like this....

Newegg.com - Scythe KQ01-BK-3.5 "KAZE Q" Fan Controller

Or even this...

Newegg.com - nMEDIAPC ZE-C288 Black Aluminum Panel 5.25" Bay All-in-one USB 2.0 Card Reader with USB 3.0/e-SATA Port/HD Audio Ports and two Fan Controllers

Here is the one I am planning to get in the near future...

Newegg.com - Scythe Kama-Panel 3 SCKMPN-3000 Controller Panel

[veilreaper]

thanks for the replies. I was looking at a fan controller but price was the reason i asked the question. the cable is a few dollars versus buying even a cheap fan controller. i was not sure how the mb would react to the extra fan though. i will just wait and get a controller. thanks a lot for the replies. is there a way that i can see through a fan controller what rpm's each fan is running? cuz i am assuming the controller will plug into the mobo. thanks

and the molex adapter would be to the psu correct? like if i wanted to run 2 fans on one power adapter?

[Dogg]

Depends on the model you select. Many units have the ability to monitor/display temps or fan speed and display the readings. They also do not connect to the motherboard. You will connect one or more molex cables to the controller, and the fans connect to the controller.

As a rule, I don't recommend connecting ANY fans to the motherboard (aside from the cpu fan). That allows the motherboard power circuitry to supply all of the power to the motherboard/cpu.

Look here: Fan Controllers | Page 1 | Sort By: Product Title A-Z - FrozenCPU.com *

and here: Computer Fan Controller Fan Speed Controller PC Fan Controller Fan Enermax Quiet Silent Controllor-Best Computer Online Store Houston Buy Discount Prices Texas-Directron.com

[gcavan]

I've used the Scythe Kaze-Q and others like it. Good basic fan control with no monitoring. What you may do is run the RPM sense wire (yellow) from each fan to a motherboard port. This will allow you to monitor the fan speeds through your preferred monitor application. Mind, you will need to have a few spare 3-pin connectors.

[veilreaper]

Aerocool X-Vision EN55529 Multifunktions Front Panel Fits in 5.25in Bay Five Sets of Fan Controller Thermal Sensors Placement for CPU VGA Cooler and HDD-Best Computer Online Store Houston Buy Discount Prices Texas-Directron.com

i may try this. or
Newegg.com - AeroCool F6XT Controller, Panel
heard anything about this brand? what is the minimum watts per channel you would suggest? i have seen as low as 10 and as high as 50. thats a big range.

[gcavan]

It really depends on how you plan to wire your fans.

Each fan will draw about ½ amp or less. At 12 volts that is 6 watts. If you want to control each fan individually, a 8-10 watt/channel unit will be fine. If, however, you prefer to control multiple fans with a single control, then you will require a stronger unit.

LEDs and cold cathode tubes draw very little power and may grouped on a single channel

[veilreaper]

thanks a lot. think i have all i need.