Question Need Fan Hub That Can Control Voltage (non PWM).

May 2, 2019
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Is there a hub/fan controller that allows non-PWM fan speeds to be controlled in the BIOS via voltage? I really don't want to tee 3 fans from one fan header on the MOBO.

Thanks!
 
I installed it in a computer that I'm building for my brother.

Since the GPU is still pending, I haven't fired-up the configuration, yet, but I did choose that one based on the kind of feedback I found about it. These kinds of products are very simple in nature, so there really isn't much that can go wrong with it.
 
In theory...well, and in practice, too...dc motors can be (and are) run and speed controlled via PWM, so it may not be an issue for a lot of people. The issue is one of controlling specific fans in this way, and I haven't investigated this in any particular depth because I run all of my fans at full speed all of the time.
 
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Under Product Description: "*Speed control function is unavailable for 3 pin fans."

So, if you don't mind the fans running at full-speed, it'll "work", but you wanted speed control, didn't you?

The speed control circuitry is going to be a bit more of an outlay.
 
True. However, case manufacturers still ship cases with $3.00 DC fans installed, rather than the more pricey PWM models. This keeps case prices down, and emotionally commits the buyer to a specific technology--particularly on the larger cases where outfitting it fully with good quality PWM fans exceeds the retail cost of the case.
 
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The correct answer for your situation is the Phanteks PWM Hub. Some background info to help understand.

The ONLY way to control the speed of a 3-pin fan is to vary the voltage supplied to it on Pin #2 - that is called Voltage Control Mode or DC Mode of HOW to control the fan speed. The new 4-pin fan design is called PWM fans. In that system, Pin #2 is always the full 12 VDC, and the new PWM pulse signal is on Pin #4. Inside the motor case there's a small chip that uses that PWM signal to modify the flow of current from the +12 VDC supply through motor windings to change the speed. That's called PWM Mode of control. As a backwards compatibility feature of this newer design, IF you connect such a fan to an older header using Voltage Control Mode, the PWM fan will not receive a signal to use for modifying current, BUT it will receive varying supply voltage on Pin #2 and WILL have its speed controlled this way. That's not quite as good as proper PWM Mode control, but it works.

NOTE that these "PWM Fans" used in computers are NOT the type that is used elsewhere for "PWM Speed Control". The technology for that using classic DC motors and pulse-modulated supply voltage can NOT be used with the small brushless motors used in computer fans. For the most part, this is because the computer fan motor design uses solid state active circuitry to mimic commutator operation, and such components can NOT use a pulsed voltage supply. For this reason all the computer fan makers specifically recommend that you should NOT try to feed their motors from a PWM-controlled power supply commonly used elsewhere for DC motor speed control.

Unlike almost all other PWM Hubs for computer fans, the Phanteks PWM Hub does its work differently. It "converts" from one control Mode to another. It MUST have a connection to a mobo fan header that really is using the new PWM Mode to control its fans, so that the PWM signal the Hub needs is supplied on Pin #4. But then internally it uses that to create its own group of six 3-pin fan headers using only Voltage Control Mode. Like other Hubs it uses a direct connection to a SATA power output form the PSU for power to all its fans, so it does not load up the mobo host header. Because the new 4-pin PWM fan design CAN have its speed controlled by the older Voltage Control Mode (above), this Hub can be used with any mix of 3- and 4-pin fans. Is specs say five of its output headers (excepting the white Port #1) can be used with Splitters to supply two fans per port, and for that purpose it includes two Splitters with the Hub (more can be purchased and used). Those Splitters are also useful for another point. The spacing of the Hub's ports is so tight it is hard to get a standard 4-pin female fan connector onto one of the Hub's 3-pin outputs. But by using an included Splitter you can avoid that spacing issue to connect to a 4-pin fan (or two, of course).

A mobo fan header can accept the speed pulse signal returned to it via Pin #3 from the fan motor for counting to display the speed. BUT it can only deal with a pulse train signal from ONE fan - any more causes total confusion, wrong readings, and possibly error messages. So all proper Splitters and Hubs will return to their host mobo header the speed of only ONE of their fans, and you as the user need to ensure that the one fan that is most important or representative in the group is the one connected to that output port that CAN send back its speed signal. For the Phanteks PWM Hub, that is the white Port #1.

The instructions for the Phanteks PWM Hub particularly recommend that you plug it into the CPU_FAN mobo header and then connect the real CPU cooler to Port #1. That is only because almost all current mobos can and do use the new PWM Mode to control their fans, and the Hub MUST have a PWM signal to operate. Furthermore, IF you do this, then the most important fan speed that NEEDS to be monitored by the CPU_FAN header is the real CPU cooler. HOWEVER, if you are powering a group of CASE ventilation fans, doing it this way puts their control under the influence of the temperature sensor built into the CPU chip, whereas case fans really should be controlled by the sensor in the motherboard. So IF your mobo allows you to configure one or more of the SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN headers to use PWM Mode (and most mobos do allow this, although not always as the default setting), you are better to connect the Phanteks PWM Hub's fan connector to one of those SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN headers and plug into the Hub only case ventilation fans, ensuring that one of them is on Port#1. Then the real CPU cooler should be connected to the CPU_FAN header and monitored and controlled there.
 
Last edited:
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The correct answer for your situation is the Phanteks PWM Hub. Some background info to help understand.

The ONLY way to control the speed of a 3-pin fan is to vary the voltage supplied to it on Pin #2 - that is called Voltage Control Mode or DC Mode of HOW to control the fan speed. The new 4-pin fan design is called PWM fans. In that system, Pin #2 is always the full 12 VDC, and the new PWM pulse signal is on Pin #4. Inside the motor case there's a small chip that uses that PWM signal to modify the flow of current from the +12 VDC supply through motor windings to change the speed. That's called PWM Mode of control. As a backwards compatibility feature of this newer design, IF you connect such a fan to an older header using Voltage Control Mode, the PWM fan will not receive a signal to use for modifying current, BUT it will receive varying supply voltage on Pin #2 and WILL have its speed controlled this way. That's not quite as good as proper PWM Mode control, but it works.

NOTE that these "PWM Fans" used in computers are NOT the type that is used elsewhere for "PWM Speed Control". The technology for that using classic DC motors and pulse-modulated supply voltage can NOT be used with the small brushless motors used in computer fans. For the most part, this is because the computer fan motor design uses solid state active circuitry to mimic commutator operation, and such components can NOT use a pulsed voltage supply. For this reason all the computer fan makers specifically recommend that you should NOT try to feed their motors from a PWM-controlled power supply commonly used elsewhere for DC motor speed control.

Unlike almost all other PWM Hubs for computer fans, the Phanteks PWM Hub does its work differently. It "converts" from one control Mode to another. It MUST have a connection to a mobo fan header that really is using the new PWM Mode to control its fans, so that the PWM signal the Hub needs is supplied on Pin #4. But then internally it uses that to create its own group of six 3-pin fan headers using only Voltage Control Mode. Like other Hubs it uses a direct connection to a SATA power output form the PSU for power to all its fans, so it does not load up the mobo host header. Because the new 4-pin PWM fan design CAN have its speed controlled by the older Voltage Control Mode (above), this Hub can be used with any mix of 3- and 4-pin fans. Is specs say five of its output headers (excepting the white Port #1) can be used with Splitters to supply two fans per port, and for that purpose it includes two Splitters with the Hub (more can by purchased and used). Those Splitters are also useful for another point. The spacing of the Hub's ports is so tight it is hard to get a standard 4-pin female fan connector onto one of the Hub's 3-pin outputs. But by using an included Splitter you can avoid that spacing issue to connect to a 4-pin fan (or two, of course).

A mobo fan header can accept the speed pulse signal returned to it via Pin #3 from the fan motor for counting to display the speed. BUT it can only deal with a pulse train signal from ONE fan - any more causes total confusion, wrong readings, and possibly error messages. So all proper Splitters and Hubs will return to their host mobo header the speed of only ONE of their fans, and you as the user need to ensure that the one fan that is most important or representative in the group is the one connected to that output port that CAN send back its speed signal. For the Phanteks PWM Hub, that is the white Port #1.

The instructions for the Phanteks PWM Hub particularly recommend that you plug it into the CPU_FAN mobo header and then connect the real CPU cooler to Port #1. That is only because almost all current mobos can and do use the new PWM Mode to control their fans, and the Hub MUST have a PWM signal to operate. Furthermore, IF you do this, then the most important fan speed that NEEDS to be monitored by the CPU_FAN header is the real CPU cooler. HOWEVER, if you are powering a group of CASE ventilation fans, doing it this way puts their control under the influence of the temperature sensor built into the CPU chip, whereas case fans really should be controlled by the sensor in the motherboard. So IF your mobo allows you to configure one or more of the SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN headers to use PWM Mode (and most mobos do allow this, although not always as the default setting), you are better to connect the Phanteks PWM Hub's fan connector to one of those SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN headers and plug into the Hub only case ventilation fans, ensuring that one of them is on Port#1. Then the real CPU cooler should be connected to the CPU_FAN header and monitored and controlled there.

Great explanation. Thanks. I did end up purchasing the Phantecks with AllanGH's suggestion. I have not installed it but will report have with my experience.