Fan adapter question

[coohjay]

I'm looking to have 5 case fans in my case and they're all going to use 4 pin or 3 pin connectors. My motherboard doesn't have enough connectors so I'm looking to invest in adapters. http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX5153 This is the adapter I'm planning on buying.

Now I was wondering if I could buy 4 of these adapters, and plug the first one into the second one (3 x 3 pin), then the second one into the third one, then third to fourth, leaving me with 5 3-pin connectors that I could connect all my fans to. I want to do this instead of buying a fan controller.

Now, would there be any power lost? because if I kept connecting the cables together would the current get weaker and weaker each time? Would putting the 3-pin female on the 4-pin (and vice versa) male be bad? what would it limit? Thanks to anyone who replies

 

[CountMike]

That would be too much for one SYS_Fan connector on the MB, 2 fans should be used at most.

 

[jasonkaler]

"Now, would there be any power lost? because if I kept connecting the cables together would the current get weaker and weaker each time?"

technically, adding more fans will draw more power. If you draw more power from a connector than the connector can handle, it will damage the motherboard.

"Would putting the 3-pin female on the 4-pin (and vice versa) male be bad? "
No. The 4th pin is for speed control. A 3 pin fan will just run normally on a 4 pin socket. A 3 pin socket will not be able to control the speed of a 4 pin fan.

 

[Zerk2012]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812311001&cm_re=fan_splitter-_-12-311-001-_-Product

 

[CountMike]

That's a good one, takes power from Molex and can show speed thru BIOS.

 

[coohjay]

That would be too much for one SYS_Fan connector on the MB, 2 fans should be used at most.

So what should I do? buy one of those cables, then buy multiple molex to 3-pin connectors so I can connect that to my power supply? Then connect that to exhaust because it will always be running at full rpm?

 

[CountMike]

The one Zerk proposed would let you see RPM but not control them, they would run full speed. If you want control over speed, you would need one of those controllers that can do that, either auto (with temp sensors) or manual.

 

[coohjay]

The one Zerk proposed would let you see RPM but not control them, they would run full speed. If you want control over speed, you would need one of those controllers that can do that, either auto (with temp sensors) or manual.

But would what I proposed still work? " buy one of those cables, then buy multiple molex to 3-pin connectors so I can connect that to my power supply? "

 

[CountMike]

Look at that picture, there are connectors for 5 fans.

 

[coohjay]

Look at that picture, there are connectors for 5 fans.

I know but I'm looking to buy locally and not online

 

[CountMike]

That I can't help you with but whatever you do don't connect more than 2 fans to one fan connector on the MB. It's OK to use extension cables though.