A question about PC Fans

Magic_x_uk · 7 Feb 2012 at 17:49

Hi, quick question as in the process of tidying up my computer.

I have 3 120mm fans

1 of them is a 2 wire fan into a molex.

The other 2 fans have 3 wires coming from it, 2= (red & black) into Molex and the 3rd wire, yellow has a little brown plug on it with 3 holes.

Can these plugs fit onto the motherboard (if spare fan sockets) and be controlled, seeing as there is only 1 wire on it.

Or is it best to just leave it wrapped up out of sight.

thank you

beejjacobs · 7 Feb 2012 at 17:53

I believe the fans with 3 wires can be controlled to some extent by the motherboard yes

stulid · 7 Feb 2012 at 17:55

beejjacobs said:
I believe the fans with 3 wires can be controlled to some extent by the motherboard yes

Sure about that?

Ginger-Menace · 7 Feb 2012 at 17:55

the yellow wire is indeed to be connected to the motherboard so you can read the RPm of the fan, i am unsure if you can control the speed by it

edit, after reading not it cannot be controlled, only the RPM can be read

stulid · 7 Feb 2012 at 17:57

Ginger-Menace said:
the yellow wire is indeed to be connected to the motherboard so you can read the RPm of the fan, i am unsure if you can control the speed by it

edit, after reading not it cannot be controlled, only the RPM can be read

Thats correct.

Jokester · 7 Feb 2012 at 17:57

All fans can be controlled, either by voltage or PWM depending on whether the motherboard supports such a feature.

beejjacobs · 7 Feb 2012 at 17:57

stulid said:
Sure about that?

Maybe its dependant on the motherboard. Or maybe you can't change it, but just set it. I'm sure mine does this with the couple of fans I've got plugged in?
For instance, CPU_FAN is temp controlled of course, and is 4 pin. But sys_fan is 3 pin and I can change the speed of that in the BIOS.

stulid · 7 Feb 2012 at 17:59

beejjacobs said:
Maybe its dependant on the motherboard. Or maybe you can't change it, but just set it. I'm sure mine does this with the couple of fans I've got plugged in?
For instance, CPU_FAN is temp controlled of course, and is 4 pin. But sys_fan is 3 pin and I can change the speed of that in the BIOS.

Its a RPM wire to report back to the board the speed of the fan and to help stop them moaning about a lack of fan connected.

Magic_x_uk · 7 Feb 2012 at 18:22

cheer guys

Tealc · 7 Feb 2012 at 19:05

If the following adapter cable is as pictured you will be able to attach this to your fan Molex connector and into the motherboard or fan controller as it has both gender Molex and the correct gender fan connector to work.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CB-012-AK&groupid=1929&catid=153&subcat=