Question Be Quiet Pure Base 500 FX Fan Connector

Nick@1701

Prominent
Jun 8, 2022
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I have just got myself a Be Quiet Pure Base 500 FX, there is a 4 pin PWM connector connected to the RGB hub. Can anyone tell me where this plugs into on the board?

Would appreciate any help.

Cheers.
 

Paperdoc

Polypheme
Ambassador
I can't get a detailed photo of the fan Hub, but here's what I can deduce from the case photos on the web page. First, recognize that an ARGB Fan really is two devices in one unit. One is the FAN (motor), and the other is the LIGHTS in the frame. These two are completely separate electrically, and thus each has it own cable to plug into different places. Each cable provides both power and control of the actions of its device.

Likewise, the HUB provided in the case actually is TWO Hubs - one for the motors, and one for the lights - in one board. It has pairs of headers around three edges, one pair per fan.

Next, remember that there are at least TWO different fan control systems in your mobo. Each is based on a TEMPERATURE sensor and manipulates the speed of its fans according to that measurement. One is based on the temp inside the CPU chip and that always governs fans connected to the CPU_FAN header and maybe one or two more like CPU_OPT. The second is based on a sensor on the mobo and guides all the CHA_FAN or SYS_FAN headers used for case ventilation fans. On some mobos there may be additional sensors you MAY choose to use for guiding a particular SYS_FAN header, but that's not commonly done. (Control of fans inside the PSU or on the video card is done by those devices themselves, and NOT by any mobo header or control.)

In your situation OP, that Hub is best used for CASE fans only. The CPU cooling system should be handled by the CPU_FAN header. Along the bottom edge of the Hub are four connectors. These should be for cables to:
a PSU SATA power output for power to the Hub
a 3-pin ARGB lighting header on your mobo
a 4-pin SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN header on your mobo
a 2-wire lead up to the case's front top lighting manual control button.

The ARGB cable must go to a 3-pin ARGB header on your mobo - do NOT try to connect it to a 4-pin plain RGB header if you have one.

The 4-pin fan cable you ask about should go to any CHA_FAN or SYS_FAN mobo header. For that one header in BIOS Setup, ensure that it is set to use the PWM Mode, not Auto or DC or Voltage. Also set it to use the Standard or Normal Profile so it will exercise the default automatic fan speed control based on temperature measured on the mobo.

Your case should have a small 2-wire cord hanging down inside the front from the manual lighting button, and this plugs into the 2-pin Hub port.

When you get things all set up, the common utility supplied with your mobo that runs from its accessory DVD should install a bunch of mobo device drivers and a Windows app for lighting control - ASUS Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light, Gigabyte RGB Fusion - it depends on what mobo you have. By default the Hub in your case starts up assuming YOU will set how the lights work by using the manual button on top front of the case and the codes in your case manual - see its p. 24. BUT (see p. 25) you can HOLD that button down for at least three sec to tell it to turn over control to the signals coming to it from the mobo header via that cable you connected. Then you use the mobo lighting app to set how those lights work.

When connecting fans to the Hub, ensure that one of them is plugged into the pair called Fan1. Any mobo fan header can deal with the speed signal fed back to it from only ONE fan. When you use this Hub, ONLY the speed of the fan plugged into the Hub's #1 header will be fed back to the mobo fan header it uses. In BIOS Setup you will "see" that fan's speed but none of the other fans on that Hub.

Regarding LIGHTS, IF you have any ARGB lights (NOT the plain RGB 4-pin type) in other devices like your CPU cooler or light strips, you CAN plug their lighting cables into this Hub's lighting ports to sync all of them with your case fans. Do NOT plug your CPU cooler FAN into any Hub fan port, though.