Fan controllers vs. BIOS control of fans

[src1425]

I'm trying to figure out how to control my likely fan configuration for a new CM690 II Advanced, with a 140mm front intake fan, a 120 mm intake fan in the front drive cage, a 120mm rear outake fan, and 2 x 140mm top outake fans.

Is it better to control the fans through the BIOS and motherboard or via fan controllers? I'd rather have them automated rather than have to fiddle with them, but the motherboard I'm looking at only has 2 SYS_FAN headers. Would something like the Gelid PWM Y cable at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812718001 let me control 2 fans through the same header?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[treefrog07]

The choice is personal preference, most fan controllers will occupy a 5.25" bay, while the connector you found will have to connect fans that may not be close together - it'll have to stretch across the motherboard. Looks like the newegg reviewers liked it. I've got 4 of these on order to control all the fans through the motherboard

 

[src1425]

So you have 4 fan headers on your mobo?

 

[treefrog07]

5, including the CPU, but only 3 are controllable through DFI's software: the CPU fan, the northbridge fan, and 1 system fan. I'll be connecting two fans together (2x2) to the two controllable fan headers (northbridge and system fans) to control them through the software, plus the CPU fan by itself.

 

[Henry Chinaski]

I suggest you to buy a fan controller.
The NZXT Sentry 2 is a good option: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOn-WmQyfw8

 

[src1425]

I was looking at fan controllers, but the reviews on Newegg are underwhelming. However, since only 1 of my fan headers is 4-pin, the alternative to a fan controller is daisy-chaining a couple of Akasa AK-CB002 PMW splitters, which I'm a little wary of doing.

 

[src1425]

Best answer selected by src1425.