Speedfan ??

Angel_Rex · 15 May 2011 at 11:31

Ok, not to as a silly question.....

But does anyone use speedfan over a fan controller built in?

If not why? Im reviewing my case set up and looking at either putting in another 3 akasa apache fans for intakes and exhausts or putting in 5 gentle typhoons:

2 on my ECO ALC in push/pull and 3 in case, one front intake, one side intake and one top exhaust.

The case is an elite 430. I cant decide which fans to go for on the rad and case, i was going to stick with the same on all to keep pitch and flow equal.

cheer in advance

Tealc · 15 May 2011 at 11:36

Speedfan is useful if you have motherboard fan headers that are compatible with it so you can automatically control your fans.

A fan controller is handy if you either don't like automated control or don't have that facility, or maybe you want better or quieter cooling than automated allows.

On my mobo I have just one fan header that can be controlled so I use Speedfan to control the fans attached there and then use a cheap fan controller to control my front mounted fans. My graphics cooler and rear mounted fan both run off my graphics card fan control signal. Complicated but it works.

Angel_Rex · 15 May 2011 at 11:44

Ok cheers

I have a gigabyte MA770-UD3 and cant see it's support on the speed fan website and would rather not risk it to bugger it up

I just saw the NZXT Sentry Mesh Fan Controller to be released soon so might go with that. I canny decide between the apache or GT1450rpm because being PWM on the apache if they are really really noisy full tilt I notice not all fan controller can fit them on being 4pin connector (PWM).

Cheers for the info

setter · 15 May 2011 at 13:54

Never bothered with speedfan as i found it a bit fiddly to set up. My two cpu fans are ran via a pwm splitter cable (akasa vipers), 5 case fans via a zalman fan controller. The only other board header i use is for an antec spotcoool, that i use for extra gpu cooling.

Tealc · 15 May 2011 at 15:08

As Setter says consider using the PWM signal of your motherboard along with a splitter for the Eco's fans. Your motherboard should have some capability to govern fan speed by itself and for this to work you'd need to use the PWM function.

As for case fans you can either buy fans that are slow and quiet and run them at full pelt or grab some that are fast and noisy and slow them down using a fan controller. The 4 pin connector of PWM fans might not fit so consider grabbing some 3 pin types.

If you want to match and have 5 Apaches then you will need to get some fan extender cables and slightly mod the receicing connector by trimming away a small bit of the plastic for the 4 pin connector to fit. It'll then become a DC regulated fan rathe than PWM. The Apache I use worked well under a lower DC voltage so doesn't have to be PWM controlled.

setter · 15 May 2011 at 15:10

Ive seen a few users on here running two of the akasa pwm splitter cables, this allows control of 5 pwm fans.

GoogalyMoogaly · 15 May 2011 at 15:20

It may be that my motherboards aren't supported by speedfan, but I've never been able to figure out how it works!

Angel_Rex · 15 May 2011 at 19:05

tbh, i just really want to install 5 fans that dont need restricting and will run silent at full speed.

I need to check how loud the apache is full tilt and compare the temperatures to the gentle typhoon 1450rpm.