Fans and mobo connection

dno101

dno101

dno101

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18 Dec 2015
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Hi - I'm on my first custom WC build.

Fans - I get AF vs SP etc. It's the connection to the mobo that concerns me - would really appreciate any observations for the below plan (ASUS x99 deluxe).

5 radiator fans - into a pwm splitter with the splitter powered by the psu. this is plugged straight into the cpu header so as the mobo controls the loop.
Case fans - plugged into the mobo case fan sockets
Pump - plugged into the secondary cpu header which I understand is not pwm.

theory being -the mobo controls the pwm rad fans, I control the case fans and the pump is constant with mobo alarm set if it fails to start. As there is a gpu in the loop, I would just lower the cpu temp for fan speed.

Am I on the right track, and can anyone suggest a suitable pwm splitter.

thanks.
 
In theory this should all work. But it depends on how good the motherboard software is for controlling fans. On my Sabertooth Z77 it was so broken that I bought an NZXT Grid+ V2 which has been brilliant. I've found that CPUs give out so little heat compared to GPUs that it's much better to use GPU temp to control fans speeds.

Phobya make a fairly cheap PWM splitter.
 
thanks for replies -

batfink - what fans are you using (I read there were issues with Corsair SP120/140's with that splitter, which is the combo I have been looking at) and did you run the pump into a mobo secondary cpu header?

I would consider a controller, but I've got myself the inwin 909 case which does not have traditional drive bays for such a unit.
I will have two AF fans as intake on the bottom, a front rad with push SP fans blowing across the case, a centre AF fan drawing the air into the rear chamber, where the rear chamber is fitted with a 360 rad with three exhaust fans on the back of it.

Just not really sure how best to control the WC loop fans as the larger rad at the back is effectively my exhaust as well....?
 
The pcb based PWM splitters(Like the swiftech) only work properly with 4 pin pwm fans,plugging a 3 pin fan into them causes the fan to just run at 100% all the time,regardless of the fan curve settings set on the header its hooked up too.

You can get versions of these pcbs that have 3 pin and 4 pin PWM headers on them tho.

SP120's are 3 pin fans and run off of voltage control rather PWM signals,in this case something like the Nzxt grid Disco_P mentioned would be a better choice
 
Just a heads up that the NZXT Grid+ V2 doesn't require a optical bay. It's just an 8cmx8cmx2cm box.

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dno101 said:
thanks for replies -

batfink - what fans are you using (I read there were issues with Corsair SP120/140's with that splitter, which is the combo I have been looking at) and did you run the pump into a mobo secondary cpu header?
Click to expand...

Fan's are all Noctua Industrial PWM fans (4-pin)

The pump's are connected to the CPU_OPT motherboard header (just used a two way splitter that came with the Noctua fans)
 
OK - been looking into this. bear with me......the deluxe X99 mobo - it has CPU-FAN, CPU FAN OPT and enough CHA fan headers which can all be set to either PWM or DC via the UEFI/bios. so.......

If I plug each pwm fan into a separate fan header (set it to pwm via bios) will they all work in tandem with the cpu-header temps/fan?

Or do I still need a splitter to plug all the pwm fans into the cpu-fan header?

I'm guessing they will work in tandem with the cpu-header/temp (as it's logical), but the manual is, well, a manual........

thanks.
 
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