Question is it safe to use a splitter to connect more cha fans into the motherboard

May 10, 2019
12
0
10
hi looking forward to build a pc im on a tight budget.In my motherboard there is only one cpu fan port and one cha fan port
is it safe to use a splitter to connect three fans into the same port
plz reply quickly
 

Paperdoc

Polypheme
Ambassador
Yes, IF you follow the rules.

In almost all cases, each fan header on a mobo can supply up to 1.0 A total current to all fans connected to it. (There are a few mobos that have one header able to do more, but do not expect that unless your mobo manual says that clearly.) When you use a SPLITTER (more later) you MUST look up the specs of the fans you are using and add up their MAX current use. These days, most plain fans pull 0.08 to 0.25 A max, so three of those is OK on a single CHA_FAN header. However, watch out for LED Fans. These are the first lighted fan type that hit the market, and they always have only one colour of lights in their frames, and have only ONE power cable coming out of the fan. In them the LED's are simply connected in parallel with the fan motor for their power, so they add to the max load and can pull 0.3 to 0.5 A max per LED Fan.

The newer lighted fans, called RGB Fans (either plain RGB or Addressable RGB) have different systems in which the multi-coloured LED's in the frame are powered and controlled separately, so the fan has TWO cables - one for the motor only (that's the one you need to get the Amp spec on) and one for the RGB lights only with a different type of connector to plugs into a different header.

Now, also watch out for the labels on these devices, because they are used wrongly quite often, in my opinion. The way I see them, a SPLITTER is a simple device that only connects all its fans in parallel to the power supplied by the mobo header. It has one "arm" ending in a female (with holes) fan connector to go the a mobo CHA_FAN header, and two or more "arms" ending in male (with pins) fan connectors to plug in your fans. Among those output connectors, VERY often only one has all of its pins, and the others are missing Pin #3. This is to ensure that the speed signal from only ONE of the fans is fed back to the mobo header. That header cannot deal with more than one fan' s speed signal, so the Splitter should ensure that all the other fans' speeds are ignored completely. A Splitter may look like a group of cable arms, or perhaps like a small printed circuit board with male pins for ports.

A HUB is a different device that also can be used to connect multiple fans to a single mobo header. It may be a group of arms, a printed circuit board, or a closed box with ports in openings. It has the single cable to the mobo header, two or more (often 4 to 10) output ports, PLUS one third "arm" or cable that MUST plug into a power output connector (either SATA or 4-pin Molex) from the PSU. This device gets all power for its fans directly from the PSU so it is NOT subject to the 1.0 A current limit of a mobo header. It also MUST receive from the host header the PWM signal from Pin #4 of a 4-pin header. (Note that most mobos now use 4-pin units for every header, BUT that they may NOT be using the new PWM Mode for control and thus may NOT send out that PWM signal on Pin #4.) Thus, a HUB can power and control many fans with no load limit on the mobo CHA_FAN header used, BUT it can only operate for use with the new 4-pin fans, and only if the mobo header does actually use the PWM Mode of control. (There are a very few unusual Hub designs that can be used with older 3-pin fans that require Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode) because they "convert" from one control Mode to the other.) When reading a Hub's description, beware the phrase "compatible with 3-pin fans". Any 3-pin fan CAN be plugged into a 4-pin fan header (or Hub port) that is using PWM Mode to control, but it will always run full speed. You get good cooling, but no speed control in this "mis-matching" situation.

So, OP, IF you are using only 4-pin fans and your mobo's CHA_FAN header can be configured for PWM Mode (some can, some are only this way, but NO 3-pin mobo CHA_FAN header can do this), then you could use either a Splitter or a Hub to connect three fans to your only CHA_FAN header. However, if you are using any 3-pin fans, they can have their speed controlled only by the older Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode), and almost no Hub can do that, so you need to use a Splitter and you need to configure your CHA_FAN header to use that older control Mode. IF you use a Splitter, all the power can only come from the CHA_FAN header, so you must limit yourself to a max total current load of 1.0 A.

If you need help figuring out the current draw of the fans you are considering, or in figuring out the capabilities of the CHA_FAN header of your mobo, post back here with the maker names and exact model numbers of your fans and mobo.
 
May 10, 2019
12
0
10
Yes, IF you follow the rules.

In almost all cases, each fan header on a mobo can supply up to 1.0 A total current to all fans connected to it. (There are a few mobos that have one header able to do more, but do not expect that unless your mobo manual says that clearly.) When you use a SPLITTER (more later) you MUST look up the specs of the fans you are using and add up their MAX current use. These days, most plain fans pull 0.08 to 0.25 A max, so three of those is OK on a single CHA_FAN header. However, watch out for LED Fans. These are the first lighted fan type that hit the market, and they always have only one colour of lights in their frames, and have only ONE power cable coming out of the fan. In them the LED's are simply connected in parallel with the fan motor for their power, so they add to the max load and can pull 0.3 to 0.5 A max per LED Fan.

The newer lighted fans, called RGB Fans (either plain RGB or Addressable RGB) have different systems in which the multi-coloured LED's in the frame are powered and controlled separately, so the fan has TWO cables - one for the motor only (that's the one you need to get the Amp spec on) and one for the RGB lights only with a different type of connector to plugs into a different header.

Now, also watch out for the labels on these devices, because they are used wrongly quite often, in my opinion. The way I see them, a SPLITTER is a simple device that only connects all its fans in parallel to the power supplied by the mobo header. It has one "arm" ending in a female (with holes) fan connector to go the a mobo CHA_FAN header, and two or more "arms" ending in male (with pins) fan connectors to plug in your fans. Among those output connectors, VERY often only one has all of its pins, and the others are missing Pin #3. This is to ensure that the speed signal from only ONE of the fans is fed back to the mobo header. That header cannot deal with more than one fan' s speed signal, so the Splitter should ensure that all the other fans' speeds are ignored completely. A Splitter may look like a group of cable arms, or perhaps like a small printed circuit board with male pins for ports.

A HUB is a different device that also can be used to connect multiple fans to a single mobo header. It may be a group of arms, a printed circuit board, or a closed box with ports in openings. It has the single cable to the mobo header, two or more (often 4 to 10) output ports, PLUS one third "arm" or cable that MUST plug into a power output connector (either SATA or 4-pin Molex) from the PSU. This device gets all power for its fans directly from the PSU so it is NOT subject to the 1.0 A current limit of a mobo header. It also MUST receive from the host header the PWM signal from Pin #4 of a 4-pin header. (Note that most mobos now use 4-pin units for every header, BUT that they may NOT be using the new PWM Mode for control and thus may NOT send out that PWM signal on Pin #4.) Thus, a HUB can power and control many fans with no load limit on the mobo CHA_FAN header used, BUT it can only operate for use with the new 4-pin fans, and only if the mobo header does actually use the PWM Mode of control. (There are a very few unusual Hub designs that can be used with older 3-pin fans that require Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode) because they "convert" from one control Mode to the other.) When reading a Hub's description, beware the phrase "compatible with 3-pin fans". Any 3-pin fan CAN be plugged into a 4-pin fan header (or Hub port) that is using PWM Mode to control, but it will always run full speed. You get good cooling, but no speed control in this "mis-matching" situation.

So, OP, IF you are using only 4-pin fans and your mobo's CHA_FAN header can be configured for PWM Mode (some can, some are only this way, but NO 3-pin mobo CHA_FAN header can do this), then you could use either a Splitter or a Hub to connect three fans to your only CHA_FAN header. However, if you are using any 3-pin fans, they can have their speed controlled only by the older Voltage Control Mode (aka DC Mode), and almost no Hub can do that, so you need to use a Splitter and you need to configure your CHA_FAN header to use that older control Mode. IF you use a Splitter, all the power can only come from the CHA_FAN header, so you must limit yourself to a max total current load of 1.0 A.

If you need help figuring out the current draw of the fans you are considering, or in figuring out the capabilities of the CHA_FAN header of your mobo, post back here with the maker names and exact model numbers of your fans and mobo.
accutual i got them with cooler master materbox k500l and my mobo has a cpu fan head and cha fan head