Fans confusing me..

[Frosty2726]

So i didnt expect fans to really be THIS confusing, but i want to place my 6 fans in my build with which i only have 2 fan headers. so i look up a splitter for them to have them all running and people say its bad to have so many fans running on a motherboard..then i hear talk of running it through the Power Supply Unit...so do i power it through the PSU or am i putting the splitter on the MB to take power from that..or if you get a fan controller does it all plug into that instead?

First time builder...and i want everything done right. (also i am still in the buying process, not building yet)

Specs: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/htmsxr

 

[Clear17Mud]

so you have 3 fan headers 1 for cpu 2 for case fans then for the other 4 case fans I would get a fan controller, but I honestly dont think its that bad to spit it three ways. having the cpu fan plugged in then have the other two run three fans, but a fan controller is nice because then you dont have fan cables it the way.

[IP man]

You can do both, but too many fans on a single header is not good,

 

Just curious, why so many fans?

[LegacyStijncat]

Let me give you a quick recap:

You can power fans trough your motherboard. Keep in mind though that your motherboard needs enough headers.

There do exist adapters to change multiple fans into one cable, but I can't give you any names.

What a very efficient solution is, is getting PWM fans and inserting them on a fan controller. Check out NZXT and Bitfenix for those. You only insert your fans into there, and then the Fan Controller into your PSU.

[3dfx]

You shouldnt plug them all in the mobo because they'll overload the power circuits. Best way to do that is with a spliter that has an aux molex power or hook them up to an external fan controller.

[Trik'Stari]

At most, run 2 fans off of each fan header, after that, get a molex to 4 pin adapter, and hook the fans straight to the power supply molex cables, you obviously don't need the adapter if the fans are already molex.

 

You won't be able to control the speed of the fans hooked to the power supply.

[MourningSouls]

Run them all off of 1 header with this: http://www.performance-pcs.com/swiftech-8-way-pwm-splitter-box-sata.html(Also need a SATA connector from your PSU, there is also a molex version)

[Toddskins]

Hey Frosty,

 

I'm running 5 fans, and only 2 of them are connected to Motherboard headers (even though I have more headers available).  Turned out that my Corsair 760T case came with 3 case fans and the connectors for those 3 fans were not PWM fans, AND further, they had cabling to run to a Fan Controller on the case (all 3 of them) so that when I hit the button they would speed up to the high setting (2 speed fan: low / high).  

 

Next, the fan controller on the case has a SATA Power connector, which means that one PSU power SATA connector runs to the fan controller, which in my case has the 3 fans connected to it.  These, therefore, are NOT connected to the motherboard and I have to manually decide to push the button to make them go faster if I think things are warm inside my case.  

 

If you have a separate fan controller it will likewise get connected to the PSU via a SATA power cable (not a data cable, but a power cable).  SATA power connectors are about twice as wide as the SATA data connector.
 

The nice thing about connecting fans to the fan headers is the software of the motherboard which can be programmed to automatically turn them up faster when motherboard sensors (or a temperature sensor built into the CPU) indicate things are heating up.

On the Asus motherboard, (I have an Asus VII Hero), you probably have Q-fan control and Expert Fan control software, which can be accessed from both the BIOS as well as a Windows program that Asus supplies when doing the Windows Install.

EDIT:  I do believe that there are also separate fan controllers that can have automation on them, but I believe you then need to install temperature sensors onto the motherboard at various places, or inside the case at key positions, and those sensor cables must run to the fan controller (these are more expensive type units).  Then the fan controller can be programmed to operate automatically.  I think....


P.S.  I agree, that the fan situation can be a bit confusing.

[Frosty2726]

You can do both, but too many fans on a single header is not good,

 

Just curious, why so many fans?

keep it very cool

[Frosty2726]

Let me give you a quick recap:

You can power fans trough your motherboard. Keep in mind though that your motherboard needs enough headers.

There do exist adapters to change multiple fans into one cable, but I can't give you any names.

What a very efficient solution is, is getting PWM fans and inserting them on a fan controller. Check out NZXT and Bitfenix for those. You only insert your fans into there, and then the Fan Controller into your PSU.

so fans plug into fan controller which plugs into PSU? an fan controller is plugged up to Mother board?

[BurgerBum]

keep it very cool

more =/= better. (in most cases)

usually, fewer fans that are CLOSER to the heatsink/object is more effective. 

(this is why pugit systems makes little brackets and what not to put fans on)

[Frosty2726]

more =/= better. (in most cases)

usually, fewer fans that are CLOSER to the heatsink/object is more effective. 

(this is why pugit systems makes little brackets and what not to put fans on)

so should i knock off some fans?...

[BurgerBum]

so should i knock off some fans?...

if you are able to do something like creating brackets to place them closer to the hot spots in your system. or are able to clearly see the airflow-pattern in your case then take out the ones that erernt doing anything. 

 

i was just stating something that helps peoplw who think more = better

[Frosty2726]

if you are able to do something like creating brackets to place them closer to the hot spots in your system. or are able to clearly see the airflow-pattern in your case then take out the ones that erernt doing anything. 

 

i was just stating something that helps peoplw who think more = better

so would you reccomend 4 fans in my case instead of 6?

[BurgerBum]

so would you reccomend 4 fans in my case instead of 6?

dunno. 

[Frosty2726]

dunno. 

any way i can figure it out

[BurgerBum]

any way i can figure it out

 

you can message someone who knows more about arflow than me. im not all that great at the physical aspects of things.