Question Case fans vs Mobo fans

[Daniel_Daniel]

Hi All

I've recently completed my first build, which was intended as a quiet rig (Quiet Base 802, i5-12400, TUF RTX 3080, Seasonic PX-850, a Mag B660 Tomahawk, and a Noctua NH-D15S) .

I wanted to use some sort of fan controller to set up custom curves.

I'm trying the software (Fan Control) https://github.com/rem0o/fancontrol.releases recommended here:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDPKVKBMQU8

When I set up Fan Control, it didn't seem to recognise my case fans, even though the case fan controller hub connects to the MOBO at the SYS_Fan3:

https://imgur.com/a/BraDh24

View: https://imgur.com/a/BraDh24

Any advice on how to proceed here? Can I just take the 3 case fans and plug them individually to the MOBO, or is there another solution?

Regards

Daniel


As a side-note: the "control manually" option isn't working for any of the fans (CPU, GPU, and case) so I don't know if there's something I've missed more generally. I was going to try get the system fans connected before looking for a solution to the next problem.

 

[Aeacus]

Let's make one thing clear: there is no such thing as "fan controller hub".

There is either fan hub, which you have, or fan controller, which i have.

Fan hub, takes signal from one MoBo fan header, and multiplies it to all connected fans on the hub. With this, all fans will run in sync and individual fan control is impossible.

What i have, is Thermaltake Commander F6 RGB,
specs: https://www.thermaltake.com/commander-f6-rgb.html

And since every fan connects to it's own, individual wire (channel), i have individual fan control. Hence "fan controller".

If you want individual fan control, you can either:

• connect each fan to individual fan header on MoBo, whereby you control them from BIOS (or 3rd party software, e.g SpeedFan).
• buy fan controller for individual fan control.

There are two types of fan controllers;
External, like i have, which sits in my 5.25" bay. And which i control manually.
Or internal, like Corsair Commander Pro (only compatible with select Corsair fans) and NZXT Grid+ V3. Which is controlled by accompanied software (Corsair iCUE or NZXT CAM, for those examples i gave).

 

[CountMike]

Hi All

I've recently completed my first build, which was intended as a quiet rig (Quiet Base 802, i5-12400, TUF RTX 3080, Seasonic PX-850, a Mag B660 Tomahawk, and a Noctua NH-D15S) .

I wanted to use some sort of fan controller to set up custom curves.

I'm trying the software (Fan Control) https://github.com/rem0o/fancontrol.releases recommended here:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDPKVKBMQU8

When I set up Fan Control, it didn't seem to recognise my case fans, even though the case fan controller hub connects to the MOBO at the SYS_Fan3:

https://imgur.com/a/BraDh24

View: https://imgur.com/a/BraDh24

Any advice on how to proceed here? Can I just take the 3 case fans and plug them individually to the MOBO, or is there another solution?

Regards

Daniel


As a side-note: the "control manually" option isn't working for any of the fans (CPU, GPU, and case) so I don't know if there's something I've missed more generally. I was going to try get the system fans connected before looking for a solution to the next problem.

That one never worked for me but this one does
https://www.argusmonitor.com/?language=en

 

[Daniel_Daniel]

Let's make one thing clear: there is no such thing as "fan controller hub".

There is either fan hub, which you have, or fan controller, which i have.

Fan hub, takes signal from one MoBo fan header, and multiplies it to all connected fans on the hub. With this, all fans will run in sync and individual fan control is impossible.

What i have, is Thermaltake Commander F6 RGB,
specs: https://www.thermaltake.com/commander-f6-rgb.html

And since every fan connects to it's own, individual wire (channel), i have individual fan control. Hence "fan controller".

If you want individual fan control, you can either:

• connect each fan to individual fan header on MoBo, whereby you control them from BIOS (or 3rd party software, e.g SpeedFan).
• buy fan controller for individual fan control.

There are two types of fan controllers;
External, like i have, which sits in my 5.25" bay. And which i control manually.
Or internal, like Corsair Commander Pro (only compatible with select Corsair fans) and NZXT Grid+ V3. Which is controlled by accompanied software (Corsair iCUE or NZXT CAM, for those examples i gave).

Thank @Aeacus

In that case, I've got a fan hub, since all the case fans run in sync. The hub still connects to the MOBO, so I would have thought I'd still be able to control all 3 fans together via whatever fan control software, but this doesn't seem to be the case.

The case has a funny little manual control switch where I can switch the fans between Auto, 1, 2, & 3. It's a workaround, but I'd like all my fans controlled via software.

I'm not sure whether I should try wiring the case fans to the MOBO and see how I go, or just try different software.

 

[Daniel_Daniel]

That one never worked for me but this one does
https://www.argusmonitor.com/?language=en

Thanks @CountMike

I'm not too keen on paying for extra software, but equally, I don't want to spend too long mucking around with the current software.

I might try the freebie version and if it works, I might just given in and pay.

 

[CountMike]

Thanks @CountMike

I'm not too keen on paying for extra software, but equally, I don't want to spend too long mucking around with the current software.

I might try the freebie version and if it works, I might just given in and pay.

I have freebie for a year now still working. It's a bit a bother to set up but then it runs without any intervention.

 

[Aeacus]

but I'd like all my fans controlled via software.

Well, UEFI (BIOS) is also a "software". Albeit that only helps if you have fans individually hooked to MoBo, without any hub in-between.

The hub still connects to the MOBO, so I would have thought I'd still be able to control all 3 fans together via whatever fan control software, but this doesn't seem to be the case.

It is possible that the hub only reports the fan RPM back to MoBo. Or you need to change the header allocation within BIOS, between PWM and DC to make it work.

I'm not too keen on paying for extra software, but equally, I don't want to spend too long mucking around with the current software.

Easiest would be hooking all fans to MoBo and let the BIOS auto (or SMART) control take care of it. Whereby you can forgot the fan control afterwards.

 

[Daniel_Daniel]

Well, UEFI (BIOS) is also a "software". Albeit that only helps if you have fans individually hooked to MoBo, without any hub in-between.



It is possible that the hub only reports the fan RPM back to MoBo. Or you need to change the header allocation within BIOS, between PWM and DC to make it work.



Easiest would be hooking all fans to MoBo and let the BIOS auto (or SMART) control take care of it. Whereby you can forgot the fan control afterwards.

Thanks

I’m a little obsessed with the Quiet Gaming Rig concept, so I feel compelled to control the fans.

But the collective advice has worked… I connected the case fans to the MOBO and the Fan Controller software seems to be playing along.

I’ll need to fiddle the settings a bit to make sure my ‘zero fans at low temps’ policy doesn’t lead to an accidental meltdown, but that’s on me.

 

[Paperdoc]

This may be too late for you, since you have changed to connecting the fans directly to mobo headers and do have them under control. But for others with a similar issue ....

This case includes an "integrated fan controller" board to which all case fans are connected, and that system includes some means (probably a unique button on the case front) to select MANUALLY the fans' speed - low, med or hi. It also has some connection to a single mobo fan header, but you have been unable to get that system to control the fans, OR to have your mobo BIOS display the speeds of those fans. The speed display normally is done because the speed of ONE fan on the board is reported to that mobo header by the connecting cable. BUT for that to happen, there MUST be one fan plugged into Port #1 of the board - no other board port will send its fan's speed back to the host mobo header. This does NOT impact the ability of the mobo header to control fan speed - the mobo does NOT use that speed reading for its control functions. It is used mainly to detect fan FAILURE (i.e., NO fan speed signal.

Regarding ability to control fan speed from the mobo header, you can try this "trick" which is NOT mentioned in the graphic drawings of the manual for that case and its fan board. Many such control boards use this technique, so maybe this one does, too. Go to the cases's fan speed control button. HOLD it down for at least five seconds, and the board will change to let the external speed control signal from the mobo header take over control, instead of the manual control the board itself does. For this to work, I suspect that the mobo header MUST be set to PWM Mode, and NOT to Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode) or to Auto Mode detect.

 

[CountMike]

There are some "0dB" fans which have mode to turn more slowly and even stop if BIOS, SW or active hub has that option. Ideal combination for dead quiet at idle and low temps.