Question Fans stopped working after updating the BIOS ?

Jan 31, 2024
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Mobo is a B550M-C
Not really proud to have it but im a broke joke.
Fans were working, updated Bios from 1.30 to 3.40
Fans stopped working. (Case fans, CPU fan still works)
Have 3 case fans and a radiator fan for the liquid cooler. Bios fails to detect the 3 case fans, radiator fan is still active.

After 2 hours of novice diagnostics, clearly it's not that simple. No fans were unpluged, and i even checked the weird little box/circuit board thing all of the fans are connected too behind the mobo. Something tells me the fans after 3 years croaked but before i make a pointless purchase for a subpar gaming pc, id love some advice from an actual brain. Please and thank you 🙃
 
Last edited:
Jan 31, 2024
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10
When you update your bios, the settings, including fan profiles were set to default.

Look to settings as to how you control the case fans.
i tried multiple different settings in the bios.
Set them to monitor mobo, didnt work, set to monitor cpu, didnt work. Set to automatic, didnt work. Kind of lost here. Gonna update the post right now, but i failed to mention that bios is not detecting 3 out of 4 fans.
 

Paperdoc

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OK, check details of that box / circuit board that all three case fans are plugged into. First ensure that the fans are plugged into it securely. There should be ONE of its 4-pin output connectors marked as special in some way. Make sure there is a fan plugged in there securely.

Now trace the cable from that box back to a mobo fan header. It may also have a second cable connected to a SATA power output connector from the PSU, so make sure that connection is good, too. ALL of those fans are controlled by that one header, so note which it is. Now go into BIOS Setup and find that header - see your manual, pp 76 - 77. Set configuration options this way:
CHA_FANn / WP Switch to Fan
CHA_FANn Control Mode to PWM, not Voltage or DC or Auto
CHA_FANn Setting to Normal or Standard to use the default cooling system
CHA_FANn Temp Source to Monitor Motherboard

When done, Esc to Main Menu (p 60), then F10 to reach the Exit Menu (p 82). There choose Save Changes and Exit. This will save your settings and reboot. Now check the fan behaviour and the speed shown for that one fan header.

This process will ensure that the header sends to the little fan Hub board all the correct signals to power and control 4-pin case fans. Note that, since those fans all are connected through a Hub board, the host header receives from that board ONLY the speed signal of the one fan plugged into its marked output header. The speeds of the two other fans will never be seen anywhere - you just assume they are the same. BUT this also means that the mobo fan header used can monitor for possible failure only that one fan, so from time to time YOU should look and verify that all three case fans are still working.
 

NorbertPlays

Proper
Jul 31, 2023
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You might also want to try just plugging a single fan directly into a motherboard header just in case it's the fan hub (the weird little circuit board thing) that's the issue - if all the fans connected to it have stopped it seems like a good place to start!
 
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Jan 31, 2024
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OK, check details of that box / circuit board that all three case fans are plugged into. First ensure that the fans are plugged into it securely. There should be ONE of its 4-pin output connectors marked as special in some way. Make sure there is a fan plugged in there securely.

Now trace the cable from that box back to a mobo fan header. It may also have a second cable connected to a SATA power output connector from the PSU, so make sure that connection is good, too. ALL of those fans are controlled by that one header, so note which it is. Now go into BIOS Setup and find that header - see your manual, pp 76 - 77. Set configuration options this way:
CHA_FANn / WP Switch to Fan
CHA_FANn Control Mode to PWM, not Voltage or DC or Auto
CHA_FANn Setting to Normal or Standard to use the default cooling system
CHA_FANn Temp Source to Monitor Motherboard

When done, Esc to Main Menu (p 60), then F10 to reach the Exit Menu (p 82). There choose Save Changes and Exit. This will save your settings and reboot. Now check the fan behaviour and the speed shown for that one fan header.

This process will ensure that the header sends to the little fan Hub board all the correct signals to power and control 4-pin case fans. Note that, since those fans all are connected through a Hub board, the host header receives from that board ONLY the speed signal of the one fan plugged into its marked output header. The speeds of the two other fans will never be seen anywhere - you just assume they are the same. BUT this also means that the mobo fan header used can monitor for possible failure only that one fan, so from time to time YOU should look and verify that all three case fans are still working.
Checked all connections and applied settings as requested, and no good. So maybe im looking slong the lines of changing the case fans and the hub board? The fans are receiving power, or as far as i can tell, because the RGB is still lit on all fans
 

Paperdoc

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On lit fans, the lights and the fan are really completely separate electrically. That is why each fan has TWO cables to go to different mobo headers. The lit lights do NOT tell you the MOTOR has any power.

I like Bshaw924's idea above. You have three mobo CHA_FAN headers and only one of them appears to be connected to anything - the fan Hub board. UNplug two of those fans and plug one each into unused CHA_FAN headers. Now do those two work? If yes, the unplug the third fan from the Hub, unplug the cable from the Hub board to the third fan header, and plug that last fan into that last CHA_FAN header. If that gets all your fans working, disconnect the power cable to the Hub so it has NOTHING connected since it is not in use. Now re-check all three CHA_FAN headers so they all are configured the same as I recommended above.
 
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Jan 31, 2024
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You might also want to try just plugging a single fan directly into a motherboard header just in case it's the fan hub (the weird little circuit board thing) that's the issue - if all the fans connected to it have stopped it seems like a good place to start!
I went
On lit fans, the lights and the fan are really completely separate electrically. That is why each fan has TWO cables to go to different mobo headers. The lit lights do NOT tell you the MOTOR has any power.

I like Bshaw924's idea above. You have three mobo CHA_FAN headers and only one of them appears to be connected to anything - the fan Hub board. UNplug two of those fans and plug one each into unused CHA_FAN headers. Now do those two work? If yes, the unplug the third fan from the Hub, unplug the cable from the Hub board to the third fan header, and plug that last fan into that last CHA_FAN header. If that gets all your fans working, disconnect the power cable to the Hub so it has NOTHING connected since it is not in use. Now re-check all three CHA_FAN headers so they all are configured the same as I recommended above.
I went ahead and order a new fan kit with a new hub board. If that doesnt fix it, i shall be back haha thank you for your help
 
Jan 31, 2024
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Did you unplug ALL three case fans from the Hub and plug them individually into the three available CHA_FAN headers?
Im actually a whole idiot. I think i have the wrong style hub connector. Bought the Corsair LL120 but the hub i have is the wrong style. I need 3 and 4 pin connectors. Got that ancient tech
 

Paperdoc

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Let me clarify the two different types of devices that allow you to connect more than one fan to a single mobo fan header. The problem here is that makers and sellers use the two names as if they were the same, and they are NOT.

A SPLITTER is a simple device. It has one "arm" with a female (with holes) connector to plug into the mobo header. Then it has two or more output "arms" with male (with pins) connectors where you plug in your fans. It may actually look like a collection of cable arms, OR a small circuit board, OR a closed box with holes in the side for the recessed male outputs. But it has only those two types of connections. All it does it connect all the outputs in parallel to the mobo header signals. All power for the fans comes from the header, which normally is able to supply power at 12 VDC up to a limit to if 1.0 A max total current. When you are using 3-pin fans, you MUST use a SPLITTER.

A HUB is a different device, and its appearance may be almost identical to those three forms above. What is DIFFERENT about is it that it has a third type of connection. It requires input of power directly from the PSU via either a 4-pin Molex or a SATA power connector. This device gets all power for its fans from the PSU and draws none from the host header, so it avoids that current limit. HOWEVER, because of its design a HUB can work ONLY with a header that does use the newer PWM Mode of control signals, and ONLY with the new 4-pin fans. If you plug an older 3-pin fan into a Hub output, there is no control of speed of that fan and it always runs full speed.

IF you have a mixture of many fans, arrange them so that one group of 4-pin fans uses a HUB and a header set to use PWM Mode, and the other group of 3-pin fans uses a SPLITTER and a header set to the older Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode).

The design of the newer 4-pin fans made sure the two types were as closely compatible as possible, so mechanically and electrically you CAN plug any 3-pin or 4-pin fan into any 3-pin or 4-pin header. If you mis-match them, this is what happens. A 3-pin fan fed by a 4-pin header in PWM Mode cannot have its speed controlled so it always runs full speed. You get lots (more than necessary) of cooling but no ability to reduce speed. A 4-pin fan plugged into a header using the older 3-pin Voltage Control Mode WILL operate AND have its speed controlled, even though this is not the "ideal" control signal system for that fan.

Because of all this, almost all current mobo headers have 4 pins. BUT for each header in BIOS Setup you can set a configuration option for whether that header will act like an older 3-pin header in Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode), or as a newer 4-pin header in PWM Mode. Many such headers also offer an "Auto Mode" that tests the connected fan at each start-up and sets the Mode according to the result. This works just fine for most situations, but it causes a problem sometimes with AIO liquid-cooled systems for CPU's.

Any mobo header has an important secondary function. It receives from its fan a speed signal consisting of pulses to count. It can show you this speed for your info but it does NOT use that for its speed control function. It DOES monitor that for NO signal, indicating fan FAILURE. However, it can deal with the speed signal from only ONE fan. So when you use either a Splitter or a Hub that device will send back to the host header the speed from only the ONE fan plugged into the marked special output, and ignore all the other fans' speeds. In a "collection of arms" style device, only one of the outputs has all four pins; in all the others Pin #3 is missing. That is the pin for the speed signal line, so omitting that means the speed signal can't be connected back to the header. For other physical forms there is a mark of some kind to indicate the only output that sends the speed back. In all cases you should ensure that there is a fan plugged into that identified output. Note that for purposes of fan FAILURE monitoring, only that one fan's speed can be checked and the header cannot "see" failure in other fans on that Splitter or Hub. So from time to time YOU should check fans to be sure they all still are working.

From all this you can see that you do NOT need a Splitter or Hub with both 3- and 4-pin connectors. But you DO need to choose the correct type of multi-fan device, and the correct header configuration setting. How to choose?

1. Any header is limited to no more that 1.0 A max current in total to all fans on that one header. Each fan should have a spec for max current draw. It may be in published specs, or may be on the fan's label. IF the info given is in WATTS and not AMPS, use this: Watts = Amps x Volts, and max Volts always is 12. So max AMPS = max WATTS/12. Typical fans today have max Amps of 0.10 to 0.25, but look for the actual values for your fans. Add up the Amps max for all the fans you plan to connect to one header, and that cannot exceed 1.0 A IF you plan to use a SPLITTER. However, if you plan to use a HUB that gets power from the PSU, that header limit does NOT apply.

2. To be able to control the speed of older 3-pin fans you can ONLY use a SPLITTER, and the host header MUST be set to Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode). You ARE limited to max 1.0 A current for this fan header.

3. When using 4-pin fans ONLY, you can use either a SPLITTER or a HUB, but the host header MUST be set to PWM Mode. If you choose a HUB, the max current limit of the header does not apply, but it does apply if you choose a Splitter.

4. So if you have both fan types, it is best to create two groups. ONE group is all 3-pin fans using a SPLITTER to connect to a header set to Voltage Control Mode. The current limit of the header applies to this group. The other group is all 4-pin fans using a HUB and a header set to PWM Mode. The header current limit does not apply to this group.

5. IF you must (or sometimes it's just a choice) you CAN mix both fan types on one header by making use of the fact that the speed of newer 4-pin fans CAN be controlled by the older Voltage Control Mode. For this scheme it is just like using only 3-pin fans (above) with a Splitter and Voltage Control Mode, and the amp limit does apply to this header.

So, OP, look closely at the "Fan Hub" you already have. In my way of using the labels, is it really a HUB with a connection for power to the PSU AND a connecting cable that goes to a mobo header? OR is it really a SPLITTER with ONLY the cable to a header and NO connection to the PSU? OR (third option) does it have ONLY a connection to the PSU for power and NO cable to a mobo fan header? For any of these three possibilities, make sure the connections are secure at all points, PLUS check each fan's plug into the "Hub".

Now look closely at the connectors on the end of each FAN's cable where it plugs into the "Hub". Do they have 3 holes or 4? THAT tells you which type of fan they are, and thus which way they can be connected for power and speed control.

Post back here with results and we can narrow down how to connect.
 
Jan 31, 2024
7
0
10
Let me clarify the two different types of devices that allow you to connect more than one fan to a single mobo fan header. The problem here is that makers and sellers use the two names as if they were the same, and they are NOT.

A SPLITTER is a simple device. It has one "arm" with a female (with holes) connector to plug into the mobo header. Then it has two or more output "arms" with male (with pins) connectors where you plug in your fans. It may actually look like a collection of cable arms, OR a small circuit board, OR a closed box with holes in the side for the recessed male outputs. But it has only those two types of connections. All it does it connect all the outputs in parallel to the mobo header signals. All power for the fans comes from the header, which normally is able to supply power at 12 VDC up to a limit to if 1.0 A max total current. When you are using 3-pin fans, you MUST use a SPLITTER.

A HUB is a different device, and its appearance may be almost identical to those three forms above. What is DIFFERENT about is it that it has a third type of connection. It requires input of power directly from the PSU via either a 4-pin Molex or a SATA power connector. This device gets all power for its fans from the PSU and draws none from the host header, so it avoids that current limit. HOWEVER, because of its design a HUB can work ONLY with a header that does use the newer PWM Mode of control signals, and ONLY with the new 4-pin fans. If you plug an older 3-pin fan into a Hub output, there is no control of speed of that fan and it always runs full speed.

IF you have a mixture of many fans, arrange them so that one group of 4-pin fans uses a HUB and a header set to use PWM Mode, and the other group of 3-pin fans uses a SPLITTER and a header set to the older Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode).

The design of the newer 4-pin fans made sure the two types were as closely compatible as possible, so mechanically and electrically you CAN plug any 3-pin or 4-pin fan into any 3-pin or 4-pin header. If you mis-match them, this is what happens. A 3-pin fan fed by a 4-pin header in PWM Mode cannot have its speed controlled so it always runs full speed. You get lots (more than necessary) of cooling but no ability to reduce speed. A 4-pin fan plugged into a header using the older 3-pin Voltage Control Mode WILL operate AND have its speed controlled, even though this is not the "ideal" control signal system for that fan.

Because of all this, almost all current mobo headers have 4 pins. BUT for each header in BIOS Setup you can set a configuration option for whether that header will act like an older 3-pin header in Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode), or as a newer 4-pin header in PWM Mode. Many such headers also offer an "Auto Mode" that tests the connected fan at each start-up and sets the Mode according to the result. This works just fine for most situations, but it causes a problem sometimes with AIO liquid-cooled systems for CPU's.

Any mobo header has an important secondary function. It receives from its fan a speed signal consisting of pulses to count. It can show you this speed for your info but it does NOT use that for its speed control function. It DOES monitor that for NO signal, indicating fan FAILURE. However, it can deal with the speed signal from only ONE fan. So when you use either a Splitter or a Hub that device will send back to the host header the speed from only the ONE fan plugged into the marked special output, and ignore all the other fans' speeds. In a "collection of arms" style device, only one of the outputs has all four pins; in all the others Pin #3 is missing. That is the pin for the speed signal line, so omitting that means the speed signal can't be connected back to the header. For other physical forms there is a mark of some kind to indicate the only output that sends the speed back. In all cases you should ensure that there is a fan plugged into that identified output. Note that for purposes of fan FAILURE monitoring, only that one fan's speed can be checked and the header cannot "see" failure in other fans on that Splitter or Hub. So from time to time YOU should check fans to be sure they all still are working.

From all this you can see that you do NOT need a Splitter or Hub with both 3- and 4-pin connectors. But you DO need to choose the correct type of multi-fan device, and the correct header configuration setting. How to choose?

1. Any header is limited to no more that 1.0 A max current in total to all fans on that one header. Each fan should have a spec for max current draw. It may be in published specs, or may be on the fan's label. IF the info given is in WATTS and not AMPS, use this: Watts = Amps x Volts, and max Volts always is 12. So max AMPS = max WATTS/12. Typical fans today have max Amps of 0.10 to 0.25, but look for the actual values for your fans. Add up the Amps max for all the fans you plan to connect to one header, and that cannot exceed 1.0 A IF you plan to use a SPLITTER. However, if you plan to use a HUB that gets power from the PSU, that header limit does NOT apply.

2. To be able to control the speed of older 3-pin fans you can ONLY use a SPLITTER, and the host header MUST be set to Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode). You ARE limited to max 1.0 A current for this fan header.

3. When using 4-pin fans ONLY, you can use either a SPLITTER or a HUB, but the host header MUST be set to PWM Mode. If you choose a HUB, the max current limit of the header does not apply, but it does apply if you choose a Splitter.

4. So if you have both fan types, it is best to create two groups. ONE group is all 3-pin fans using a SPLITTER to connect to a header set to Voltage Control Mode. The current limit of the header applies to this group. The other group is all 4-pin fans using a HUB and a header set to PWM Mode. The header current limit does not apply to this group.

5. IF you must (or sometimes it's just a choice) you CAN mix both fan types on one header by making use of the fact that the speed of newer 4-pin fans CAN be controlled by the older Voltage Control Mode. For this scheme it is just like using only 3-pin fans (above) with a Splitter and Voltage Control Mode, and the amp limit does apply to this header.

So, OP, look closely at the "Fan Hub" you already have. In my way of using the labels, is it really a HUB with a connection for power to the PSU AND a connecting cable that goes to a mobo header? OR is it really a SPLITTER with ONLY the cable to a header and NO connection to the PSU? OR (third option) does it have ONLY a connection to the PSU for power and NO cable to a mobo fan header? For any of these three possibilities, make sure the connections are secure at all points, PLUS check each fan's plug into the "Hub".

Now look closely at the connectors on the end of each FAN's cable where it plugs into the "Hub". Do they have 3 holes or 4? THAT tells you which type of fan they are, and thus which way they can be connected for power and speed control.

Post back here with results and we can narrow down how to connect.
Ive gotten 3 out of the 4 fans working. If i want the other fan to work, i need to buy a new splitter due to lack of fan ports on the mobo. Only has 3 and the cpu port. Just need one more port aka splitter to make such function. Thank you all for your assistance