Modding Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS Fans

[SavageNorseman]

Hey guys,

I asked this question to Thermaltake technical support first and this was their response:

Hello,
Thank you for contacting Thermaltake Customer Service.
Cutting or modifying fan will damage fan and void its warranty. Simply purchase a 4pin to 3pin molex adapter like the one shown here

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34_82&products_id=608

That's nice and all but the case is now over 3 years old so I kind of doubt it's still under warranty, and I really just don't care anyway.

My only concern is if I mod the fans do I risk harming my motherboard, and here is why I ask.

Logic would seem to indicate that these are "high-powered" fans of some sort, thus being wired as 4-pin molex instead of 3-pin fan to begin with. So are these things going to try to draw more power than my mobo can put out, thus over-volting/damaging it somehow?

I am damn near determined to mod these fans into 3-pins myself I just don't want to hurt my mobo. If this job can't be done without risking damage (to the motherboard not the fans) then I will just buy new fans >_<

Original Question to Thermaltake:

I was just wondering if there was a specific reason the 120mm Blue LED fans in this case (Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS) are wired to power and ground via 4-pin molex connector and only the tachometer signal (yellow wire) is wired via 3-pin fan connector to the motherboard.

My question is can I cut or modify the 4 pin molex connector and connect all three wires to the same 3-pin motherboard header instead of having separate power and ground going only to the molex 4-pin connector? Is there a voltage issue in doing this? Will it damage my motherboard?

The fans cannot be more then 12V can they? - What voltage are the 120mm blue led fans in the case rated at? - What voltage are the 90mm fans in the case rated at? Can I modify these in the same way -- 3-pin fan connector instead of 4-pin molex -- as it is now from the factory?

P.S. I first posed this question to FrozenCPU.com and they responded only that the motherboard supplies a 12 volt power. Various online forums tell me that the motherboard can adjust the power supplied to the fan from 5V to 12V as needed. Is this true -- in general?

My Mobo: Asus M2N SLI-Deluxe
PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower Modular 700W
Fans: Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS stock 120mm Blue LED x2 and 90mm plain fan x2 (ugly orange blades)

P.P.S. If this was posted in the wrong forum section somehow, please move my post 😀 I'm sorry if that is the case.

 

[treefrog07]

1) The fans are 12V
2) The motherboard's 3 and 4-pin fan connectors can supply up to 12V
3) You can mod the fans' wires to 3-pin connectors.
4) Variable power to the motherboard pins is applied through:
-- the BIOS for many motherboards, based on various temps.
-- Or through motherboard software.
5) My experieince has been that neither the BIOS, nor software will control more than the CPU fan, and 2 or 3 sys_fan connectors on the motherboard, but your motherboard BIOS/software may be different.

 

[SavageNorseman]

Thanks so much frog! 😀 This is exactly what I needed to know.

I wonder why Thermaltake decided to wire those fans as 4 pin molex and 3 pin tachometer separately?

That's the only thing that has me stumped.

 

[SavageNorseman]

Best answer selected by savagenorseman.

 

[shovenose]

i know: cuz not all mobos have all the 3pin headers, but most have excess 4pin molexes. and so the 3pin signal wire is optional any way

 

[treefrog07]

Thanks so much frog! 😀 This is exactly what I needed to know.

I wonder why Thermaltake decided to wire those fans as 4 pin molex and 3 pin tachometer separately?

That's the only thing that has me stumped.

You are welcome. TT wired them that way to give you (the final the consumer) the option to use the molex OR board power connectors. I cut off the connectors I'm not going to use. Just a quick straight snip!