forums :
Hi all,
Please help. My current situation is I have an
MSi B250m BAZOOKA which has:
- 1 x 4-pin CPU fan connector
- 2 x 4-pin system fan connectors
My case is a Fractal Design R2 Arc Mini which has included:
- 3 x 3-pin Silent Series R3 120mm fans (front, top, rear)
- Fan controller (5V, 7V, 12V? Not sure about this)
I have a Seasonic S12II 620W PSU, which has a molex right?
I also bought a CORSAIR AF120 Quiet Dual Pack
So all in all I have 5 case fans, how do I go about connecting these?
Do I need to use splitters?
Take note my case has a fan controller and I want to use them for my CORSAIR fans.
TIA
You have several options in setting up those 5 case fans in your current system. Each set-up depends on your preferences in monitoring/controlling fan speeds.
All of your fans are
3-pin (i.e., DC fans), which means that the speed of such fan
may be controlled by varying the voltage supplied to such fans.
The Fan Controller (with the 5V, 7V, 12V switching modes) on your Arc Mini R2 case is for
MANUALLY controlling of fan speeds of those 3-pin DC fans:
5V means supplying only
5 volts (
lowest speed),
7V means supplying
7 volts (
medium speed), and
12V means supplying
full 12 volts (
max. speed). This method has no connection to your motherboard, as such, you will
not be able to see in the monitor how fast or how slow (rpm reading) your fans are spinning.
This is similar to plugging your fans directly to the PSU via a Molex connector. The fans will run in constant full speed (
no way of controlling AND
no way of monitoring).
On the other hand, if you plug your fans on the motherboard, this will allow you to both
control AND
monitor the fans' speed. Your B250M Bazooka motherboard's 2x 4-pin System Fan Connectors, despite being
4-pin (i.e.,
PWM mode which supplies
full 12V),
can be configured to run in DC-mode in BIOS. Fans having 3-pins are
physically compatible with such 4-pin Connectors, just plug them like this:
As mentioned, your motherboard has a BIOS feature to set up the 4-pin system fan connectors to run in either
PWM-mode or
DC-mode. This can be found in
BIOS > Advanced > Hardware Monitor > SYS FAN1 *and* SYS FAN2 fan type select > [PWM Mode] *or* [DC Mode].
Note that if you plug your
3-pin fan on a 4-pin connector that is set up in
PWM mode, such fan
will run at 100% full speed due to the constant full 12V the PWM header supplies.
If you plug your
3-pin fan on a 4-pin connector that is set up in
DC mode, such fan
will change speed AUTOMATICALLY depending on the variable voltage supplied by the DC header.
The Corsair AF120 Dual Fan Pack you will add are both 3-pin (DC) fans as well.
SUGGESTED SETUP 1: (You will not need a fan splitter for this)
3x Fractal Design 3-pin Pre-Installed Case Fans ---> Fractal Design Fan Controller
1x Corsair 3-pin AF120 Fan ---> Motherboard's 4-pin SYS_FAN1 Connector (Configured in DC-Mode in BIOS)
1x Corsair 3-pin AF120 Fan ---> Motherboard's 4-pin SYS_FAN2 Connector (Configured in DC-Mode in BIOS)
SUGGESTED SETUP 2: (Preference on Corsair to Fan Controller; fan splitter not needed)
1x Corsair 3-pin AF120 Fan ---> Fractal Design Fan Controller
1x Corsair 3-pin AF120 Fan ---> Fractal Design Fan Controller
1x Fractal Design 3-pin Pre-Installed Case Fan (whichever one) ---> Fractal Design Fan Controller
1x Fractal Design 3-pin Pre-Installed Case Fan (whichever one) ---> SYS_FAN1 (in DC-Mode)
1x Fractal Design 3-pin Pre-Installed Case Fan (whichever one) ---> SYS_FAN2 (in DC-Mode)
SUGGESTED SETUP 3: (If you prefer exclusive Corsair Fans in the Fan Controller; fan splitter IS needed, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Splitter-Extension-Sleeving-Connectors-Length/dp/B00C46DX4S)
2x Corsair 3-pin AF120 Fans ---> Fractal Design Fan Controller (1 unoccupied slot)
2x Fractal Design 3-pin Pre-Installed Case Fan (120mm) ---> 2-Way 3-pin Fan Splitter
2-Way 3-pin Fan Splitter ---> Motherboard's SYS_FAN1 Connector (in DC-Mode)
1x Fractal Design 3-pin Pre-Installed Case Fan (140mm) ---> Motherboard's SYS_FAN2 Connector (in DC-Mode)
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