Question install noctua fans with noctua NA-SYC

Blos88

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Feb 3, 2016
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hello

i ordered:

4 noctua fans:


Noctua NF-F12 iPPC 3000 PWM x3

Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM x1

when i plug 1 on the 4 pin slot no problem, but i plug the 4 pikn fan on the 3 pin slot it doesnt work

whatg can i do?

my mobo is asus tuf pro gaming 450m
 

Paperdoc

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But you cannot plug a 4-pin fan female connector into any 3- or 4-pin lighting header - pin spacing is wrong. Plus, that mobo has only 4-pin RGB headers. So we still are questioning WHAT header has 3 pins? In the mobo manual the only one I see with 3 pins (a (4-1) arrangement) is an SPDIF header.

MAYBE a related problem. OP's post says he's having problems with ONE fan, BUT he has 4 fans, and 3 of them are iPPC 3000 RPM units. These are specs'd to use max 0.3 A per fan. Plus 0.09 A for the fourth smaller unit. That is right at the limit of 1.0 A max for total load on any single fan header. Maybe the header is overload if ALL fans are on one header. But even that is hard to do with Splitters that have only two outputs.
 
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Karadjgne

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You'd need a minimum of 2 splitters, if using a 2way and 3way, or 3 splitters if using 2way alone. It couldn't be a 4way splitter as every one I've ever seen has a power plug attached, so no fans would spin unless powered by the psu.

But the sp/dif header makes sense. Can't remember the last time I actually saw a motherboard with only 1 fan header, must be 20 odd years ago, even mITX has at least a cpu and single system fan header.
 

Paperdoc

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Actually, the mobo OP specified says it has 1 CPU_FAN and 2 SYS_FAN headers, all with 4 pins and configurable in BIOS Setup for Voltage Control Mode or PWM Mode. It has two 4-pin plain RGB headers and no (4-1) PIN argb HEADERS. And of course, those Noctua fans have no second cable for lighting. So what ports he / she tried to use it an open question. And how he / she tried to force a 4-hole female fan splitter onto whatever 3-pin header is a concern!
 

Karadjgne

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You can put a 4pin on a 3pin header or vice versa. Mobo's haven't used closed end headers in forever, they generally have a plastic backstop behind the pins which allows the key on the connector space to fit, which keeps alignment straight. Assuming aftermarket fans that is. Dell fans are often either proprietary pinned or 5pin connectors for instance.
 

Paperdoc

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Yeah, fan headers have that feature of easy to mix, and for good reason. My point is that there are NO 3-pin FAN headers on that mobo. So whatever 3-pin header OP means, it has DIFFERENT pin spacing and pin diameters from any standard fan header. You should not be ablt to plug a standard female fan connector onto that.
 

Karadjgne

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I agree, you should not be able to.

But, not everyone is a Rocket Scientist, and there are those select few with less common sense than a pile of rocks and insist on cramming an 8pin pcie into the EPS 4+4, even though it's keyed to not be able to. Or reusing old modular psu cables just because by some fluke of manufacturer choice in connectors, they happen to physically fit the new modular psu.

Should not, by its very definition, implies the possibility of will, would, can, could, does or did, no matter how slim the chance.
 
Jul 22, 2022
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Think OP might be talking about the 3 pin header on the NA-SYC1, which is Noctuas Y cable splitter to plug into a single mobo header. One of the cables has a 4pin for PWM control, whereas the second cable is a 3 pin and acts as a slave fan
 

Paperdoc

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Well, that's a good suggestion. It does then raise the question, why one way "doesn't work"? Let's suppose you're right - OP has plugged only ONE 4-pin fan into a Splitter output with only THREE pins, and then that Splitter is plugged into some mobo header. What do we expect?

  1. If the header is configured for PWM Mode, then the fan should operate perfectly normally, except that the header's display will not be able to show the fan speed.
  2. If the header is configured for DC or Voltage Control Mode, same - normal operation but no speed display.
  3. If the header is configured for Auto selection of Mode, it will test using PWM Mode and find that there is NO speed change from that, so it will switch to DC Mode. Result is same as #2.
  4. If the header in use is particularly the CPU_FAN header it will receive NO speed signal from the fan. In that case this may be a mobo (like many) that refuses to allow start-up of the system when there is NO apparent cooling available for the CPU. So in this case the system would "start" for a second or two then shut down completely.
We do not know what OP meant by "doesn't work", so we can't be sure of the cause and remedy.
 

Karadjgne

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Which then beggars the question why would Op then plug a 4pin fan into only the 3pin of the splitter, when obviously the 4pin lead is open, and the same length, if the splitter is being used as an extension for some odd reason.

But, that relies on if the Op is using the splitter and not one of the LNA or ULNA extensions, which can be 3pin single lead extensions, which accomplishes #4 above, but also can cut fan rpm so low that it's actually below the bios default startup voltage, so even if the rpm was actually read, its below startup threshold. So doesn't spin.

PWM fans can act the same as DC fans, as far as voltage control goes, but can have issues below @ 9v as the motor is not the same, nor designed for low voltage use.
 

Paperdoc

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True, good point, Karadjgne, I always advise people NOT to use those LNA's unless they are connecting to a fixed uncontrolled 12 VDC supply (like, from the PSU via Molex). But still, the normal sequence I am used to is that, at initial start-up, a fan header sends out full 12 VDC to ensure the fan does start, then throttles that down either by reducing voltage or sending a low-speed PWM signal. Thereafter if it gets a zero-speed signal it first attempts a re-start with a full-speed signal or Voltage. If that fails to get a good speed signal it issues its on-screen warning of fan failure. Now, if OP's connection yields NO speed signal, what I call "normal" would result in the fan starting up at full speed, then maybe slowing down and maybe stalling, followed by the failed fan warning. That is, if that warning has not been disabled in BIOS Setup. But again, we do not know whether or not OP observed a sequence like that - no details.

Worst case (possibly) would happen if OP used BOTH of the two LNA's supplied by Noctua. The combo certainly could reduce the fan voltage to well below even 5 VDC, very likely to fail to start up the motor at all.
 
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