xerxesaria

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Dec 19, 2012
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I have purchased:

Asus ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming Motherboard.

This motherboard has only 2 headers for case fans. My case has 5 fans (2 intake + 3 exhaust)! That leaves 3 fans unusable, unless I use a splitter.

The motherboard has also a CPU_OPT header, which, I understand is best used for water cooling.

So should I use a Y splitter? And how do you recommend I arrange the fan arrangement? Are there other options?

Thanks.
 
Solution
Do not overdo it on fans.
You need only sufficient intake airflow to feed your cpu cooler and your graphics card.
Think of it this way.
Your cpu cooler has a 120mm fan; 1/2 of a 140mm fan will equal that.
Your graphics card may have as many as 3 100mm cooling fans. 1 1/ 140mm fans will equal that.
If possible, I would just use the supplied fans.
140mm fans move lots of air quietly.
Move the top exhaust to the front and keep the single rear exhaust.
If all of the intake is in one place and is filtered, your parts will stay cleaner.

A liquid cooler pump needs to always be running. It may be that your CPU-OPT header will always run at 100%
If that is ok, by all means use it.
Plugging a fan into a motherboard header is one way to control...

xerxesaria

Distinguished
Dec 19, 2012
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Yes, use a splitter. They're inexpensive.

What case do you have? Generally you'd have 1 more intake fan than exhaust.

What CPU cooler? Tower style or water?
Many thanks;

Case: be quiet 500DX
CPU Cooler: be quiet Dark Rock Slim (air cooled)
Case came with 1 intake and 2 exhaust. I added 1 more intake and 1 more exhaust.
I guess if I keep 2 intake and 2 exhaust, it should be fine. What do you think?
 
Do not overdo it on fans.
You need only sufficient intake airflow to feed your cpu cooler and your graphics card.
Think of it this way.
Your cpu cooler has a 120mm fan; 1/2 of a 140mm fan will equal that.
Your graphics card may have as many as 3 100mm cooling fans. 1 1/ 140mm fans will equal that.
If possible, I would just use the supplied fans.
140mm fans move lots of air quietly.
Move the top exhaust to the front and keep the single rear exhaust.
If all of the intake is in one place and is filtered, your parts will stay cleaner.

A liquid cooler pump needs to always be running. It may be that your CPU-OPT header will always run at 100%
If that is ok, by all means use it.
Plugging a fan into a motherboard header is one way to control fan speeds.
Personally, I like the steady drone of a slow turning fan compared to a constantly changing sound.
Motherboard headers will have an amperage limit.
Splitters are fine so long as the connected fans do not exceed that limit.
2 fans are safe.

It makes sense to try what you have first before adding cost and noise from added fans.
 
Solution

xerxesaria

Distinguished
Dec 19, 2012
165
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Thank you all for your input. However, the issue at hand is not only the amount of fans. It is absolutely an important discussion. But the main issue here is the fact that the Asus Z-490 motherboard (a mid-range one too!), has only 2 connection points for fans. I find that a bit odd and underwhelming, because I would assume that somehow who goes for a mid to high range motherboard is going to have more than 2 fans installed in case of overclocking or overusing a computer......
So I have decided to go with a 2 intake, 2 exhaust set up and will get rid of the 5th fan. I will connect the 2 intakes together and the 2 exhausts together with a Y-splitter.
 
Thank you all for your input. However, the issue at hand is not only the amount of fans. It is absolutely an important discussion. But the main issue here is the fact that the Asus Z-490 motherboard (a mid-range one too!), has only 2 connection points for fans. I find that a bit odd and underwhelming, because I would assume that somehow who goes for a mid to high range motherboard is going to have more than 2 fans installed in case of overclocking or overusing a computer......
So I have decided to go with a 2 intake, 2 exhaust set up and will get rid of the 5th fan. I will connect the 2 intakes together and the 2 exhausts together with a Y-splitter.
Hit em with the AIO cooler!
 

dimtodim

Reputable
I have purchased:

Asus ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming Motherboard.

This motherboard has only 2 headers for case fans. My case has 5 fans (2 intake + 3 exhaust)! That leaves 3 fans unusable, unless I use a splitter.

The motherboard has also a CPU_OPT header, which, I understand is best used for water cooling.

So should I use a Y splitter? And how do you recommend I arrange the fan arrangement? Are there other options?

Thanks.
the best options is fan hub cost 5$ and u will not overload motherboard can attach 10 fans, fun hub have direct power from psu...
https://www.arctic.ac/en/Case-Fan-Hub/ACFAN00175A
 

Paperdoc

Polypheme
Ambassador
For 5 fans, get one or two Splitters (one for each mobo header) with 3 outputs each. One of them will feed only two fans.

If you cannot get 3-output Splitters, get three common 2-output Splitters. Plug one of them into one of the outputs of another to make a small "stack" that provide three outputs from one header.