Fan controller or no fan controller?

[Rationale]

My case is an NZXT Phantom 410 (gunmetal color). It shipped with 3 reasonably quiet fans. I'd like to add more, then run them all at lower RPMs.

Total, there will be 6 fans once I add more. My case has a 3-speed fan control switch connected to the 3 fans that are currently installed.
When I get the new fans, can those be connected to the 3-speed switch, or will I need a separate fan control for the 3 new fans, like this one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811992012

 

[Nightman]

If your motherboard supports it, you can just plug them directly into it and let it adjust the fans depending on the temperature.

 

[Rationale]

How do I know if a motherboard supports it?

 

[Nightman]

If it has 4 pin headers, you can plug the fans into those. They have PWM to control the speed.

Edit: You have six fans, and I would say no more than two per header, so if you have three 4 pin headers, you're good, otherwise you'll need a fan controller.

 

[genrldisaray]

I would definitely go with the fan controller. I use one similar to the one you linked, and being able to individually adjust each fan to the perfect speed is great. Also, if you want to let the motherboard handle it you'll need to buy PWM fans, which are not only more expensive, but you'll have a lot fewer to choose from.

 

[Rationale]

Okay, I'll check that. The fans are mostly LED though, so when the power to the fans decreases, the LED brightness decreases. For aesthetic reasons it might be better to have direct control to make sure the LEDs match. I'll still hope for information about fan controllers.

 

[Rationale]

I would definitely go with the fan controller. I use one similar to the one you linked, and being able to individually adjust each fan to the perfect speed is great. Also, if you want to let the motherboard handle it you'll need to buy PWM fans, which are not only more expensive, but you'll have a lot fewer to choose from.

Would it be difficult/impossible to connect the new fans to the switch that's already there? I only ask because if I use a fan controller, half the sliders would be unused due to lack of enough fan slots.

 

[genrldisaray]

I would definitely go with the fan controller. I use one similar to the one you linked, and being able to individually adjust each fan to the perfect speed is great. Also, if you want to let the motherboard handle it you'll need to buy PWM fans, which are not only more expensive, but you'll have a lot fewer to choose from.

Would it be difficult/impossible to connect the new fans to the switch that's already there? I only ask because if I use a fan controller, half the sliders would be unused due to lack of enough fan slots.

I would connect all of them to the new controller. The one built into the case is only a 3 speed switch, so you will not be able to fine tune the speed like you could with a full analog controller.

 

[Rationale]

Hmm. It would bother me if there was a highly visible unused switch on the outside of my case, though.

 

[genrldisaray]

Hmm. It would bother me if there was a highly visible unused switch on the outside of my case, though.

It's going to be visible whether you're using it or not, but there's no reason to use the inferior option just because it's there.

 

[Rationale]

Ehm... Yes there is. It won't bother me if I'm using it. Perhaps I could get the fan controller for all my fans and find some other sort of board to connect to that switch. Idk.

 

[genrldisaray]

Ehm... Yes there is. It won't bother me if I'm using it. Perhaps I could get the fan controller for all my fans and find some other sort of board to connect to that switch. Idk.

If you're handy with a soldering iron you could disconnect the LEDs from your fans and wire them to the switch to let it control the brightness. Without modifications, though, there isn't much use for a fan controller besides fans.

 

[Rationale]

Actually, my case supports 8 fans. 2 on top, 1 on the back, 1 on the bottom, 2 in front, 1 on the side, and 1 by the HDD rack. That's perhaps overkill, but they're mostly well positioned. I could put 6 fans on the controller and just let the switch get the last 2.

 

[genrldisaray]

Actually, my case supports 8 fans. 2 on top, 1 on the back, 1 on the bottom, 2 in front, 1 on the side, and 1 by the HDD rack. That's perhaps overkill, but they're mostly well positioned. I could put 6 fans on the controller and just let the switch get the last 2.

That would work. If you had two fans that worked well at either full voltage or one of the steps on the switch, the fact that they're not fully adjustable wouldn't really be an issue.