is fan switch safe?

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Vichy97

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Sep 12, 2013
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So I have really loud fans that I would like to be able to turn off when not needed without opening the case each time but I also don't want to pay $25 just for a fan controller. I was thinking of buying this: http://www.directron.com/switch.html but that looks the same as a fan mod. I heard fan mods damage your PSU because the power will go back into your PSU causing long term damage. Is this true? Or there a safer or easier way to do this?
 
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Install PWM Fans and manage them with Software through the MOBO or use a Fan controller - anything else is just a hack really :)

If your fans are just connected via a Molex direct to the PSU, then a Fan controller is really what is needed as they will just run at 100% unless you have the fans with the little 3 way switch for slow, medium and high.

Disconnecting them and then reconnecting them is not a good idea - you'll wear out the Molex couplings.

Seriously though, invest in PWM Fans they will scale speed depending on temperature (which is the whole point of the fans existence)...and they're not as expensive as you think - http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=PWM&N=-1&isNodeId=1
What brand and model is your Motherboard?
 
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Thank you I should have bought pwm fans but i didn't know the difference at the time I bought them. But regardless I got 4 molex fans for 10$ and I just want to know if the product in the link would damage. I really only need the fans when I am playing a game like crysis. I already have a CPU cooler so the temps don't get that high other wise.
 
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With no fans running, I think the inside of your case (and all of your components) are just going to get hotter and hotter and hotter as the heat generated has no way to get out of the case. I think you would be better off slowing the fans down with pigtail resistor adapters for under $2 per fan. Find some happy medium where the fans are moving some air out of the case, but not howling like a tornado.

The adaptors are just like a short 8 inch extension cable. Plug one between the fan header (or splitter) and each fan. Should cut the noise of the fans in at least half.
 
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Ok my case was fine before I bought the fans I just bought them so I could play games like crysis without too much heat. If I buy a molex to pwm adapter will the automatically adjust speed? Or do they do they have to be pwm originally?
 
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Isn't that for 3 pin? I have molex and I also don't want to spend more than $5 or else I would just buy a fan controller. I just want to know if the product in my link will damage the PSU. It is basically just a molex extender with a on/off switch in the middle.
 
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The Phanteks hub has one connector that goes to a Molex from the power supply. And second connector that goes to ONE 4-pin PWM header on the motherboard (most likely the CPU fan header). The fans that connect to it and are are controlled by it are 3-pin fans. That's the whole idea is to be able to have automatic temperature based speed control for 3-pin fans.

NOTE: There's no reason that you couldn't also connect 4-pin fans to the headers, too. In that case, the 4-pin fans would act just like 3-pin fans with the same variable voltage speed control.

As far as I can tell, as long as your motherboard has a variable speed PWM CPU fan from a 4-pin header (as all all stock Intel and AMD fan coolers have had for many years), this hub can be used to control up to 8 more fans, using the speed/temperature curves of the CPU fan -- very slow at idle, very fast at full load (such as gaming or video rendering).
 
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If the adapter or controller costs more than PWM Fans - just buy new PWM fans to plug into the MOBO Headers instead of converting your old Molex ones....
 
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Im sure the controller can run 11 fans...but how many can your PSU run on a single 12 volt Molex that you plug into the controller to supply the power to the fans? That's the issue :)
 
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