My fans aren't working?

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H3llo

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Jul 11, 2004
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Hello, I'm new here, pretty much newbie to any hardware related subject.

Anyway, this is my story;

I wanted to check my CPU's temeperatures, so at first, I used Aida32. Everything was working smoothly and fine, I could see my CPU's temperatures, but I didn't find any option to see my fans' RPMs. That's why I searched for a particular software, that will show my such details. After a little searching, I found <A HREF="http://mbm.livewiredev.com/" target="_new">Motherboard Monitor</A>. I configured the software as required, I had chosen the right company, the right module, and Celsius as the units to show the temperature.

I tried to understand where I should see the details which the program shows, but besides the icon at the tray I couldn't find anything. I kept searching, and finally understood that if you right-click the icon, then 'Dashboard', the details show themselves in a little window. Well, so the details were shown, I searched a little for the fans' details, and I see they're all 0 RPM. Now, that's possoble, right? Because if it really were like that, the fans wouldn't work, and the CPU would melt a long time ago, or something, right? However, I wasn't sure, that's why I'm asking, perhaps the CPU could exist without fans, I don't know... And there is also a fan on the graphics card, right? Well, it doesn't make sense that all my fans aren't working, so just in case, I took a picture, <A HREF="http://www.pictor.co.il/slmke3/118983/2432519.jpg" target="_new">HERE</A>.

So I wanted to ask the experts in the subject!

Thanks in advance.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by H3llo on 07/11/04 08:06 AM.</EM></FONT></P>
 
Your fans are definitely working, or your temps would be a lot hotter than that and your system would crash all the time, and almost immediately(plus you'd have components dying).

MBM probalby just doesn't work right with your board. Try to find the monitoring software that your actual motherboard manufacturer provides.
 
DC fans need to be equipped with a pulse encoder to "tell" the PC mainboard fan header socket what the fan's RPM is. Older DC fans often don't have this built into them or, there is a thermal limit diode that either shuts the system down if it gets too hot (fan stops) or throttles it back to where it can survive without the fan (Intel CPU's).
 
Oops... Double post!<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by H3llo on 07/12/04 01:11 AM.</EM></FONT></P>
 
Thanks everyone for the replies!

Now... What does 'DC' mean? Does it mean 'Direct Current'? If my fans are 'DC', then are there any fans which are not? Just a question, not exactly related to the subject, so you don't have to answer that.

Actually, I know about the thing that Intel CPU's shut themselves down when the temperature gets too high. So, does it mean that, basically I can't view my fans' RPMs? It's only that I don't think my motherboard has an especially made software particulary for this... That's all.

And yes, my fans do work... It's just that I want to know whether they are working fine or not.

Finally, if my PC is not too old, and yet Motherboard Monitor doesn't display my fans' RPMs, is there anything else I can try?

Thanks again, I really appreciate that!
 
Yes, DC means direct current, which is what your PC runs off of. You need both two items to read fan RPM, the pulse signal from the fan, and a software program that reads the signal off of the detector on the motherboard. Asus, for instance, has the software + detector built into the board.

Older boards don't have the feature to read the pulses from the fan but...there are fan control strips that will add the feature to your board IF you have pulse encoded type fans (go buy these for a few bucks). The option will go into a 5 1/4" bay and your fans will plug into this PC board and it in turn uses the 5 or 12V from your standard Molex connector. Try price watch (ww.pricewatch.com) to find a "fan header" control center.
 
Thanks again.

But, I got another answer... Which is quite different. I was told that I can't display my fans' RPM because they're connected with a Malkus/Molcos (something like that, I have no idea how to write that, but I do know that it's 4-pins connection) connection, not 3-pins (directly to the motherboard). So, I was also told that if I connect my fans (that's where I'm confused, they're all connected to this Molcos and I need to connect them to the 3-pins connection? Is it also one cable with more than one holes?), to the 3-pins connection, I will be able to read my fans' RPMS. Is it correct? Which answer is right? Yours or the other one? Am I going crazy? Will I stay alive to ask all my questions?

One last thing... Say I want to connect my fans' somehow to the 3-pins connection, I was told that I'll need a diagram of my motherboard that will point out where it is. So, where can I get a diagram of my motherboard? I already tried the official homepage, but nothing... Only support, questions and and answers.

Thanks in advance.
 
your fan is connected to 4 pin molex connector.

for the motherboard to read the fan rpm, a 5V pulse signal must be connected to motherboard fan plug. Without it your fan will still run just as well, however the SuperI/O on your motherboard cannot detect the correct signal to display your fan rpm.
 
<b>Jammydodger</b>: Now I know that my fans work... I only want to know their RPMs.

<b>Colt357TW</b>: Yes, I got that earlier... Ummm, so, you, or anyone else have a site or some place where I can get motherboards' diagrams so I'll know what and where to connect my fans? That's what I was told... Correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks again.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by H3llo on 07/13/04 07:33 AM.</EM></FONT></P>
 
What you refer to (with the 4 Pin plug) is called a "MOLEX" connector. Molex connectors go to power supply plugs that don't offer the sensor to read the pulse encoding (if the fan has it) for RPM sensing.

The 3 pin motherboard header fans do allow fan Rpm’s. They are not too hard to find. You should have a 3-pin plug on your motherboard labeled as "chassis_fan" or something like that. But, if you have an older board, not even these plugs have the "sense" lead for RPM, they just supply power to the fan. If your computer BIOS doesn't show that fan speed is selectable for monitoring, you probably don't have the option built in. Dell's, as good as they are, are still built to a price and MANY features are left off the motherboard to hit the values target they need to sell you a product verses have you make it yourself. Ever wonder why you get so much software? Well, the skipped hardware features help supply it.

Now, you can add a fan-monitoring header, as I said before and add it back in, for a price. For instance,
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-118-205&depa=1
or, Enermax UC-A8FATR4 Fan Controller @ http://www.ocia.net/reviews/enermaxfci/enermaxfci.shtml is an example. But, you still need to buy the type of fan your selected header will needs.


Or, type in "fan controller" into your Google search engine and pick one that seems best for you. Some do speed with RPM readouts, some just allow you to adjust thew speed of one to six fans individually.
 
I want to check if the feature is present in the motherboard Shuttle AV18 (not AV18E, just AV18). I know it's old, but... Anyway, it's not mine, I have an Intel Garibaldi D850GB. I'm just asking out of curiousity. Thanks, rower30.
 
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