fan 3 pin connector problem

[eclipsebmx]

I need to connect a vga cooler's 2 fans that have single 3 pin connector. I have no free fan slot on motherboard and I cannot connect to psu. How do I power them up? Please reply asap. Thanks

 

[P1nnacle]

You can buy a converter online or at a store, but if you're out of sockets you're out of luck until you get one.

 

[eclipsebmx]

You can buy a converter online or at a store, but if you're out of sockets you're out of luck until you get one.

I can think of two solutions. Either connecting 3 pin to USB and power it from there (but idk if 5V is enough for both 90mm fans) or using 3 pin to 4 pin Molex adapter and connect it to outside power (I have 12V 4pin Molex that connects to an outlet)

 

[P1nnacle]

No to the USB power, just no. The outside power should work though, I wouldn't use it as a permanent solution, but as a temporary fix it should be fine.

 

[Kari]

Aren't there any fan headers on the graphics card itself? or a 4pin header on the mobo?

and what do you mean outside power?
get a molex splitter (y-cable) and one of those 3pin-molex adapters and you're good to go...

 

[eclipsebmx]

Aren't there any fan headers on the graphics card itself? or a 4pin header on the mobo?

and what do you mean outside power?
get a molex splitter (y-cable) and one of those 3pin-molex adapters and you're good to go...

there is 4pin on the gpu (gtx 580)but it won't work with 3pin on VGA cooler zalman vf3000f. I read that on some other forum. Idk if its completely true. If I got Molex splitter where would I connect it to? I tried plug VGA cooler 3 pin to where my case fan was pluged into but it still didn't work

 

[P1nnacle]

Well the VGA cooler may be incompatible, if it doesn't plug into the card itself then chances are that it's the wrong model.

 

[eclipsebmx]

Well the VGA cooler may be incompatible, if it doesn't plug into the card itself then chances are that it's the wrong model.

The cooler is supposed to be plugged into mobo and not gpu. That's just how its made. It has its own fan speed controller. I just dint have socket for its 3 pin on mobo. I wonder if there's such a thing as 3pin to 4 pin pwm adapter,so I could just plug it into gpu and use fan controller instead of gpu's auto fan

 

[Kari]

what cooler do you actually have? (edit nvm you posted it earlier)

molex splitters turn one molex connector into two so you gain an extra one, you said there werent any free ones available...

also you dont need an adapter to connect a 3pin fan into a 4 pin header, it should plug in just fine as is... though you dont get to use the pwm control of the 4th pin but 3pin fans are not pwm controlled anyways.... and if the cooler has its own controller this won't matter at all, it'll get 12V from the header and be happy...

 

[eclipsebmx]

what cooler do you actually have? (edit nvm you posted it earlier)

molex splitters turn one molex connector into two so you gain an extra one, you said there werent any free ones available...

also you dont need an adapter to connect a 3pin fan into a 4 pin header, it should plug in just fine as is... though you dont get to use the pwm control of the 4th pin but 3pin fans are not pwm controlled anyways.... and if the cooler has its own controller this won't matter at all, it'll get 12V from the header and be happy...

The problem is that the 3 pin from VGA is larger than 4 pin socket on the gpu,so it won't fit. The 4 pin socket in the gpu is skinnier. Is there adapter for that? image here: http://

 

[Kari]

ok, so the fan header on the gpu is some custom size.
So if you dont want to do a DIY wireing job then you really need a 3pin-molex adapter...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812201009

 

[eclipsebmx]

ok, so the fan header on the gpu is some custom size.
So if you dont want to do a DIY wireing job then you really need a 3pin-molex adapter...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812201009

actually I have one 4 pin atx cable (2 by 2 pins in square formation) coming from power supply. Would I be able to connect VGA fan to that? What adapter would I need? Please help as I try to find all this info online however no luck

 

[Kari]

ok, so the fan header on the gpu is some custom size.
So if you dont want to do a DIY wireing job then you really need a 3pin-molex adapter...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812201009

actually I have one 4 pin atx cable (2 by 2 pins in square formation) coming from power supply. Would I be able to connect VGA fan to that? What adapter would I need? Please help as I try to find all this info online however no luck

I'm pretty sure no one has made an adapter like that, the 2by2 square is a cpu power that connects to the mobo near the cpu socket. Theoretically you could connect to it since it has 12V and ground in it but that would be another DIY job needing some skills and stuff to pull of.

The molex adapter i linked earlier will work just fine, with that type of solution you dont even need a Y-cable since the adapter has both female and male molexes in it, so it fits in between the cable and whatever device that said cable is powering currently.

good luck

 

[eclipsebmx]

ok, so the fan header on the gpu is some custom size.
So if you dont want to do a DIY wireing job then you really need a 3pin-molex adapter...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812201009

actually I have one 4 pin atx cable (2 by 2 pins in square formation) coming from power supply. Would I be able to connect VGA fan to that? What adapter would I need? Please help as I try to find all this info online however no luck

I'm pretty sure no one has made an adapter like that, the 2by2 square is a cpu power that connects to the mobo near the cpu socket. Theoretically you could connect to it since it has 12V and ground in it but that would be another DIY job needing some skills and stuff to pull of.

The molex adapter i linked earlier will work just fine, with that type of solution you dont even need a Y-cable since the adapter has both female and male molexes in it, so it fits in between the cable and whatever device that said cable is powering currently.

good luck

thanks a lot and thanks for patience with me