Case Help - Enthoo Pro PWM Hub

tylerxian

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May 7, 2013
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Hi all,

Newbie builder here. I have a Dell 0NW73C motherboard taken apart from an Dell XPS 8500 and put into a Enthoo Pro. I was told by the manual to connect the 4-pin connector on the PWM hub to the CPU_Fan header on the motherboard, but if I did that then I wouldn't be able to use the 4-pin CPU heatsink that is currently connected to the CPU_Fan header. So I read around and found out about possibly using a Y-splitter and bought this: eBay link

When it finally arrived I quickly found out that one split is 4-pin and the other 3-pin. I thought it would be 4-pin on both splits, turns out I was wrong. So I was wondering if it was safe or even possible to connect my heatsink's 4-pin female connector to the 3 pin male split, the 4-pin female hub connector to the 4-pin male split, and connect the 4 pin female end on the y-splitter to the PWM hub in the case.
 
Solution
You can. The only thing that is different about 3 pin and 4 pin is that the 4 pin fan module can be controlled. The 3 pin will run that the fastest speed at all times. Are there any other 4 pin headers on the motherboard?

tylerxian

Honorable
May 7, 2013
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10,510


Thanks for replying!

Unfortunately not, the only 4 pin header is just CPU_Fan. I suppose I'll either have to get a Y-splitter that is a 4 pin female connector split into two 4 pin males or just bare with my CPU fan running at the fastest speed all the time.
 

iamacow

Admirable
you need to plug in the PWM Hub into either than CPU fan head 1 or 2. I'm guessing you only have 1 since it's a Dell MB...so you'll have to use that port than run the cpu fan cable to the hub which has a spot for the CPU header.

The fan hub will not run on a 3 pin header or it will run at full speed. you should read the manual that came with it. the answer is on page 31

From a review
The Enthoo Luxe continues with its relentless quality and bang for the buck by including a fan hub with five fan headers, along with a dedicated CPU header. To use it, run the PWM cable on the right to the CPU fan port on the motherboard. At this point, all the fans will run at the same speed. Originally with the Enthoo Pro I could not get the hub to work and I didn't have time to figure out exactly what the problem was until after the review went live. Being prepared this time, the fan hub requires the use of the CPU fan header on the motherboard; a fact that is also listed on page 31 of the manual. Alternatively, you can use the second CPU fan header if your motherboard includes one, which I verified does work. Make sure to double check what type of PWM header it is as the manual warns that using other ports besides the CPU fan header can cause unexpected problems. The downside of using the CPU fan header is that your CPU cooler cable may not be long enough to reach the hub. The absence of an extension or Y-cable hurts the design, as not everyone has a long cable or a second CPU fan header. What I did like, however, was how Phanteks used a SATA power connector rather than the dated Molex cable that isn't practical anymore.
 

tylerxian

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May 7, 2013
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Yes, I have read the manual and I understand that I need to run the 4 pin connector from the hub directly to the the CPU_Fan header, it even says so on the cable so people don't miss it (nice little add-on by Phanteks). However the issue is that the CPU fan cable is a mere 4 inches long, not nearly long enough to reach the back of the case where the hub is at. Even if it could reach the back, the CPU fan is a 4-pin connector type, which would be taken up by the 4 pin connector connecting the hub to the CPU_Fan header, leaving only the 3-pin male connectors on the hub.