[SOLVED] ARGB

Solution
You will NOT need a Hub for the fan MOTORS because that mobo has SIX headers for case ventilation fans, in addition to the one for the CPU cooler. The LIGHTS in the fans do outnumber the lighting headers you have, though.

Recognize that an RGB Fan or ARGB Fan really is two devices in one unit - a motor, and lights. Each of these has its own separate power cable - two cables from each such fan. Watch out for confusion on naming. Fan MOTORS come in two different designs: the older one called 3-pin or Voltage Controlled Fans, and the newer 4-pin or PWM Fans. The LIGHTS in the fan frames also come in two dominant versions: a simpler one called plain RGB that uses a 4-pin connector, and a more complex one called ARGB that uses a 3-pin...
I have bought a new motherboard for my son -

It has two Jrainbow jumpers for ARGB Fans, i want to get him x3 ARGB Fans, and an ARGB Heatsink-Fan.

Any suggestions on how i do this as there are only two jumpers?

Thanks

Shenn

Some kind of RGB hub is standard when using a lot of fans. Many fan packages even come with their own little RGB hub. And a lot of fans can directly daisy chain their RGB cables. Alternatives to one RGB fan per header are always necessary when needing more than a couple of fans!
 
Some kind of RGB hub is standard when using a lot of fans. Many fan packages even come with their own little RGB hub. And a lot of fans can directly daisy chain their RGB cables. Alternatives to one RGB fan per header are always necessary when needing more than a couple of fans!

Any suggestions on a hub that will fit the board, ive read a few reviews on splitters, and some people said the splitters dont fully fit, so if you have a recommendation for a a hub that will work/fit with this board, it would be appreciated.

Thanks

Shenn
 
Any suggestions on a hub that will fit the board, ive read a few reviews on splitters, and some people said the splitters dont fully fit, so if you have a recommendation for a a hub that will work/fit with this board, it would be appreciated.

Thanks

Shenn

Knowing the fans and case would be more helpful. Hubs can't really not fit because they're usually hanging out in the cable management area or single-side taped or 2.5 HD mounted to something in the back of the case.
 
You will NOT need a Hub for the fan MOTORS because that mobo has SIX headers for case ventilation fans, in addition to the one for the CPU cooler. The LIGHTS in the fans do outnumber the lighting headers you have, though.

Recognize that an RGB Fan or ARGB Fan really is two devices in one unit - a motor, and lights. Each of these has its own separate power cable - two cables from each such fan. Watch out for confusion on naming. Fan MOTORS come in two different designs: the older one called 3-pin or Voltage Controlled Fans, and the newer 4-pin or PWM Fans. The LIGHTS in the fan frames also come in two dominant versions: a simpler one called plain RGB that uses a 4-pin connector, and a more complex one called ARGB that uses a 3-pin connector. So the terms "3-pin" and "4-pin" BOTH are used to describe two different things that are NOT related! You should look for a fan with a 4-pin (PWM) type MOTOR that includes in its frame an ARGB type (3-pin) LIGHT set.

You say you plan three case ventilation fans, and the mobo has six SYS_FAN headers, so there is no problem connecting those fan motors each to its own fan header. In BIOS Setup, note that the initial (default) setting for all of these is "DC Mode" suited to 3-pin older fans. See the mobo manual, p. 57. So for EACH of the SYS_FAN headers you are using, go to that page and select the correct header. IF you have purchased 4-pin PWM style fans, change the setting at upper left of the graph illustration to PWM. (Set to DC for 3-pin fans.) Immediately below that ensure that the "Temperature Source" selected for these case fans is the MOTHERBOARD sensor, and not the CPU internal sensor. When done, use Esc to back out to the Main Menu, then the F10 key to pop up an exit window. There click on Save Settings and Exit to save and reboot.

By the way, how did you plan to arrange those three fans? Ideally you should have fans arranged so that there is slightly more max air flow capacity for INTAKE fans versus the EXHAUST fans, and usually this means an even number of fans, although it can be done with one more intake than exhaust. The reason for the "numeric" imbalance is that there really should be thin foam dust filters (or something similar) over the front of the intake fans (but not at the exhaust fans), and those actually reduce the fans' air flow just a little. One other way to achieve the air flow balance might be to use a larger exhaust fan at the rear (with higher max air flow rating) than the two front intake fans - depends on what space is available at the rear. Or sometimes a single fourth same-size fan mounted as exhaust at the top of the case will help. IF you have equal numbers of intake and exhaust fans, one way to ensure slight excess of intake capacity despite the dust filter factor is to use front intake fans one size larger - for example, 140 mm pair at the front, and two 120 mm fans for exhaust. Note that MANY people would not bother getting a lighted fan for the rear because it will be seen rarely.

You use the phrase "ARGB Heatsink-Fan " for your CPU cooler plans. I'm not very familiar with CPU coolers consisting of a finned heatsink with a fan mounted on it AND ARGB lights in that system, but I'm sure there are many. I just want to be sure I understand correctly that you do NOT intend to get an AIO ("All-In-One") liquid-cooled CPU cooler system consisting of a PUMP unit mounted on the CPU chip, connected by tubes to a radiator mounted on an outer grille with fans. Either type of system certainly can be done with that mobo. But assuming you do mean the simpler heatsink and fan on the CPU, that fan will be plugged into the CPU_FAN header. Again, see p. 57 - the settings probably are correct by default, but verify that the fan MODE is PWM for a 4-pin fan (DC for 3-pin), and the Temperature Source is set to CPU. Use Esc, F10 and Save Settings and Exit again.

Now to the ARGB lights in those fans. You will have at least four (maybe 5?) lighting units (fans) to power and control from two JRAINBOW headers. Note on p. 40 the manual specifies that each such header can supply 5 VDC at up to 3.0 A total load. In shopping for ARGB Fans, look at the specs for each. SOME will tell you the voltage and max current load SEPARATELY for the MOTOR and the LIGHTS., and it is the lights number you need for this. Many, however, do not tell you that. If they do not, many DO tell you how many LED's are in each fan frame. If you get that, you can estimate by the "rule of thumb" that one LED consumes at max 0.020 A. So a frame with 12 LED's for example might consume up to 0.24 A for the lights only. If you get NO info on this, that's a reasonable guess number, because not many have more LED's that that, BUT some do. But you can see where that leads to: at max 5 ARGB fans at an estimated 0.24 A per fan for lights comes to a full load of 1.2 A if ALL of the fans' lights are connected to ONE of your two JRAINBOW headers. That load is entirely acceptable for that header. So what you need for that is a simple ARGB SPLITTER like this

https://www.amazon.com/MICRO-CONNECTORS-Addressable-Splitter-Cable/dp/B083N5PGBK/ref=sr_1_7?crid=BM2VWJ6X6N18&dchild=1&keywords=argb+splitter&qid=1616859551&sprefix=ARGB+Splitt,aps,170&sr=8-7

That is a 2-pack of Splitters with four outputs per unit. Note that all of the connectors on these are female, but it comes with eight gender-changer adapters to convert all four output arms of each Splitter to males so you can plug in your lighting cables. Do NOT buy one of these without those male outputs. Using that you have three options:
(a) four light cables via one Splitter to one header, and the fifth (if needed) to the other header;
(b) four light cables via one Splitter to one header only, if you only have up to four lit fans;
(c) make a "stack" by plugging the input of the second Splitter into one of the output arms of the first, then connect all five (even more??) light cables to the seven outputs thus created, and use them all from ONE mobo header.
 
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Solution
You will NOT need a Hub for the fan MOTORS because that mobo has SIX headers for case ventilation fans, in addition to the one for the CPU cooler. The LIGHTS in the fans do outnumber the lighting headers you have, though.

Recognize that an RGB Fan or ARGB Fan really is two devices in one unit - a motor, and lights. Each of these has its own separate power cable - two cables from each such fan. Watch out for confusion on naming. Fan MOTORS come in two different designs: the older one called 3-pin or Voltage Controlled Fans, and the newer 4-pin or PWM Fans. The LIGHTS in the fan frames also come in two dominant versions: a simpler one called plain RGB that uses a 4-pin connector, and a more complex one called ARGB that uses a 3-pin connector. So the terms "3-pin" and "4-pin" BOTH are used to describe two different things that are NOT related! You should look for a fan with a 4-pin (PWM) type MOTOR that includes in its frame an ARGB type (3-pin) LIGHT set.

You say you plan three case ventilation fans, and the mobo has six SYS_FAN headers, so there is no problem connecting those fan motors each to its own fan header. In BIOS Setup, note that the initial (default) setting for all of these is "DC Mode" suited to 3-pin older fans. See the mobo manual, p. 57. So for EACH of the SYS_FAN headers you are using, go to that page and select the correct header. IF you have purchased 4-pin PWM style fans, change the setting at upper left of the graph illustration to PWM. (Set to DC for 3-pin fans.) Immediately below that ensure that the "Temperature Source" selected for these case fans is the MOTHERBOARD sensor, and not the CPU internal sensor. When done, use Esc to back out to the Main Menu, then the F10 key to pop up an exit window. There click on Save Settings and Exit to save and reboot.

By the way, how did you plan to arrange those three fans? Ideally you should have fans arranged so that there is slightly more max air flow capacity for INTAKE fans versus the EXHAUST fans, and usually this means an even number of fans, although it can be done with one more intake than exhaust. The reason for the "numeric" imbalance is that there really should be thin foam dust filters (or something similar) over the front of the intake fans (but not at the exhaust fans), and those actually reduce the fans' air flow just a little. One other way to achieve the air flow balance might be to use a larger exhaust fan at the rear (with higher max air flow rating) than the two front intake fans - depends on what space is available at the rear. Or sometimes a single fourth same-size fan mounted as exhaust at the top of the case will help. IF you have equal numbers of intake and exhaust fans, one way to ensure slight excess of intake capacity despite the dust filter factor is to use front intake fans one size larger - for example, 140 mm pair at the front, and two 120 mm fans for exhaust. Note that MANY people would not bother getting a lighted fan for the rear because it will be seen rarely.

You use the phrase "ARGB Heatsink-Fan " for your CPU cooler plans. I'm not very familiar with CPU coolers consisting of a finned heatsink with a fan mounted on it AND ARGB lights in that system, but I'm sure there are many. I just want to be sure I understand correctly that you do NOT intend to get an AIO ("All-In-One") liquid-cooled CPU cooler system consisting of a PUMP unit mounted on the CPU chip, connected by tubes to a radiator mounted on an outer grille with fans. Either type of system certainly can be done with that mobo. But assuming you do mean the simpler heatsink and fan on the CPU, that fan will be plugged into the CPU_FAN header. Again, see p. 57 - the settings probably are correct by default, but verify that the fan MODE is PWM for a 4-pin fan (DC for 3-pin), and the Temperature Source is set to CPU. Use Esc, F10 and Save Settings and Exit again.

Now to the ARGB lights in those fans. You will have at least four (maybe 5?) lighting units (fans) to power and control from two JRAINBOW headers. Note on p. 40 the manual specifies that each such header can supply 5 VDC at up to 3.0 A total load. In shopping for ARGB Fans, look at the specs for each. SOME will tell you the voltage and max current load SEPARATELY for the MOTOR and the LIGHTS., and it is the lights number you need for this. Many, however, do not tell you that. If they do not, many DO tell you how many LED's are in each fan frame. If you get that, you can estimate by the "rule of thumb" that one LED consumes at max 0.020 A. So a frame with 12 LED's for example might consume up to 0.24 A for the lights only. If you get NO info on this, that's a reasonable guess number, because not many have more LED's that that, BUT some do. But you can see where that leads to: at max 5 ARGB fans at an estimated 0.24 A per fan for lights comes to a full load of 1.2 A if ALL of the fans' lights are connected to ONE of your two JRAINBOW headers. That load is entirely acceptable for that header. So what you need for that is a simple ARGB SPLITTER like this

https://www.amazon.com/MICRO-CONNECTORS-Addressable-Splitter-Cable/dp/B083N5PGBK/ref=sr_1_7?crid=BM2VWJ6X6N18&dchild=1&keywords=argb+splitter&qid=1616859551&sprefix=ARGB+Splitt,aps,170&sr=8-7

That is a 2-pack of Splitters with four outputs per unit. Note that all of the connectors on these are female, but it comes with eight gender-changer adapters to convert all four output arms of each Splitter to males so you can plug in your lighting cables. Do NOT buy one of these without those male outputs. Using that you have three options:
(a) four light cables via one Splitter to one header, and the fifth (if needed) to the other header;
(b) four light cables via one Splitter to one header only, if you only have up to four lit fans;
(c) make a "stack" by plugging the input of the second Splitter into one of the output arms of the first, then connect all five (even more??) light cables to the seven outputs thus created, and use them all from ONE mobo header.

Some fantastic information there, thank you!

Just for reference:

Case: Thermaltake Versa H21 ATX Mid Tower Case (So two intake fans in front, and one at the back) - Wouldhave got him a case with full clear side panel, but he lives with his mom weekdays, me weekend.. so lots of moving his computer round.. glass sided pannel.. not good with constant transport!
Fans (x3): Cooler Master MasterFan MF Halo 47.2 CFM 120 mm Fan (4-Pin PWM, 3-pin RGB)
CPU Cooler.. I was thinking of getting a fancy flashy ARGB one, but decided on Noctua NH-U9S 46.44 CFM CPU Cooler .. Cant go wrong with Noctua (except their colour 😀 )

So from the sounds of it, i just need a pack of :
https://www.amazon.co.uk/MICRO-CONN...1616859551&sprefix=ARGB+Splitt,aps,170&sr=8-7

Thanks a lot for the advice guys 😀

Shenn
 
Yes, that will all work. I presume your plan is to replace the pre-installed plain rear fan with one of those three ARGB fans. Then you'll have two intakes at front and one exhaust at rear. This is not perfectly balanced, but it IS a good system - more intake than exhaust is my preference, since it ensures that all air entering the case comes through the front intake fans' dust filter first. And yes, one of those ARGB Splitters will allow you to connect all three fans' ARGB lighting cables to a single JRAINBOW header. (Hint if using only 3 of the 4 Spliter outputs: do NOT install the gender-changer adapter to create male pins on the fourth, and put a little electrical tape over its end to ensure it cannot short out to anything.) And I like the CPU cooler - like all the Noctua fan products and use them.