Case Fans Help.

[Shadow2266]

Hi, I have had my pre build pc for about a year, I have installed some extra components (installed a new gpu, mobo and CPU) but the case fans have never been spinning. I have 3 case fans and no idea where to plug them in, I read threads that say it needs to go into the mobo. But I don't know what the cable looks like and if I even have the cable in the case. What do I need to do?
Specs:
Mobo - ASUS M5A78L-M USB3
CPU - AMD Bulldozer 6300
PSU - Corsair CX550M

 

[shocktave77]

I believe case fans are usually PWM and plug into your motherboard via 3 pin or 4 pin connectors that should labeled on the mobo as something like 'SYSFAN 1' or 'SYSFAN2'. They should be clearly marked in the manual of your mobo. The case fans should have cables attached to them that plug directly onto these 3 or 4 pin connectors for 3 or 4 pin fans. Fans that plug into your mobo can be controlled via software or may be viewed in your BIOS to adjust speed, but will usually initially run at 100%. Hope that maybe helps.

 

[zoltan.boese]

Here is a photo of a molex to 3 pin converter. The large connectors with the round thick jacks/holes are called Molex. You can connect them directly to the power supply and run them on a fixed speed.
The other one with thin needle like pins would connect to the motherboard and grant to the possibility to control the fan speed.
If the pictures do not help, post a picture of your fan headers!
Your mobo has one fan connector for the CPU cooler and another one for case fans. You can connect multiple case fans to the one connector using a splitter cable or a fan controller hub. I hope I could help you get closer to the solution. Feel free to ask further questions!

 

[Shadow2266]

So I need a splitter cable for the fans. Ok, I will look at my mobo manual for where the connector is. Thanks.

 

[zoltan.boese]

So I need a splitter cable for the fans. Ok, I will look at my mobo manual for where the connector is. Thanks.

It is a 4 pin "CHA_FAN" labelled connector below and to the left of your CPU, at the height of your external USB connectors.
Splitter cable: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812423160&cm_re=4_pin_splitter_cable-_-12-423-160-_-Product

 

[Shadow2266]

Ok, there are 3 fans in my case so I think I need one that splits 3 ways. I also don't know if my case has wires for the fans. Will I need to buy some?

 

[zoltan.boese]

Ok, there are 3 fans in my case so I think I need one that splits 3 ways. I also don't know if my case has wires for the fans. Will I need to buy some?

Buy this splitter https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16812423162
The cables attached to your fans will do fine, they might be tucked to the side, you will find them!

 

[Paperdoc]

Your mobo has only one 3-pin fan header for case ventilation, called CHA_FAN, located half way up and half way between the center of the mobo and the back edge. Such a header can use only Voltage Control Mode, but that works for BOTH 3-pin and 4-pin fans. However, it is limited to supplying up to 1.0 A current total to all fans connected to it. Now, most common fans these days use less than 0.25 A each, so three of those connected to one header using a Splitter is OK. And that 3-output Splitter linked by zoltan.boese above will do the job well. IF you cannot get that, you can buy THREE common 2-output Splitters. Then plug two of them into the output arms of the third; the resulting "stack" gives you four outputs from one mobo header.

What you need to check, though, is the specs of the three case fans you have to be sure they don't use unusually high current. If you can see the fans' labels, post back here what maker and model number they say. See if they specify an Amp rating, too. If you can't and the fans came as part of the case, tell us what case maker and model you have, if possible.

 

[Shadow2266]

Hey, the fans came part of the case, but they do have a sticker on the back. It reads - 12025L 12S DC12V 0.18A. I still don't know where the wires are. But I will look, I will open up the case tommorow and have a look around. A brief look at it I can see a wire attached to the side of the back fan but it looks to go down to the PSU. I dont know why it isn't spinning if it is connected though.

 

[val7x]

Was able to find the page in your mobo manual, as far as placement goes. Hope this helps

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/432348/Asus-M5a78l-M-Usb3.html?page=37

 

[Paperdoc]

OK, the fans pull modest currents, so three on one header via a Splitter is OK.

On most fans, the wires from the motor at the center are routed along one of the support arms out to a corner, and then they become visible. IF those fans have standard 3-pin female connectors on the ends of their wires, they will look like this (on the left)

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT_NgIXMOXWCLzMu0F63CihAE3YgXai7Qfc0Vdr1e0peq4PLGrYIA

and plug into a 3-pin header like the thing on the right, only mounted in the mobo.

 

[Shadow2266]

I have found the name of my case. It is a CiT G Force case. I read on another thread that it is controlled by a switch (off low high) I think I found the control on my case and it does nothing so the fans are probably wired incorrectly. No idea how they work can anyone tell me.

 

[zoltan.boese]

Well then, your case must have a fan controler hub built in. Make sure the fans are connected to this hub and the hub is also connected to the power supply

 

[Paperdoc]

zoltan.boese is correct. With that knowledge, you MAY have a choice.

First place to start is to trace down where the wires from each fan go. VERY likely they all end up plugged into headers on the case's built-in fan speed switch. Then you need to check for another connection to that switch, as suggested above. There ought to be a set of wires ending in a 4-pin male Molex connector that you must plug into a PSU's female Molex output connector to give that switch power for its fans. That would get you to working the way the case was designed, with manual ability for you to set the fan speeds.

IF the connectors on the ends of each fan wire set are the standard 3-pin female ones as shown in the link I gave you above, then you have another option. In that case if you get those Splitters we talked about, you could disconnect the three fans from the case switch system and use the Splitter to connect them all to that mobo SYS_FAN header. Then they all would be under automatic control by the mobo, instead of your manual control via the case switch.

 

[Shadow2266]

Does anybody have any information of the fans in my case. It would be nice to know the Noise level of the fans. I have been looking but i found no info on the fans. I think the fans are the ones that came with the case, case is CiT G-Force.

 

[Paperdoc]

Only specs I could find were based on the fan markings "12025L 12S" is a 120 x 120 x 25 mm fan size, "low" speed (likely 1800 rpm max) 12 VDC with sleeve bearings. No specs on noise I could find. Could not find specs on the case that might give more details, but case makers rarely supply noise data on the fans they include.

 

[Shadow2266]

Update - The fans cables look to be 6 pinned? and connect into a black box with lots of connections on it. the black box has a connection to the PSU's molex, and another wire that looks to go to the fan controller. Problem is that the front of the case doesn't look to come off and so the controller looks hard to access, so I can't check if the wires are plugged in correctly. I don't know why the fans cables have 6 pins though. Fans still not working.

 

[Paperdoc]

I have never heard of any computer fan with 6 wires to it.

HOWEVER, there are fans with BOTH fans and LED lights in them, and the LED lights may require from1 to 3 extra wires, depending on how many colors they can offer. Does your case claim to give you multi-color effects, with some control buttons on the front near where the fan speed control is?

The black box is likely a central source and wiring hub for fans and lights, I'm guessing. Now, IF the case does claim to gove you lighting effects with front controls AND IF you have never seen those lights work, then your situation is different: BOTH lights and fans do not work. Is that the case?

If that is, (or even if you're still only looking for fan function), check carefully the connection from the black box to the PSU Molex output, and the line connecting the black box to whatever front panel switch(es) it goes to.

 

[Shadow2266]

Ah, the LED's have worked since I got the PC. They have 7 options of colours. Also, I have found out that my case fans are actually 'Game Max 7 Colour Rgb Led 12cm Case Cooling Fan 1200rpm -Link

 

[Paperdoc]

It appears both the fan speeds and the LED colors of the fans are controlled via that special black box they plug into. the fans have non-standard connectors and wiring to allow for the LED system. Since the LED's work, it appears the black box is getting power via its connection to the Molex output from the PSU. I doubt that they would have designed the box to require a second connection to a Molex. However, something about the fan power system is not right. Either there is supposed to be something else from the black box connected somewhere (does it have a wire going nowhere?) or its connection to the fan speed switch on the case is bad. See if you can get at that switch and check its function and connections.

 

[Shadow2266]

It appears both the fan speeds and the LED colors of the fans are controlled via that special black box they plug into. the fans have non-standard connectors and wiring to allow for the LED system. Since the LED's work, it appears the black box is getting power via its connection to the Molex output from the PSU. I doubt that they would have designed the box to require a second connection to a Molex. However, something about the fan power system is not right. Either there is supposed to be something else from the black box connected somewhere (does it have a wire going nowhere?) or its connection to the fan speed switch on the case is bad. See if you can get at that switch and check its function and connections.

Yea, i need to take the front of the case off to get to the fan switch and i don't know how to do that. There seems to be no screws, there are some things that look to come off and mean you can take off the front of the case, i will check the connection of the wire. One wire goes to the molex, the other wire leads up to the fan controller.