How to connect several fans to my motherboard with only 1 fan docking spot.

[Conor C]

I'm a first time builder and pretty new to all this so excuse me for any mistakes in terminology here. I'm looking run several fans (2 to 3) on my new PC, however, my motherboard is tiny, it only has 1 spot to connect a fan too. Currently, I have my CPU's fan plugged into it but I'm experiencing overheating problems. I know you can connect fans to the power supply but I also know that means they're always on at full power which is something I definitely do not want, so my question is this. To further add to my complications my motherboard is a 4 pin dock yet both fans I have are 3 pins. So my question is, How do I add several 3 pin fans to one 4 pin dock on my motherboard whilst not leaving them on at full power, allowing my 4 pin CPU fan to continue to work, and not overworking my motherboard? Thanks for your answers

 

[The Paladin]

I have a system like that 1 fan output taken by cpu, the things you have to understand;

1. yes splitters exist to get 2 fans or more connected to a on board 4 or 3 pin connector
2. the connector your speaking of SHOULD NEVER be split as it is what controls your CPU Fan cooling system
3. there are fans you can get that has a switch on them (low, med, high) and plug into a regular 4 pin Molex with an adaptor already attached to fan
4. you could get a fan controller, it feed power and controls them manually (panel on front of PC)

Item #3 picture

Item # 4 Picture

 

[Conor C]

I have a system like that 1 fan output taken by cpu, the things you have to understand;

1. yes splitters exist to get 2 fans or more connected to a on board 4 or 3 pin connector
2. the connector your speaking of SHOULD NEVER be split as it is what controls your CPU Fan cooling system
3. there are fans you can get that has a switch on them (low, med, high) and plug into a regular 4 pin Molex with an adaptor already attached to fan
4. you could get a fan controller, it feed power and controls them manually (panel on front of PC)

Item #3 picture

Item # 4 Picture

hmm, alright. I did come across fan controllers in the little research I did do, how are they powered? from the power supply? straight from the wall? a USB?

 

[The Paladin]

normally they are powered from PSU yes. and they control output to fans, Newegg has a whole series and very good pictures to see what's what
here is the search I used.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=fan+controller&ignorear=0&N=100007585&isNodeId=1

 

[Conor C]

normally they are powered from PSU yes. and they control output to fans, Newegg has a whole series and very good pictures to see what's what
here is the search I used.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=fan+controller&ignorear=0&N=100007585&isNodeId=1

ah alright, thanks, that's very helpful, I'll get a fan controller then