Hub or splitter for exhaust fan for Corsair 460x

[Michael_205]

I recently purchased a RGB 460x case. However I wish to also install an exhaust fan in the back.

I just wish to know how to install more fans. I have already used all 3 SYS FAN slots on the mobo for the 3 front fans.

I am considering adding up to 3 extra fans to the case. That means I'll need a hub right? I have researched and a popular one is by Silverstone. However I have learned that the hub can only control 4 pin fans, but the SP120 are all 3 pins. So if I want to install 3x more SP120s around the case, how should I proceed? Is my only solution to use splitters?

I want to sync the RGB with the front fans but I also want to have control over when they'll spin and whatnot.


My specs are:

Gigabyte Z370 HD3
16GB DDR4 RAM
Gigabyte G1 GTX 1080
Intel i7 8700K

 

[Paperdoc]

Splitters certainly are your easiest answer. In fact, (with one exception) they are the ONLY way to control several 3-pin fans from a mobo header. The limiting factor is that most mobo headers can supply up to 1.0 A to all the fans connected to it, and this applies to EACH header separately. Now, Corsair SP120 fans each pull under 0.2 A, so using a Splitter to connect two or three of them to one header is NO problem at all. It would be easy to use three splitters to connect two fans each to your three SYS_FAN headers. Here's an example.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812423168&cm_re=coboc_fan_splitter-_-12-423-168-_-Product

This one

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812423162&cm_re=coboc_fan_splitter-_-12-423-162-_-Product

allows you to connect three fans to one header. Although it is a 4-pin design, it will work just fine with 3-pin fans.

To help you choose, remember that a SPLITTER has only two types of "arms": one ends in a female connector to plug into the mobo header, and the others all end in male fan connectors to plug your fans into. A HUB (you do not need) has a third "arm" type that must plug into a power output connector from the PSU to get power for its fans, but almost all of those will only work with 4-pin fan systems.

Any fan header can accept the speed signal sent back to it from only ONE fan. So any Splitter or Hub will only send to its host header the speed signal from ONE of its fans, and the other fans' signal will be ignored. You will never "see" them in any display. This does NOT affect the control of their speed.

 

[Michael_205]

Splitters certainly are your easiest answer. In fact, (with one exception) they are the ONLY way to control several 3-pin fans from a mobo header. The limiting factor is that most mobo headers can supply up to 1.0 A to all the fans connected to it, and this applies to EACH header separately. Now, Corsair SP120 fans each pull under 0.2 A, so using a Splitter to connect two or three of them to one header is NO problem at all. It would be easy to use three splitters to connect two fans each to your three SYS_FAN headers. Here's an example.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812423168&cm_re=coboc_fan_splitter-_-12-423-168-_-Product

This one

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812423162&cm_re=coboc_fan_splitter-_-12-423-162-_-Product

allows you to connect three fans to one header. Although it is a 4-pin design, it will work just fine with 3-pin fans.

To help you choose, remember that a SPLITTER has only two types of "arms": one ends in a female connector to plug into the mobo header, and the others all end in male fan connectors to plug your fans into. A HUB (you do not need) has a third "arm" type that must plug into a power output connector from the PSU to get power for its fans, but almost all of those will only work with 4-pin fan systems.

Any fan header can accept the speed signal sent back to it from only ONE fan. So any Splitter or Hub will only send to its host header the speed signal from ONE of its fans, and the other fans' signal will be ignored. You will never "see" them in any display. This does NOT affect the control of their speed.

Thanks for the reply. Wow I have been waiting for you reply, as I have read at least 20 threads on here and you've always provided the most detailed answer.

So just to clarify, any splitter will do right? Since I have a habit from buying from Amazon as I have Prime, I have chosen this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJOJS9O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The one I have selected is the 1-3 PWM Fan splitter

This should work fine right? i have read that you've explained elsewhere that each header supports up to 1A, so it'll allow me to support up to 3x SP120 RGBs each right?

In terms of fan speed, am I able to control them the same way I control the 3 existing fans in the front? Will I also run into the problem of having all fans running at max speed since these fans are 3 pin? Or is this situation exclusive to the hub?

Finally, I have actually asked the exact Q on Corsair's forums and they have recommended the Commander Pro. I understand that it may allow me to better control the lighting and fanspeeds through the iCue software, but does it serve any other advantages beyond just easier control? Since its basically $70 vs 2x $2/3 splitters.

 

[Paperdoc]

Yes, that Splitter will do well. If you look at upper left of that page, there are five photos to choose. The last (bottom) one shows a 4-pin fan plugged into one output. Compare that to the photo above it with a 3-pin fan plugged in. Note that the only difference is that the connector of the 3-pin fan is not so wide and does not use Pin #4 of the output. That pin is for the PWM signal that a 3-pin fan cannot use, so it is simply not part of the connection for that fan style.

Regarding fan speed, BOTH 3-pin and 4-pin fans CAN be controlled by mobo headers, BUT to do that the header MUST use the correct control mechanism or MODE. Your mobo has all the settings you need in BIOS Setup to accomplish this. See its manual, p. 26 under "Smart Fan 5 Settings". For "Monitor", select the particular SYS_FAN header you want to adjust - you'll need to make these configuration settings for EACH header you use for the 3-pin case fans. Now for each, set it to use the "Normal" Fan Speed Control (so it does its work automatically), and the common Motherboard temperature sensor so the fans are guided by that sensor. (A mobo has a temp sensor inside the CPU chip to guide the CPU_FAN header, and one or more sensors on the mobo to guide the SYS_FAN headers. There are a few that sense temperature of specific mobo components like the voltage regulator or North Bridge chips IF you feel a special need to use them, but the general Motherboard temp sensor is best for case ventilation.) Then under "Fan Control Mode" choose "Voltage", which is required for 3-pin fans. When done with all the SYS_FAN headers, remember to SAVE and EXIT so your settings are saved and the system reboots.

The Corsair Commander Pro is their most advanced hub for control of both fan speeds and LED lighting displays using their software tool, iCue. It does give you a LOT of lighting display possibilities, and claims to be able to control the speeds of both 3- and 4-pin fans. Regarding fan speed control only, it does not give you anything more than you can achieve using the mobo configuration options I've detailed above.

You have not given us info on how you plan to control the RGB lighting effects of the SP120 RGB fans - 3 with case, plus 3 added, right? Maybe the case came also with the Corsair RGB controller Hub and Controller modules. This was an earlier RGB display control system, entirely manual. It consists of a Hub with six output connectors to the RGB lights on fans, plus a connection the a PSU output for power and a socket to plug in the separate "controller" box. It also has a couple of sockets for optional connection to case buttons. It has NO way to accept external control signals from a mobo header or software tool - your only method of controlling the RGB lighting effects is to use the manual "controller" box and its 3 buttons. Other Corsair products (the Commander Pro being their latest) can do these things and much more using software tools. But with this included control system, you plug each fan's RGB connector cable into the Hub unit (note the need for a continuous sequence of ports in use) and then the "Controller" box's buttons allow you to choose manually from several items for speed, colour and mode of the RGB displays. ALL of the fans' lighting modes will be controlled in the same way - there is only one output "channel" - but some displays involve progressive changes among the fans. If that gives you all the control you want for the RGB lighting effects, then you do not need 'the Commander Pro for that, and you don't need it for fan speed control, either. In fact, I am not clear on whether the Commander Pro even can control the RGB systems in the SP120 RGB fans. Their wesbsite for the Commander Pro appears to say yes, but the RGB type does not match. The Commander Pro has two output ports for what are called ADDR RGB LED systems, whereas the lighting systems in the SP120 RGB fans appears to be of the other simpler RGB 5050 systems, and the RGB Hub included with those fans does not appear to be able to accept control signals from an external source. The Corsair website seems to suggest that this can be done if you buy also their middle-level RGB Controller, the Lighting Node Pro, and use that instead of the base-level Hub and Controller system you have already, but I am not sure about that.

 

[Michael_205]

Yes, that Splitter will do well. If you look at upper left of that page, there are five photos to choose. The last (bottom) one shows a 4-pin fan plugged into one output. Compare that to the photo above it with a 3-pin fan plugged in. Note that the only difference is that the connector of the 3-pin fan is not so wide and does not use Pin #4 of the output. That pin is for the PWM signal that a 3-pin fan cannot use, so it is simply not part of the connection for that fan style.

Regarding fan speed, BOTH 3-pin and 4-pin fans CAN be controlled by mobo headers, BUT to do that the header MUST use the correct control mechanism or MODE. Your mobo has all the settings you need in BIOS Setup to accomplish this. See its manual, p. 26 under "Smart Fan 5 Settings". For "Monitor", select the particular SYS_FAN header you want to adjust - you'll need to make these configuration settings for EACH header you use for the 3-pin case fans. Now for each, set it to use the "Normal" Fan Speed Control (so it does its work automatically), and the common Motherboard temperature sensor so the fans are guided by that sensor. (A mobo has a temp sensor inside the CPU chip to guide the CPU_FAN header, and one or more sensors on the mobo to guide the SYS_FAN headers. There are a few that sense temperature of specific mobo components like the voltage regulator or North Bridge chips IF you feel a special need to use them, but the general Motherboard temp sensor is best for case ventilation.) Then under "Fan Control Mode" choose "Voltage", which is required for 3-pin fans. When done with all the SYS_FAN headers, remember to SAVE and EXIT so your settings are saved and the system reboots.

The Corsair Commander Pro is their most advanced hub for control of both fan speeds and LED lighting displays using their software tool, iCue. It does give you a LOT of lighting display possibilities, and claims to be able to control the speeds of both 3- and 4-pin fans. Regarding fan speed control only, it does not give you anything more than you can achieve using the mobo configuration options I've detailed above.

You have not given us info on how you plan to control the RGB lighting effects of the SP120 RGB fans - 3 with case, plus 3 added, right? Maybe the case came also with the Corsair RGB controller Hub and Controller modules. This was an earlier RGB display control system, entirely manual. It consists of a Hub with six output connectors to the RGB lights on fans, plus a connection the a PSU output for power and a socket to plug in the separate "controller" box. It also has a couple of sockets for optional connection to case buttons. It has NO way to accept external control signals from a mobo header or software tool - your only method of controlling the RGB lighting effects is to use the manual "controller" box and its 3 buttons. Other Corsair products (the Commander Pro being their latest) can do these things and much more using software tools. But with this included control system, you plug each fan's RGB connector cable into the Hub unit (note the need for a continuous sequence of ports in use) and then the "Controller" box's buttons allow you to choose manually from several items for speed, colour and mode of the RGB displays. ALL of the fans' lighting modes will be controlled in the same way - there is only one output "channel" - but some displays involve progressive changes among the fans. If that gives you all the control you want for the RGB lighting effects, then you do not need 'the Commander Pro for that, and you don't need it for fan speed control, either. In fact, I am not clear on whether the Commander Pro even can control the RGB systems in the SP120 RGB fans. Their wesbsite for the Commander Pro appears to say yes, but the RGB type does not match. The Commander Pro has two output ports for what are called ADDR RGB LED systems, whereas the lighting systems in the SP120 RGB fans appears to be of the other simpler RGB 5050 systems, and the RGB Hub included with those fans does not appear to be able to accept control signals from an external source. The Corsair website seems to suggest that this can be done if you buy also their middle-level RGB Controller, the Lighting Node Pro, and use that instead of the base-level Hub and Controller system you have already, but I am not sure about that.

Thanks for the reply. That was quite a read lol but extremely informative and detailed as usual. I am so glad to have you reply to my thread.

I have a stronger understanding of what's going on now, and thanks for clearing my main questions up. I will definitely tweak as you've suggested when my fans and splitters arrive. .

To answer your last question, I don't plan to do much. The only thing I care about is that the lights are properly synchronized and the fans can be controlled. The reason why I even consider the SP120 RGB is for uniformity in RGB and hopefully fan speed, nothing more beyond that. That being said, thanks for clearing up the use of the commander pro, i guess I may not need it if I don't require RGB presets on the go. And yes, the 460X RGB case DOES come with a RGB hub and a manual external controller at the top of the case that allows RGB controls. I have always controlled the RGB settings from there, and for me, that's more than enough already. Hence I was reluctant to get the Commander Pro to begin with, as RGB controls were well within reach.

For now, I will temporarily leave the thread open as there's a chance I may run into trouble. I have never done anything like this, and only through reading your posts for the hundreds of similar threads have I developed a basic understanding about the 3pin vs 4 pin, and the difference between splitters and hubs. I was even on the verge of just wasting $70 on a commander pro hub, but thanks to your guidance, I understand that it is not a necessity for my situation. Once I can confirm that it all works, I will mark your answers as the solution.

Thank you so much yet again for all the effort and time you've invested in answering this thread thus far.

 

[Paperdoc]

You're very welcome, and good luck. Any further questions, I'll see them here.

 

[Michael_205]

You're very welcome, and good luck. Any further questions, I'll see them here.

Hi so I have received the SP120 RGB fan and the splitter. The 3 way splitter was used for the 3 front fans, and I hooked it to the 1st header. The exhaust fan was plugged into the 3rd header, and the 2nd header was left empty.

However, although I have configured in the BIOS and set them to voltage, and manually set a fancurve, they're still running at full speed by default. The surprising thing is the exhaust fan is basically stopped when my system's idle, but the 3 front fans are just blasting in full RPM. Is there a way to control it?

[strike]I also installed the Gigabyte's smart fan control software (SIV), but for some reason I'm not able to install it. I googled it and alot of people are getting the same error:

The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable, Click OK to try again or enter an alternate path to a folder containing the installation package[/strike]


EDIT:
So it turns out, this is extremely common among Gigabyte Z370 boards. Mine is the Z370 HD3 rev1.0, and tons of people are experiencing this issue. As of now, I am using the F5 Bios. I was wondering from your experience, does updating the BIOS help? I really am not enjoying the fans just spinning at full RPM 24/7. It's quite loud already with 4 fans, I can't even imagine how it'll be like with six. Also, it seems that the smart fan 5(SIV) issue is also becoming more common now due to a recent Win10 update
.
So basically my issue now is Smart fan settings in BIOS won't transfer over, as the fans go full RPM when I enter Windows. The only solution as many have suggested is to sleep and then wake up. But this is just a temporary fix, and it's quite silly to have to sleep everytime you reboot the PC

 

[Paperdoc]

I have no info on whether a BIOS update would solve your fan speed control problem. Maybe Gigabyte Tech Support could answer that. But before you go that route, try a couple ideas.

1. Try NOT using the SIV software tool. Its major advantage is that you can use it to examine information and adjust things while running Windows, rather than being restricted solely to doing it in BIOS Setup. IF you find that you CAN get things set in BIOS Setup BUT they revert to wrong after you boot Windows, then try UN-installing SIV so that Windows never loads and runs it.

2. In BIOS Setup I see you have set the SYS_FAN headers to use a custom fan curve. It MAY be that, by choosing that option, you have reset the choice of control MODE to PWM. That might be done in a couple of ways. One might be that, no matter what you do, using the Manual speed control option insists on using PWM Mode. OR, maybe it's just a sequence thing and you can change it this way. For each header, go into its settings and set your Manual Control option and its speed curve. THEN choose the Voltage Control Mode. SAVE and EXIT and see if that works. (Note also above my suggestion about not letting SIV change this.)

3. About the rear exhaust fan stopping, look closely at the settings for its SYS_FAN header. See manual p. 26 under "Fan Stop". There you can choose to specify the minimum temperature for this fan to run - set it lower to avoid having it stop. Note that this appears to use the custom fan curve, so you may need to re-set the Mode to Voltage after adjusting this.

 

[Michael_205]

I have no info on whether a BIOS update would solve your fan speed control problem. Maybe Gigabyte Tech Support could answer that. But before you go that route, try a couple ideas.

1. Try NOT using the SIV software tool. Its major advantage is that you can use it to examine information and adjust things while running Windows, rather than being restricted solely to doing it in BIOS Setup. IF you find that you CAN get things set in BIOS Setup BUT they revert to wrong after you boot Windows, then try UN-installing SIV so that Windows never loads and runs it.

2. In BIOS Setup I see you have set the SYS_FAN headers to use a custom fan curve. It MAY be that, by choosing that option, you have reset the choice of control MODE to PWM. That might be done in a couple of ways. One might be that, no matter what you do, using the Manual speed control option insists on using PWM Mode. OR, maybe it's just a sequence thing and you can change it this way. For each header, go into its settings and set your Manual Control option and its speed curve. THEN choose the Voltage Control Mode. SAVE and EXIT and see if that works. (Note also above my suggestion about not letting SIV change this.)

3. About the rear exhaust fan stopping, look closely at the settings for its SYS_FAN header. See manual p. 26 under "Fan Stop". There you can choose to specify the minimum temperature for this fan to run - set it lower to avoid having it stop. Note that this appears to use the custom fan curve, so you may need to re-set the Mode to Voltage after adjusting this.

Thanks yet again for the reply

During the wait, I have actually resetted the PC a few times and played with the smart fan settings. I have tried it in Silent, Normal, and Manual modes. I always set the fans to Voltage instead of Auto, and I have even tried resetting the BIOS to default and then redoing these steps.

For the SIV program, I have uninstalled it as I wasn't able to run it. As mentioned earlier, I kept getting an error. In fact, the SIV program was the key to fixing this issue a few months back before the Windows update which messed it all up. However due to its inability to run or even uninstall properly, I resorted to the Windows Install/Uninstall troubleshooter tool. Now I can't even reinstall the SIV anymore as when I run the SIV setup, it thinks that the system already has SIV installed so it asks if I want to modify/repair/remove, but selecting any of the three options would lead to the message telling me that "This only works if the program is installed".

I have also consulted the Gigabyte forums, but it appears many others are experiencing this issue, although I have read a few posts where people noted that a BIOS update fixed it. However it appears to be an issue exclusive to Gigabyte.

 

[Paperdoc]

I can believe easily that this problem affects mostly certain Gigabyte mobos. It appears to be a "bug" in the mobo's BIOS. I guess the reports by others that a BIOS Update solved the problem is a ray of hope. You might check with Gigabyte Tech Support to see if they can verify that an update really will solve this problem. While you're at it, ask about the odd behaviour that the SIV software appears to be Uninstalled, but may not be.

 

[Michael_205]

I can believe easily that this problem affects mostly certain Gigabyte mobos. It appears to be a "bug" in the mobo's BIOS. I guess the reports by others that a BIOS Update solved the problem is a ray of hope. You might check with Gigabyte Tech Support to see if they can verify that an update really will solve this problem. While you're at it, ask about the odd behaviour that the SIV software appears to be Uninstalled, but may not be.

I see. I wil do that. Thanks so much yet again for your answers. I guess as of now aside from the BIOS issue which I will consult with Gigabyte, my main question has been resolved.

Thanks

 

[Paperdoc]

You're welcome, and thanks for Best Solution.