[SOLVED] Can a A320m-k Motherboard power 4 case fans on its own????????

[Cocoplaz]

Can my A320m-k motherboard support 4 case fans on it's own on the one fan header??? or should I just buy a fan controller?

 

[Paperdoc]

Probably, but you need to check some details. Since you have not posted exactly which fans, we can't give you a complete answer.

If you want to use a simple SPLITTER that merely connects all the fans in parallel to the single header and relies totally on the header for power, then the limit is that the header can supply up to 1.0 A max current to its total load. So you must find out the max current draw specs for the fans you propose, and add them up. If the total is less than 1.0 A, you are OK to do this. Most modern fans draw from 0.1 to 0.25 A max, so four of them is OK, but you DO need to check the specs. Be especially wary of the fans called "LED Fans". These came out as the first type with lights in the frames, and the LED's are simply in parallel with the motor, so they add current draw. This type of fan often has a max current of 0.25 to 0.45 A, and 4 on one header is not allowed. This does NOT apply to fans with no lights, and it does NOT apply to the modern RGB fans that have lights in the frame, but use two SEPARATE cables - one for the motor, and a second for the lights. IF you happen to have unusually high-power fans, the current draw might be higher than most so see the specs for it.

If you find (or simply fear) that the currents for the fans are too high, then you do need a fan Hub. This is a different device, and comes with other restrictions. For almost all Hubs, it can only work if the host mobo fan header is using the new PWM Mode (your mobo CHA_FAN header does) AND all the fans are of the new 4-pin PWM type. A 3-pin fan powered with this device cannot have its speed controlled - it will always run full speed.

The difference in devices? (Do NOT rely on what the seller calls the unit!) A SPLITTER has only two types of connections or "arms". There is one with a female fan connector that goes to the mobo header. Then there are two or more with male (pins) connectors to plug in your fans. There are NO other types of connections. A Splitter may look like a collection of cable "arms" or a samll circuit board. A HUB has the same input and outputs PLUS a third "arm" that must plug into a power output from the PSU. It get all power for its fans from the PSU, and hence does not risk overloading the current limit of the mobo header.

 

[Cocoplaz]

The fans are Montech flyer stock fans- which I think are 12v fans

 

[Paperdoc]

All common computer case fans are for 12 VDC power. The limit I was referring to on the mobo header is the current, not the voltage.

The Montech website does not rpovide the specs for fan max current. However, it is clear that the pre-installed fans are a common style with no lighting at all, so I am sure each fan will consume less than 0.25 A at max. So you will not have a problem using a Splitter with four outputs to connect all of them to your single mobo CHA_FAN header. However, I cannot tell from the website info whether the pre-installed fans are of the 3-pin or 4-pin design. The mobo manual indicates that tie CHA_FAN header operates only in the newer PWM Mode. IF the fans are of the 3-pin design, their speeds cannot be controlled by that Mode, and they will always run full speed. If that turns out to be correct and you want their speeds properly controlled, post back here. There are some solutions for that scenario.