GA 890fxa UD5 fans???

[CoolDude64]

Hi guys,

Just another quickie.

I am building a new system and decided to add more fans than came with the new case. The psu didn't come with any 3 pin connectors and it seems fans nowadays comes with them. I think I will have to either buy some 4 pin to 3 pin converters or can I use the sys/power fan connectors on the motherboard. Since my last build it seems things have changed. Does the fan connectors on the motherboard have enough juice to power the fans? I see somewhere on internet shops that sell multiple connectors from motherboard to fans, is this advisable? Any thoughts or tips most appreciated.

David

[absic]

Hi there,

You can run fans from the Motherboard headers, that is what they are there for but, I feel it is better to actually run them directly off of the PSU and this is what I do. Another option is to get a fan controller

I would not recommend using an adaptor that allows multiple fans to be run from one Mobo header.

[CoolDude64]

Thanks absic, I think I was trying to be too clever!!
As you advise I shall run them off of the psu, I take it it would be ok to run them off of a 4 pin to 3 pin converter which splits one input to two?
One thing that has always puzzled me, which is the system fan and which is the power fan? I thought the front fan was the system fan, is this correct or have I got them backwards?

David

[absic]

Hi David,
to be honest I've never bothered about which fan is which but I always thought the System Fan was the one on the back of the chassis as in earlier PC's this was the only fan installed.

Yes, if you are running directly from the PSU power connector you will be quite safe using a split lead. One thing to note though, is that the fans will always run at full speed, not a bad thing in my opinion, but if you wanted to control their speed you won't be able to with this method.

I have a Noctua CPU cooler and I actually run this directly from the PSU too, rather than the Mobo headers, as the fans don't respond well to the variable voltage. Not everyone's choice I know, but it does mean the cooler fans are working from the minute I switch on the PC and I never have CPU temps higher than about 35°C.

[Dark Mantis]

In general I also agree with absic's take on this. The only difference being that I like to be able to control my fans individually so I use controllers but they are fed from the PSU.

[CoolDude64]

Thanks guys, golly gosh absic, I never even thought of running the cpu cooler straight from the psu, I always assumed it HAD to be connected to the motherboard header, you sure got me thinking now, I might just give it a go, no definately WILL give it a go now.
As to the sys/power fan as I wondered about it I think I might just have too much time on my hands!!!LOL
Likeyou, I prefer to run my fans at full speed.

David

[absic]

I never even thought of running the cpu cooler straight from the psu, I always assumed it HAD to be connected to the motherboard header,

The CPU fan header on the Motherboard allows the system to control the fan as the system demands and is the preferred method of attaching if you want to use the Cool N Quiet technology for your CPU. If you do decide to run your cooler fan directly from the PSU remember to disable the power saving functions and warnings in BIOS otherwise you might find your PC shutting down unexpectedly. Also note that if you are running your CPU fan at full speed it might be a little noisier than you want. I am lucky as the Noctua fans are almost silent, even at full speed, so it is not an issue for me but if you are using the stock cooler or one with fans that are not high quality, it could be an issue.

You can never have too much time on your hands. Just not enough money to be able to use the time properly!