Help an idiot.

Rickin10 · 6 Mar 2014 at 13:40

Hi all, i'm in the process of building my first PC, but despite what everyone has told me, it certainly is not simple. I'm apparently more mentally challenged than I thought.

Yesterday I had a nightmare fitting my Alpenfohn K2 cpu cooler. Even though I now have this in place I'm unsure of the connections. I've put the 2 fans on the cooler and then connected the 2 fans with a 2-headed 4-pin connector. Now, I'm fairly certain I then connect the other head to the 'CPU_FAN' header. However, there's what the 'instructions' call a Low-noise adapter (7v) which I can't fathom if I need or how I would connect it.

I've just looked at my Superflower Leadex 750w gold psu and found that I've been given a foreign 2-pin plug rather than a 3-plug. Can I get a standard adapter or will it need to be a special one, or should I return it?

My Corsair Carbide 500r has 2 front fans which are connected to the front panel fan control. The cables then go from there and come out by the motherboard as (i think) a molex connector and a 4-pin connector. There's then a rear exhaust fan and a side intake fan which both have 4-pin connectors. Any ideas how I hook all these up correctly.

I'd really appreciate any help.

snips86x · 6 Mar 2014 at 13:52

CPU Cooler - Connect the 2 fans to the splitter and connect the splitter to the CPU_header. The K2 fans are nice & quiet, no need for the 7v adapter.

PSU - If you have a kettle cable around, just use that

Case fans - For the front fans, just connect the molex to the PSU as you'll need to provide power to the fan controller. If there are any other spare cables, connect your rear fans to the controller also.

Rickin10 · 6 Mar 2014 at 14:05

snips86x said:
CPU Cooler - Connect the 2 fans to the splitter and connect the splitter to the CPU_header. The K2 fans are nice & quiet, no need for the 7v adapter.

PSU - If you have a kettle cable around, just use that

Case fans - For the front fans, just connect the molex to the PSU as you'll need to provide power to the fan controller. If there are any other spare cables, connect your rear fans to the controller also.

I don't have a kettle cable, any other suggestions?

As for the case fans, don't I need to connect them to the mobo as well as the psu?

ttaskmaster · 6 Mar 2014 at 14:06

Rickin10 said:
My Corsair Carbide 500r has 2 front fans which are connected to the front panel fan control. The cables then go from there and come out by the motherboard as (i think) a molex connector and a 4-pin connector. There's then a rear exhaust fan and a side intake fan which both have 4-pin connectors. Any ideas how I hook all these up correctly.

Good choice of case!
I'll check my own 500R when I get home, if you like?

Meantime - IIRC, the front twin 120s hook up to the front panel via a splitter cable, with the side 200 having its own lead. There's another lead that connects them all to the motherboard - I used the SYSFAN2 header for this, I believe.
The exhaust 120 fan lead was a bit short for reaching around the back, so I tidied that up and used SYSFAN1 header.
I can't remember the exact cabling though as it's all tidied away, heh heh!!

snips86x · 6 Mar 2014 at 14:08

Rickin10 said:
I don't have a kettle cable, any other suggestions?

As for the case fans, don't I need to connect them to the mobo as well as the psu?

Go and buy one? Sorry, but your options here are limited!

As for he case fans, I think you can connect them either way. If you can get away with connecting to the motherboard only, do it, otherwise it may be both.

Rickin10 · 6 Mar 2014 at 14:09

ttaskmaster said:
Good choice of case!
I'll check my own 500R when I get home, if you like?

Meantime - IIRC, the front twin 120s hook up to the front panel via a splitter cable, with the side 200 having its own lead. There's another lead that connects them all to the motherboard - I used the SYSFAN2 header for this, I believe.
The exhaust 120 fan lead was a bit short for reaching around the back, so I tidied that up and used SYSFAN1 header.
I can't remember the exact cabling though as it's all tidied away, heh heh!!

Yeah, I'd really appreciate that,mate. If this was flatpack furniture I'd just experiment, but having spent over a grand and never done this before I don't want to blow the thing up!

Rickin10 · 6 Mar 2014 at 14:19

snips86x said:
Go and buy one? Sorry, but your options here are limited!

As for he case fans, I think you can connect them either way. If you can get away with connecting to the motherboard only, do it, otherwise it may be both.

Apologies for what must sound like really dumb questions, but will a kettle cable handle 750w psu?

Also, does it matter which fan headers you use on your mobo?

Space Monkey · 6 Mar 2014 at 14:30

If the superflower PSU was bought at OCUK then post in the Customer service section of the forum and they'll send you the correct cable, it should have come with it

Space Monkey · 6 Mar 2014 at 14:31

Only fan header that really matters is the CPU_FAN, put the K2s fans on this and the rest as and where they'll reach to

HalfBakedJake · 6 Mar 2014 at 14:41

Rickin10 said:
Apologies for what must sound like really dumb questions, but will a kettle cable handle 750w psu?

Also, does it matter which fan headers you use on your mobo?

A kettle cable is rated up to 7kw I think (Same as the max power draw from the mains)

It doesnt matter which ones you choose but maybe remember which is which

I.E

FAN 1 Exhaust
FAN 2 Intake
FAN 3 Intake

Then in future you can change the speed of these in BIOS/Overclocking software to alter you Positive/Negative air pressure.

Rickin10 · 6 Mar 2014 at 14:56

Thanks for all the help guys, that's given me enough info and reassurance to be getting along with. Just have to wait for customer services to get back tome now.

ttaskmaster · 6 Mar 2014 at 18:28

OK, I traced my cables...

There's a single cable with a 3-pin male connector from the front panel that does your side 200mm fan. Route this however you like, so long as you can easily disconnect the 200 when you take the side panel off.
There's a second similar cable but with two 3-pin male connectors in series, that also comes from the front panel. The two front 120mm intake fans connect to these male ends, one each of course.
Finally, the big 4-pin Molex connector goes onto one of the free Molex cables directly from your PSU. I have a Corsair H100, so I have a Molex cable going up the back of the case and into the top compartment for powering that. I routed the fan cables and the fan Molex up there as well and have 2 Molex connectors mid-cable for powering some sad, pathetic effect-lighting modules that I made up.

NOTE: These fans are controlled solely from the switch on the front panel.
Also note: These fans all use Corsair proprietary connectors, NOT standard PWM fan ones. If you want to change these fans for something else, it will be a 'mild challenge'.

The 120mm exhaust fan connects to whichever motherboard header you can best reach. Tidy the loose cable up when you're done to stop it catching. I'm lucky in that I can wrap mine around the fan housing and still reach my SYS_FAN header. This is a standard PWM fan and the only one controlled from the motherboard.

nutsnut · 6 Mar 2014 at 18:35

Rickin, where in Birmingham are you? I have a few kettle leads knocking about?

Rickin10 · 6 Mar 2014 at 18:40

nutsnut said:
Rickin, where in Birmingham are you? I have a few kettle leads knocking about?

Thanks for the generous offer but I contacted customer services and they're sending me a replacement plug out tomorrow.... Unless it doesn't turn up, in which case your kettle leads will be my contingency plan

Rickin10 · 6 Mar 2014 at 19:09

ttaskmaster said:
OK, I traced my cables...

There's a single cable with a 3-pin male connector from the front panel that does your side 200mm fan. Route this however you like, so long as you can easily disconnect the 200 when you take the side panel off.
There's a second similar cable but with two 3-pin male connectors in series, that also comes from the front panel. The two front 120mm intake fans connect to these male ends, one each of course.
Finally, the big 4-pin Molex connector goes onto one of the free Molex cables directly from your PSU. I have a Corsair H100, so I have a Molex cable going up the back of the case and into the top compartment for powering that. I routed the fan cables and the fan Molex up there as well and have 2 Molex connectors mid-cable for powering some sad, pathetic effect-lighting modules that I made up.
NOTE: These fans are controlled solely from the switch on the front panel.
Also note: These fans all use Corsair proprietary connectors, NOT standard PWM fan ones. If you want to change these fans for something else, it will be a 'mild challenge'.

The 120mm exhaust fan connects to whichever motherboard header you can best reach. Tidy the loose cable up when you're done to stop it catching. I'm lucky in that I can wrap mine around the fan housing and still reach my SYS_FAN header. This is a standard PWM fan and the only one controlled from the motherboard.

Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to do this - I think I have this sorted in my mind now. I take it the fans can only be controlled from the front panel because they are just going from there to the psu, rather than connected to the mobo? Which is why hooking up my k2 fans to the CPU_FAN header will allow me control them from on screen software?

Btw, if I ever get this running you'll have to give me the schematics to these 'sad, pathetic effect-lighting modules' of yours

ttaskmaster · 6 Mar 2014 at 21:49

Rickin10 said:
I take it the fans can only be controlled from the front panel because they are just going from there to the psu, rather than connected to the mobo?

Yes indeed.
No real biggie, though, as you just notch the switch to medium or high if you need to. TBH, I've stayed on low ever since I got the case. Summer might require a bit more cooling, but so far it's great.

Rickin10 said:
Which is why hooking up my k2 fans to the CPU_FAN header will allow me control them from on screen software?

Precisely!!

Rickin10 said:
Btw, if I ever get this running you'll have to give me the schematics to these 'sad, pathetic effect-lighting modules' of yours

It mainly requires clueless modding/bodging of an old DVD drive and a Larson scanner, a poor understanding of electronics and a geeky love of 80s crimefighting vehicle TV shows...!!