Question How many fans can i connect to my motherboard and how?

[OLphotos]

Hello
I currently have 4 fans on my case that are connected to an rgb controller hub, and 3 fans on my AIO radiator. I'm buying a new case which can take up to 10 fans total so i bought an additional 3 fans. All the case fans are 3-pin 5V ARGB fans + the ARGB aio. I would like to stop using the rgb controller and instead connect them directly to my motherboard so that i can use RGB Fusion on everything. My mobo is the Aorus Elite B550M. each fan has 0.25A of current. Is it possible to connect the 7 ARGB case fans to the motherboard, and if so, how?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

new case which can take up to 10 fans total so i bought an additional 3 fans

any decent type of case with an LED hub should have an output cable that can lead to a single motherboard header and be used to sync all connected devices through the motherboard.

if your new case doesn't offer this you can still purchase a separate hub to use.

I would like to stop using the rgb controller and instead connect them directly to my motherboard

the average modern motherboard will usually offer up to 4 aRGB headers.
the included manual or online pdf will provide this information.

 

[OLphotos]

I am not able to get a splitter cable for now. Could i daisy chain those fans?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

not able to get a splitter cable for now

a "splitter cable" would only allow 2 or 3 devices for each motherboard header.
a powered "hub" will allow anywhere from 4 to 12 individual devices connected to a single header.

Could i daisy chain those fans

totally depends on the model of the fans.
some are designed to work this way, most are not.

 

[OLphotos]

a "splitter cable" would only allow 2 or 3 devices for each motherboard header.
a powered "hub" will allow anywhere from 4 to 12 individual devices connected to a single header.

totally depends on the model of the fans.
some are designed to work this way, most are not.

I decided to buy a hub for 10 fans
However, 4 of my fans have 3 pin power connectors
The hub i bought takes 4 pin for PWM and 3 pin ARGB
is it okay to connect the 3 pin power fan connector to the 4 pin PWM header on the hub?

 

[Ralston18]

@OLphotos

I suggest going back a bit.....

Why are so many fans needed? What temperature/heat problems are occuring?

What are, if any, the specific cooling requirements?

Or is the objective simply RGB/ARGB fan color effects?

Overall more fans may not prove directly helpful and actually could be counterproductive.

If possible, take a couple of case photographs show existing fans and indicate air flow directions.

Post the photographs herein via imgur (www.imgur.com).

And work on a diagram to show all fans and fan connections - pin by pin.

 

[Paperdoc]

OK, so you have a HUB that can handle all the cables for both fan MOTORS and fan LIGHTS. Two key things to recognize here. In a fan, the motor and the lights really are completely separate devices in that unit, each with its own cable. So at the Hub you do NOT need to plug BOTH cables from a fan into that Hub. Secondly, 3-pin fan MOTORS and 4-pin ones require DIFFERENT signal sets to control their speeds, and those can NOT be provided from the same source. You need to connect the groups of different fan MOTORS to different mobo fan headers and configure them appropriately.

The half of your new Hub that powers and controls the fan motors is just like any motor-only fan Hub. It works only when connected to a mobo fan header operating in the new PWM Mode, and only with newer 4-pin PWM fan types. It cannot control the speed of 3-pin fan motors. Such a fan connected to this Hub will always run at full speed only. To control the speed of your three fans with 3-pin motor cables you need to connect them to a different mobo header operating in the older Voltage Control Mode, and the only device that can make that connection is a fan SPLITTER, not a Hub. Like this (a 2-pack set)

Amazon.com

Note that it has only two types of connections. ONE "arm" goes to the mobo host header. The other three with male (with pins) connectors are for plugging in the fans' motor cables. If you look at the HUB you have, I bet it has THREE connecting cables: one to go to the mobo host fan header, another to go to the mobo ARGB header, and a third to connect to a SATA power output from the PSU to provide power to all its fans. The SPLITTER has no connection to a separate power source. All the power for its fans comes from the host header which generates the correct signals including a variable supply of Voltage for its fans.

Look at your mobo manual p. 13. You have two SYS_FAN headers (Key item 4), one at mid-board to the rear and the other at the bottom front edge. Use one of these to plug in the motor cable from your new Hub, and the other to plug in the Splitter. Connect ALL of the fans' ARGB LIGHTING cables to ports on your Hub. Connect the MOTOR cables from ONLY the 4-pin fans to ports of that Hub. Connect the MOTOR cables from the three 3-pin fans to the SPLITTER.

When you are all set up, boot up and go immediately into BIOS Setup. See your manual p. 20 for the Main Menu. Choose Settings on the top menu to get to p. 27 and there choose Smart Fan 5 to get to p. 32. Choose to work on the SYS_FAN header where you have attached the HUB cable and configure this way
Fan Speed Control Normal
Fan Control Use Temperature Input to motherboard, not to CPU
Temperature Interval leave unchanged for now
Fan Control Mode to PWM
Fan Stop DISabled so your fan will NOT stop at low temps
Temperature Warning Control to 80 C for now - you can change later as you choose
Fan Fail Warning ENabled so you WILL get a warning if a fan stops

Now go back and choose the other SYS_FAN header where you have the SPLITEER plugged in. Configure it exactly the same with one important change. Set the
Fan Control Mode to Voltage, not PWM or Auto

When done, use the Esc key back to Main Menu, then the F10 key to reach the Exit Menu (p.37). There choose Save and Exit Setup to save your setting and reboot.

This sets up all your fan MOTORS so that the mobo can control all of their speeds identically according to a temperature sensor on the mobo. With respect to fan LIGHTS, those will be controlled by your mobo's ARGB header using the Aorus utility RGB Fusion.

Just a small note about fan failure. Any mobo fan header montitors the speed of its fan for NO speed signal, which indicates failure of that fan. Such an event prompts a warning on your screen so you can make plans to fix the problem. However, when you use a Hub or a Splitter, only ONE fan's speed can be sent back to the header where it can bve monitored. (For using your HUB, ensure that the ONE output port (Probably #1) with special marking has a fan plugged in there.) So the mobo headers' failure monitoring can NOT monitor all 10 of these fans. From time to time YOU should look and verify that all are still working.

 

[OLphotos]

@OLphotos

I suggest going back a bit.....

Why are so many fans needed? What temperature/heat problems are occuring?

What are, if any, the specific cooling requirements?

Or is the objective simply RGB/ARGB fan color effects?

Overall more fans may not prove directly helpful and actually could be counterproductive.

If possible, take a couple of case photographs show existing fans and indicate air flow directions.

Post the photographs herein via imgur (www.imgur.com).

And work on a diagram to show all fans and fan connections - pin by pin.

It stemmed from my 5800X3D going past 90C too frequently when i'm performing specific tasks, and while i do know it's a hot chip, it wasn't making me too comfortable and my current case's front panel partially blocks the top and bottom fan. When i removed the front panel the temperatures went down enough for me to want a new case.

I can't get any pictures rn, i'm not at home, but my new case has a total glass front panell. So the 360mm radiator fans will go on the left side of the case, the side panel, as intake. And the case allows 3 fans to be installed on top for exhaust, 3 on bottom for intake and 1 in the back for exhaust.

 

[OLphotos]

OK, so you have a HUB that can handle all the cables for both fan MOTORS and fan LIGHTS. Two key things to recognize here. In a fan, the motor and the lights really are completely separate devices in that unit, each with its own cable. So at the Hub you do NOT need to plug BOTH cables from a fan into that Hub. Secondly, 3-pin fan MOTORS and 4-pin ones require DIFFERENT signal sets to control their speeds, and those can NOT be provided from the same source. You need to connect the groups of different fan MOTORS to different mobo fan headers and configure them appropriately.

The half of your new Hub that powers and controls the fan motors is just like any motor-only fan Hub. It works only when connected to a mobo fan header operating in the new PWM Mode, and only with newer 4-pin PWM fan types. It cannot control the speed of 3-pin fan motors. Such a fan connected to this Hub will always run at full speed only. To control the speed of your three fans with 3-pin motor cables you need to connect them to a different mobo header operating in the older Voltage Control Mode, and the only device that can make that connection is a fan SPLITTER, not a Hub. Like this (a 2-pack set)

Amazon.com

Note that it has only two types of connections. ONE "arm" goes to the mobo host header. The other three with male (with pins) connectors are for plugging in the fans' motor cables. If you look at the HUB you have, I bet it has THREE connecting cables: one to go to the mobo host fan header, another to go to the mobo ARGB header, and a third to connect to a SATA power output from the PSU to provide power to all its fans. The SPLITTER has no connection to a separate power source. All the power for its fans comes from the host header which generates the correct signals including a variable supply of Voltage for its fans.

Look at your mobo manual p. 13. You have two SYS_FAN headers (Key item 4), one at mid-board to the rear and the other at the bottom front edge. Use one of these to plug in the motor cable from your new Hub, and the other to plug in the Splitter. Connect ALL of the fans' ARGB LIGHTING cables to ports on your Hub. Connect the MOTOR cables from ONLY the 4-pin fans to ports of that Hub. Connect the MOTOR cables from the three 3-pin fans to the SPLITTER.

When you are all set up, boot up and go immediately into BIOS Setup. See your manual p. 20 for the Main Menu. Choose Settings on the top menu to get to p. 27 and there choose Smart Fan 5 to get to p. 32. Choose to work on the SYS_FAN header where you have attached the HUB cable and configure this way
Fan Speed Control Normal
Fan Control Use Temperature Input to motherboard, not to CPU
Temperature Interval leave unchanged for now
Fan Control Mode to PWM
Fan Stop DISabled so your fan will NOT stop at low temps
Temperature Warning Control to 80 C for now - you can change later as you choose
Fan Fail Warning ENabled so you WILL get a warning if a fan stops

Now go back and choose the other SYS_FAN header where you have the SPLITEER plugged in. Configure it exactly the same with one important change. Set the
Fan Control Mode to Voltage, not PWM or Auto

When done, use the Esc key back to Main Menu, then the F10 key to reach the Exit Menu (p.37). There choose Save and Exit Setup to save your setting and reboot.

This sets up all your fan MOTORS so that the mobo can control all of their speeds identically according to a temperature sensor on the mobo. With respect to fan LIGHTS, those will be controlled by your mobo's ARGB header using the Aorus utility RGB Fusion.

Just a small note about fan failure. Any mobo fan header montitors the speed of its fan for NO speed signal, which indicates failure of that fan. Such an event prompts a warning on your screen so you can make plans to fix the problem. However, when you use a Hub or a Splitter, only ONE fan's speed can be sent back to the header where it can bve monitored. (For using your HUB, ensure that the ONE output port (Probably #1) with special marking has a fan plugged in there.) So the mobo headers' failure monitoring can NOT monitor all 10 of these fans. From time to time YOU should look and verify that all are still working.

I'm aware that this hub is made specifically for PWM fans, but it was the only hub that i found being sold here that wouldn't arrive past christmas. I don't mind them running at full speed if i connect them to the PWM header. I just didn't know if it was possible or not.
I considered buying splitters but none are being sold currently where i'm at so it wouldn't be an option. So it would either be that fan hub or nothing. Kind of a hard decision

 

[Paperdoc]

I don't know where you are, but I am surprised you cannot find any Splitter there. They are VERY common. I did forget to mention one thing about them, though. You do NOT need a 3-pin Splitter. Those are really hard to find now! Any common 4-pin Splitter CAN be used with 3-pin fans. When you plug one in, it simply does not use Pin #4 of the output connector. Also, although I linked to some with THREE output arms, any number of arms is OK. If too many, just do not use all. If can can find only 2-arm output Splitters, get TWO of those. Plug the second into one output of the first, and that "stack" can handle 3 fans.

If you still cannot find Splitters, it IS OK to plug the 3-pin fans into output ports of your new Hub. The ONLY issue is the constant full speed, which you say is OK for you. You could do that now, and look for Splitters to add later. IF you find them, you just re-connect those 3 fans.