Looking to Buy Fan Controller

[TheToxicgamer97]

Hello, I am looking to buy a fan controller and have one (hopefully simple) question. And that is if you need to buy PWM fans in order for this to work properly. I know that fans with the 4-pin are PWM and that the fourth pin is used for control, but most fan controllers I've seen use 3-pin inputs. How does this work?

[Inori GC]

It controls the speed by changing the voltage of the fan

[Luke]

It doesn't matter if the fan is 3-pin or 4-pin when using a fan controller.

[ForsakenLive]

Hello, I am looking to buy a fan controller and have one (hopefully simple) question. And that is if you need to buy PWM fans in order for this to work properly. I know that fans with the 4-pin are PWM and that the fourth pin is used for control, but most fan controllers I've seen use 3-pin inputs. How does this work?

To have the PWM feature, you need a fan controller with 4 pins and fans with 4 pins as well.

A device that can send a PWM signal will be able to control the fans, your motherboard can do it with your CPU_FAN header, if you have another PWM header that you can control from the bios or with software, just get a splitter, like this one: http://www.swiftech.com/8-WayPWMsplitter.aspx

If your motherboard  doesn't have any other PWM header, or you find no way to control it, there are dedicated PWM fan controllers, but they are more expensive, sometimes just undervolting 3 volt fans with a controller is easier/less expensive.

[TheToxicgamer97]

To have the PWM feature, you need a fan controller with 4 pins and fans with 4 pins as well.

A device that can send a PWM signal will be able to control the fans, your motherboard can do it with your CPU_FAN header, if you have another PWM header that you can control from the bios or with software, just get a splitter, like this one: http://www.swiftech.com/8-WayPWMsplitter.aspx

If your motherboard  doesn't have any other PWM header, or you find no way to control it, there are dedicated PWM fan controllers, but they are more expensive, sometimes just undervolting 3 volt fans with a controller is easier/less expensive.

Okay this makes sense. So you can change the voltage without using PWM featrues. My board does have one header, but I'd rather use a fan controller since it looks cool

[ForsakenLive]

Okay this makes sense. So you can change the voltage without using PWM featrues. My board does have one header, but I'd rather use a fan controller since it looks cool

If you undervolt the fan it will go slower but it's not confirmed that it will perform as it should, because those are not its rated voltages. Good quality fans usually work on lower voltages without problems.

PWM allows you to select an exact '%' and it always works on 12V, making it much easier to control your case cooling.

There are fan controllers that have PWM function, but those are more expensive, usually adapters and splitters are the way to go. If you just want a fan controller for the looks of it, the Bitfenix Recon is decent.

[TheToxicgamer97]

If you undervolt the fan it will go slower but it's not confirmed that it will perform as it should, because those are not its rated voltages. Good quality fans usually work on lower voltages without problems.

PWM allows you to select an exact '%' and it always works on 12V, making it much easier to control your case cooling.

There are fan controllers that have PWM function, but those are more expensive, usually adapters and splitters are the way to go. If you just want a fan controller for the looks of it, the Bitfenix Recon is decent.

I don't do a lot intensive things on my computer, so I'm not too concerned about performance. What I really want is silence while still being able to crank it up for when I do need performance

[ForsakenLive]

I don't do a lot intensive things on my computer, so I'm not too concerned about performance. What I really want is silence while still being able to crank it up for when I do need performance

Cheap PWM fans tend to make flickering noises when they run at low speeds, but the decent ones don't have this problems.

A $10 PWM powered splitter connected to a configured motherboard will automatically change speeds according to usage and temperatures.

A regular fan controller that is connected to software can make fan profile and curves (according to temps too), the Bitfenix Recon has a decent software that allows it. NZXT is about to launch the Grid+ (not the old Grid), it is a little splitter that you put inside the case (not visible), and control the fans using the NZXT CAM software, which is pretty good.

[TheToxicgamer97]

Cheap PWM fans tend to make flickering noises when they run at low speeds, but the decent ones don't have this problems.

A $10 PWM powered splitter connected to a configured motherboard will automatically change speeds according to usage and temperatures.

A regular fan controller that is connected to software can make fan profile and curves (according to temps too), the Bitfenix Recon has a decent software that allows it. NZXT is about to launch the Grid+ (not the old Grid), it is a little splitter that you put inside the case (not visible), and control the fans using the NZXT CAM software, which is pretty good.

I just ordered the NZXT Sentry 3 with 4 Cooler Master SickleFlow fans, and a Silverstone Air Penetrator