The Asus Fan Extension Card.. I may be slightly confused.

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So.. this thing, the Asus Fan Extension Card:

..I thought I had the thing figured out, but there's one thing that still doesn't really make sense on it.

The card has 3 4-pin connectors for fans, 3 2-pin for temp-sensors, the 5-pin to connect it to the motherboard and a 4-pin molex/PATA connector for power, which are all fairly obvious and have been explained by people in videos etc.

 

..but what's bothering me, and I can't seem to wrap my head around, is why there's a 4th 4-pin connector with "FAN_IN" on it, where the Asus Fan Extension Card is supposed to support 3 additional fans, to make it a total of 9 (7 + 2 cpu) pwm controlled fan connection points. 

So my question then is;

What is it for?

Logically one would think that it's to connect a 4-pin fan to it, but if the card is supposed to only use those 3 "EXT_FAN#" connectors for fans, what's that thing for? 

Is it to connect it to some cable to a fan-connector on the motherboard(which would make the total fans just 8)? Or is it for a floppy drive power connector or something? Does it replace one of the chassis fan connectors when the Fan Extension Card is installed, like one of the two chassis-fan connectors next to the rear exhaust?

 

If anyone has any solid clue on why it's there, feel free to come with some input on this rather unexplained issue.. as Asus doesn't have any form of info on it themselves.

[LogicalDrm]

TBH there isn't much about that card on internet (yet) and nothing to really explain this. One review had pic showing both 5pin and 4pin in connected which doesn't make it any easier to understand. My guess would be that Asus is going to make that hub mass product, same way than control panels for ROG boards are. In that case it would make sense to have one 4pin in for using CPU or any other PWM supported header as base point.

[NumLock21]

The 4 pin next to the 5 pin header is just used as a fan splitter. Where the 3 fans have the same control as that single connector from the motherboard instead of individual fan controls when using the 5 pin cable.

 

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The 4 pin next to the 5 pin header is just used as a fan splitter. Where the 3 fans have the same control as that single connector from the motherboard instead of individual fan controls when using the 5 pin cable.

 

 

Can you please reformulate that last part? Just to make it 100% clear <_<

 

Unless you meant the 3 EXT_FAN# function like individual PWM-fans, whereas the FAN_IN one, is a splitter for one of them? or..?

[NumLock21]

Can you please reformulate that last part? Just to make it 100% clear  <_<

 

Unless you meant the 3 EXT_FAN# function like individual PWM-fans, whereas the FAN_IN one, is a splitter for one of them? or..?

 

From what I understand, the 4-pin Fan In, header on the card has to be connected to one of the chassis fan header on the motherboard. Whatever fan parameter you have set for that onboard chassis fan header in the bios, the 3 ext fan header on the card, all will have the same setting.

When you connect the 5 pin cable from the card to the motherboard, then all 3 ext fan headers on the card can be set independently in the bios. The 4 pin fan in, does not need to be connected when you using the 5 pin cable. And when you're using the 4 pin cable, you don't have to connect the five pin cable.

Here is the cable you will need if you just want to use it as a fan splitter.

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/23515/cab-1946/ModMyToys_4-Pin_PWM_Female_to_4-Pin_Female_PWM_Cable_Adapter_-_12_-_Sleeved_Black_MMT-FC-44-12BKS.html

 

As fan splitter

onboard chassis fan header<-----4pin fan cable------>4 pin fan in header on card<----ext fan 1,2,3 all get the same setting from the onboard chassis fan header--->

 

As fan extension hub

onboard 5 pin header<----5 pin cable----->5 pin header on card<-----ext fan 1, 2, 3 gets independent settings from bios--->

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Seems a bit odd they would have a male 4-pin then, if it was a board-extension, as that makes little sense vs using a female-connector on the card, and then utilizing any extension cable for 4-pin that would be out there.. especially since they do not include such a cable (which would have been the Asus-way of doing things).

 

I don't know.. it just seems so moronic to have it act as a normal splitter, but I guess if you had the card connected to a board without the 5-pin option, it would make sense (but in any case, then you'd be better off just buying another cheaper hub, with more connectors ), and then.. why would it need the 4-pin molex either(as the routing of the circuit on the board goes towards the molex)?

[NumLock21]

The molex is to power up the card

[Mainfold]

You're the one that's confused here. :rolleyes:

Well it was mentioned what the confusion was about, also the molex was mentioned. So you clearly didn't read the thread prior to posting.

[LogicalDrm]

You're the one that's confused here. :rolleyes:

 

We are talking about one 4pin fan connector with EXT_FAN_IN marking on it. Any bright suggestion, Dr. Watson?

[Muse]

Am I understanding this correctly to mean that one should either use the 4pin FAN_IN connector or the 5pin EXT_FAN_IN, but not both?

[xeromynd]

Bumping an old thread because this thing is literally available NOWHERE. Yet advertised in all their manuals.

 

Have contacted Asus support....useless. After taking ten minutes to explain that I did not want to purchase the motherboard itself and only wanted to purchase the "fan extension card" the representative told me that my "local Best Buy or Tiger Direct (aren't they closed??) would have it in stock"

 

Got tweets out to every damn Asus twitter I could find, hoping JJ will reply, as he's usually fantastic about answering questions.

 

Just seems a bit ridiculous that it's something in ALL their X99 manuals (and those boards were released in what, November '14??) and it's nowhere to be found. This little card would solve all mu problems. Has anyone found where to buy this?