[SOLVED] How can I connect the rgb from my case fan to my PC? (the 4-pin connectors don't fit)

Jan 14, 2021
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So i bought a different case fan so that it had rgb and i dont understand how to connect the rgb cord to the pc.. I have an HP Omen 30l gt13-0014 and i do not have any rgb headers although i do have a cord coming from my lighting control module that says rgb round fan on it that is also 4 pin i believe it is male and it has plastic around it with a notch out of the plastic at the top so the plug from my fan will not connect to it.. Is that supposed to be for something else or what can i do to connect this is there any adapter or is there a different fan with rgb that will connect to this plug... i need a 92mm fan so any input will help so much! Here are links to the pictures of the 2 plugs i am talking about:

RGB round fan plug on cord from lighting control module on my pc

RGB plug on my fan
 
Solution
That 4-pin male connector on the end of a cable shown in your first picture could well be the way that system provides an output to power and control the RGB lights in some device. It is male and 4-pin, as a plain RGB output should be. It just is NOT what has become the widely-used standard for such a connector. That is why I was hoping that, although the physical layout of the pins is non-standard, the electrical characteristics might be standard for plain RGB. So IF you find labels on that connector's pins, or IF you can get the connector pinout details from HP Tech Support or from the manual that came with your system, you might be able to make your own connections between its pins and those of the male connector you have shown from...

Paperdoc

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The plug shown in your "on my fan" photo is MALE (with pins) and that always is an OUTPUT connector in RGB systems. So I expect the fan also has another connector (maybe on the same cable) with HOLES - that is the input to the fan lights.

The connector shown on the end of a cable in your case is not a current standard configuration. IF there's another "standard" male (with pins) header on the mobo, you may be able to use that. Otherwise you might rig something yourself. The key item actually is illustrated in your fan connector photo. Note the labels on the side: "12V G R B". IF you can find similar labels on the existing non-standard connetor in your other photo you can simply rig connections between them. The MOST critical is the "12V" power supply line. But each of the others is a Ground line for those colours, and they need to be matched up so that the correct colours can be shown.
 
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Nov 30, 2020
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Hello, you've to put it into something like that :

12-229-001-Z01.jpg
 

Paperdoc

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Yes, the items in that last photo are female (with holes) connectors for a 4-pin plain RGB system. My point, though, is that the standard way for such systems is that the SOURCE of power (a mobo header or a Controller output) is MALE (with pins), and the input connector on the end of a lighting device is FEMALE (with holes). In your first post the photo "RGB Plug on my fan" is male, and that cannot plug into a mobo male header. So I expect that your fan's lighting cable also has a female 4-HOLE connector, right? They may both be on the same cable so that you can connect several fans together in a "daisy chain".

IF you have such female connectors on your fan cable, you MIGHT be able to plug that into the case's male connector, but I doubt that - the photo suggests the pin spacing is not right. Further, unless you can find labels on that male case connector, you do not know which pins are which. So if you cannot simply plug in, you may have to rig custom connections between the pins of the case's output, and the pins of the male connector on the fan cable, IF you do that, again you MUST ensure that the 12 VDC lines are connected, and then find how to arrange the correct three Ground lines.
 
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Jan 14, 2021
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thanks for the replies guys! So what is the plug in the first picture for then? I just continue what it is for it is labeled rgb round fan but looks different from what i normally see... I don't have any headers on my mobo for rgb so what could i get to plug the cord from the second pic i posted (my rgb fan) to my pc? My fan powers on fine just don't know how to get the rgb to plugin to something to work.. Is there an adapter to plug it into the connector from the first picture? Does anyone know what the name of that plug is or what it is for? Or is there something else i can buy to connect the rgb from fan to my pc? And if not is there any type of fan I should buy woth rgb that has a different plug that could work better? Appreciate the help!
 

Paperdoc

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That 4-pin male connector on the end of a cable shown in your first picture could well be the way that system provides an output to power and control the RGB lights in some device. It is male and 4-pin, as a plain RGB output should be. It just is NOT what has become the widely-used standard for such a connector. That is why I was hoping that, although the physical layout of the pins is non-standard, the electrical characteristics might be standard for plain RGB. So IF you find labels on that connector's pins, or IF you can get the connector pinout details from HP Tech Support or from the manual that came with your system, you might be able to make your own connections between its pins and those of the male connector you have shown from your fan.

If that is not possible, you would need to find a third-party plain RGB Controller that can power and control the lights in the fan independent of the mobo. Typically such a device will have MALE output ports so the male conector in your second photo will not plug into them. That's why I asked whether the fan also has a female connector on the same cable that CAN plug into a standard 4-pin male. If there is no such female, and you are planning to go this route, we can find a way to adapt to your existing fan. However, I will comment that finding a third-party Controller by itself may be difficult because so many are sold as part of a whole kit of controller, fans, and possibly a remote control. If that is how you end up, adapting your existing fan may not be part if your solution.
 
Solution
Jan 14, 2021
3
0
10
That 4-pin male connector on the end of a cable shown in your first picture could well be the way that system provides an output to power and control the RGB lights in some device. It is male and 4-pin, as a plain RGB output should be. It just is NOT what has become the widely-used standard for such a connector. That is why I was hoping that, although the physical layout of the pins is non-standard, the electrical characteristics might be standard for plain RGB. So IF you find labels on that connector's pins, or IF you can get the connector pinout details from HP Tech Support or from the manual that came with your system, you might be able to make your own connections between its pins and those of the male connector you have shown from your fan.

If that is not possible, you would need to find a third-party plain RGB Controller that can power and control the lights in the fan independent of the mobo. Typically such a device will have MALE output ports so the male conector in your second photo will not plug into them. That's why I asked whether the fan also has a female connector on the same cable that CAN plug into a standard 4-pin male. If there is no such female, and you are planning to go this route, we can find a way to adapt to your existing fan. However, I will comment that finding a third-party Controller by itself may be difficult because so many are sold as part of a whole kit of controller, fans, and possibly a remote control. If that is how you end up, adapting your existing fan may not be part if your solution.
Thanks man no it doesn't have a female connector on the fan.. That sucks well ill probably return the fan until i figure out more on what to do.. I just don't want to wire it wrong and fry something thanks for your help!
 

Paperdoc

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You're welcome and good luck. It seems your mobo does not have any standard lighting header to power and control lights in a fan, so you may have to look for a set of fans plus Controller. If you do, you will encounter three types of Controllers. The simplest is a small box with buttons that must be mounted inside your computer case for the cables to make connections. Adjustments of the display require access to the box inside your case. The second type is similar, but comes with a separate hand-held battery-powered remote control, so manual settings do not require access to the inside box - you simply use the remote. The third type uses no manual buttons. Instead it includes a cable to connect to a mobo USB2 header (that "consumes" the header, so you need an unused one on the mobo) and a free downloadable software utility. The utility runs on the mobo and communicates with the Controller via the USB2 cable link to send it instructions. You get to use the keyboard for making adjustments.

Many of these third-party controllers include a selectable option to accept control signals from a mobo header of the correct type, and hence include a cable to make that connection. Since you don't appear to have such a mobo header, this feature is of no use yo you.
 
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