Nzxt x63 fans not slowing down..

lawrence281 · 3 Oct 2022 at 22:16

So, I just finished building my first ITX built with 280mm fans.

The 3 pin is plugged into the 4 pin cpu header.

I’ve downloaded the CAM software but can’t find anywhere to slow it down even with changing the profiles. It shows the temperature and speed of the CPU though.

The 2 fans are plugged into the fan controller that is integrated in the case.

Anyone have any clue?

Motherboard gigabyte b550i AORUS pro ax
Case - Lian li q58

METEORIC · 4 Oct 2022 at 02:35

I don't think the CAM software can control fans from the motherboard.

You'll have to control the fans via the BIOS.
The ID will be the fan header which you plugged the fan controller's cable into.

Same for the 3-pin fan you plugged into the CPU fan header, you will need to control that from the BIOS as well - use DC control as PWM only works for 4-pin connections.

lawrence281 · 4 Oct 2022 at 07:39

METEORIC said:
I don't think the CAM software can control fans from the motherboard.

You'll have to control the fans via the BIOS.
The ID will be the fan header which you plugged the fan controller's cable into.

Same for the 3-pin fan you plugged into the CPU fan header, you will need to control that from the BIOS as well - use DC control as PWM only works for 4-pin connections.

Well that’s so crap.. this build will be the death of me with all the problems I’ve encountered. Never felt such anxiety lol.

Are there 4 pin connector 140mm fans I can buy that I can just swap on the radiator to get PWM to work?

I had to google what DC control was, but it means that it just runs at a certain speed and is noisier but can’t be controlled I.e case gets warm and it won’t speed up?

Glanza · 4 Oct 2022 at 09:51

What fans have you got currently? I'd swap them out to any that have a 4pin.

METEORIC · 4 Oct 2022 at 10:33

lawrence281 said:
Well that’s so crap.. this build will be the death of me with all the problems I’ve encountered. Never felt such anxiety lol.

Are there 4 pin connector 140mm fans I can buy that I can just swap on the radiator to get PWM to work?

I had to google what DC control was, but it means that it just runs at a certain speed and is noisier but can’t be controlled I.e case gets warm and it won’t speed up?

You should still be able to control the fan speed via DC control, it's just that it won't spin as slow as a PWM fan.
Basically, the 3-pin fan via DC control will function similarly to a 4-pin fan on PWM control but the lowest fan speed is capped.
It's just a little finetuning at the BIOS level.

And like Glanza said, any 4-pin fan would work, you could go for ARCTIC F14 PWM PST or Noctua NF-A14 PWM.
But you don't need to spend on that yet, try setting up your BIOS fan curves first to see if that is quiet enough for you.

lawrence281 · 4 Oct 2022 at 14:07

Glanza said:
What fans have you got currently? I'd swap them out to any that have a 4pin.

They're the 140mm NZXT fans that come with a X63 AIO cooler. Welcome to any suggestions

Glanza · 4 Oct 2022 at 14:10

lawrence281 said:
They're the 140mm NZXT fans that come with a X63 AIO cooler. Welcome to any suggestions

Depends how much you want to spend, cheaper end Arctic or Noctua would be a god shout if willing to spend a little more.

lawrence281 · 4 Oct 2022 at 14:10

METEORIC said:
You should still be able to control the fan speed via DC control, it's just that it won't spin as slow as a PWM fan.
Basically, the 3-pin fan via DC control will function similarly to a 4-pin fan on PWM control but the lowest fan speed is capped.
It's just a little finetuning at the BIOS level.

And like Glanza said, any 4-pin fan would work, you could go for ARCTIC F14 PWM PST or Noctua NF-A14 PWM.
But you don't need to spend on that yet, try setting up your BIOS fan curves first to see if that is quiet enough for you.

I've setup some curve settings for different temperatures on the BIOS, although I dont think it works well, or atleast I'd prefer it to be better managed when at load.

Is the DC control a piece of software to download, as I've never heard about it or used it.

At the moment the CPU is sitting around 40-50 on idle/basic tasks, but then goes down to around 38 for a bit, just browsing at the moment, which doesn't seem right.

That Noctua fan model looks well reviewed overall over the arctic but nearly double the price, which would you personally recommend? Are noctua generally the best buy?

Thank you for the help

lawrence281 · 4 Oct 2022 at 14:11

Glanza said:
Depends how much you want to spend, cheaper end Arctic or Noctua would be a god shout if willing to spend a little more.

Money isn't an issue, I just want the best for cooling/quietness

Glanza · 4 Oct 2022 at 14:14

lawrence281 said:
Money isn't an issue, I just want the best for cooling/quietness

Either of these (granted Noctua colour scheme isn't for everyone but they have black or silver

My basket at OcUK:

1 x be quiet! Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM Fan (SKU: FG-04B-BQ) = £23.99
1 x Noctua NF-A14 PWM Fan - 140mm (SKU: FG-021-NC) = £21.95

Total: £45.94 (includes delivery: £0.00)

lawrence281 · 4 Oct 2022 at 16:25

Glanza said:
Either of these (granted Noctua colour scheme isn't for everyone but they have black or silver

My basket at OcUK:

1 x be quiet! Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM Fan (SKU: FG-04B-BQ) = £23.99

1 x Noctua NF-A14 PWM Fan - 140mm (SKU: FG-021-NC) = £21.95

Total: £45.94 (includes delivery: £0.00)

Decided to go with the be quiets, seem to be more quiet than the noctua by a bit as my desktop will be sitting quite close ear level on my desk

V F · 4 Oct 2022 at 16:38

METEORIC said:
I don't think the CAM software can control fans from the motherboard.

You'll have to control the fans via the BIOS.
The ID will be the fan header which you plugged the fan controller's cable into.

Same for the 3-pin fan you plugged into the CPU fan header, you will need to control that from the BIOS as well - use DC control as PWM only works for 4-pin connections.

It did when I had the Z73. It could override the fan curve from the BIOS.

METEORIC · 5 Oct 2022 at 03:36

V F said:
It did when I had the Z73. It could override the fan curve from the BIOS.

I thought the Z73 had its own fan controller to control its fans, which then could interface with CAM.

But anyways, the current CAM software does not control motherboard fans, well at least not on the CAM software I just installed.

METEORIC · 5 Oct 2022 at 03:43

lawrence281 said:
I've setup some curve settings for different temperatures on the BIOS, although I dont think it works well, or atleast I'd prefer it to be better managed when at load.

Is the DC control a piece of software to download, as I've never heard about it or used it.

At the moment the CPU is sitting around 40-50 on idle/basic tasks, but then goes down to around 38 for a bit, just browsing at the moment, which doesn't seem right.

That Noctua fan model looks well reviewed overall over the arctic but nearly double the price, which would you personally recommend? Are noctua generally the best buy?

Thank you for the help

In you Gigabyte BIOS, DC fan control is under called "Voltage" mode.

You go to the "Smart Fan settings", select your fan header, then in "CPU Fan Control mode" you set it as "Voltage" if you're running 3-pin fans.

Looks like from your latest post you changed fans anyways, the be quiet fans are nice and quiet

, I usually go for Noctua if using on a AIO or radiator.

V F · 5 Oct 2022 at 09:44

METEORIC said:
I thought the Z73 had its own fan controller to control its fans, which then could interface with CAM.

But anyways, the current CAM software does not control motherboard fans, well at least not on the CAM software I just installed.

Unless that was what it was doing? The fans also ramped up setting a curve in the BIOS for it as well.

lsg1r · 5 Oct 2022 at 10:00

lawrence281 said:
The 2 fans are plugged into the fan controller that is integrated in the case.

Anyone have any clue?

Is this actually plugged into a motherboard 4pin fan header?

If not it won't be able to do any speed control. Based on the picture on their website you need to put the cable into the socket closest to the 5v socket (first fan header on left side from drop down rear access)

edit: might be a bit late, ignore if sorted