Question Need help

[zTohka]

hey i'm gonna buy 4 case fans from corsair


but it requires Motherboard with an open standard 4-pin fan connector and i don't know if i can install all these fans or not


knowing that i'm already have 4 fans in the case now but i wanna make sure

 

[erik62905]

You can use a fan splitter if you don't have enough open ports. You just have to make sure the port can handle the voltages and amperages the higher amount of fans will draw. What motherboard do you have?

 

[zTohka]

You can use a fan splitter if you don't have enough open ports. You just have to make sure the port can handle the voltages and amperages the higher amount of fans will draw. What motherboard do you have?

gigabyte b360 hd3

 

[Paperdoc]

First, recognize that you have two different types of fan headers. One is the CPU_FAN header and it should be used ONLY for the CPU cooling system (fan or whatever). It can only use as its guide a temperature sensor inside the CPU chip. The other three all are called SYS_FANn and these are best used for your case ventilation fans. They need a little attention to set their configuration properly. You say you have four fans now and want to add four more. I'm going to assume that you mean that ONE of your fans now is on the CPU and plugged into the CPU_FAN header, while the other three all are plugged into SYS_FANn headers. Is that correct? That would mean you need to connect the added four fans to only three headers.

You have not told us exactly which Corsair fans you plan to buy, and we need that info (exact model numbers or names) to check a couple of details. Of these, the most important is the power they consume, but we also need to know whether they have any lighting devices built into them, and of what type.

General rule: each mobo fan header can supply up to 1.0 A max current to all the fans connected to it. So fan motor max current specs need to be checked when planning to connect more than one to a single header. That is NOT usually a problem, but a few types of fans with lights in them make it slightly trickier. Next point is the type of fans. To keep it simple, it is really desirable to ensure that the new fans are of the same basic design as the existing ones already in use. By that I mean, are they 3-pin or 4-pin? That is, does the fan motor have three wires from it ending in a female connector about 3/8" wide with three holes, and two ridges running down one side? Or, are there 4 wires, and 4 holes in a connector that is a little wider? This has an important impact on how the fan headers should be configured, and also on how the connect several to a single header.

For simpler systems - fans with no lights - the max current typically is 0.1 to 0.3 A each, and using a simple Splitter to connect three (sometimes four) fans to a single header is quite OK. You say the new Corsair fans require 4-pin headers, but we need to know whether the old fans you have already have 4-pin or 3-pin connections on them, to ensure the mix can work together. In some situations you might need a different type of device called a Hub to connect several 4-pin fans together, but sellers often confuse people on whether they are selling you a Splitter or a Hub. So if you give us further details we can advise exactly what to buy and how to connect and configure to get them all working properly.

 

[scout_03]

the motherboard have 3 system fans header with 4 pins so list fna you gone buy .

 

[zTohka]

d

First, recognize that you have two different types of fan headers. One is the CPU_FAN header and it should be used ONLY for the CPU cooling system (fan or whatever). It can only use as its guide a temperature sensor inside the CPU chip. The other three all are called SYS_FANn and these are best used for your case ventilation fans. They need a little attention to set their configuration properly. You say you have four fans now and want to add four more. I'm going to assume that you mean that ONE of your fans now is on the CPU and plugged into the CPU_FAN header, while the other three all are plugged into SYS_FANn headers. Is that correct? That would mean you need to connect the added four fans to only three headers.

You have not told us exactly which Corsair fans you plan to buy, and we need that info (exact model numbers or names) to check a couple of details. Of these, the most important is the power they consume, but we also need to know whether they have any lighting devices built into them, and of what type.

General rule: each mobo fan header can supply up to 1.0 A max current to all the fans connected to it. So fan motor max current specs need to be checked when planning to connect more than one to a single header. That is NOT usually a problem, but a few types of fans with lights in them make it slightly trickier. Next point is the type of fans. To keep it simple, it is really desirable to ensure that the new fans are of the same basic design as the existing ones already in use. By that I mean, are they 3-pin or 4-pin? That is, does the fan motor have three wires from it ending in a female connector about 3/8" wide with three holes, and two ridges running down one side? Or, are there 4 wires, and 4 holes in a connector that is a little wider? This has an important impact on how the fan headers should be configured, and also on how the connect several to a single header.

For simpler systems - fans with no lights - the max current typically is 0.1 to 0.3 A each, and using a simple Splitter to connect three (sometimes four) fans to a single header is quite OK. You say the new Corsair fans require 4-pin headers, but we need to know whether the old fans you have already have 4-pin or 3-pin connections on them, to ensure the mix can work together. In some situations you might need a different type of device called a Hub to connect several 4-pin fans together, but sellers often confuse people on whether they are selling you a Splitter or a Hub. So if you give us further details we can advise exactly what to buy and how to connect and configure to get them all working properly.

no i won't add them im gonna change them remove old fans and install new fans

and this are the fans : Corsair LL Series LL120 RGB, 120mm Dual Light Loop RGB LED PWM Fan, 3 Fan Pack with Lighting Node PRO

 

[Karadjgne]

Easy enough. Buy 2 or 3 way splitter. 1 end goes to mobo header, other side goes to 2/3x fans. I'd suggest keeping pairs/3 together, depending on your case setup.

RGB is different, controlled by the Node Pro, nothing to do with the fan headers.

 

[zTohka]

First, recognize that you have two different types of fan headers. One is the CPU_FAN header and it should be used ONLY for the CPU cooling system (fan or whatever). It can only use as its guide a temperature sensor inside the CPU chip. The other three all are called SYS_FANn and these are best used for your case ventilation fans. They need a little attention to set their configuration properly. You say you have four fans now and want to add four more. I'm going to assume that you mean that ONE of your fans now is on the CPU and plugged into the CPU_FAN header, while the other three all are plugged into SYS_FANn headers. Is that correct? That would mean you need to connect the added four fans to only three headers.

You have not told us exactly which Corsair fans you plan to buy, and we need that info (exact model numbers or names) to check a couple of details. Of these, the most important is the power they consume, but we also need to know whether they have any lighting devices built into them, and of what type.

General rule: each mobo fan header can supply up to 1.0 A max current to all the fans connected to it. So fan motor max current specs need to be checked when planning to connect more than one to a single header. That is NOT usually a problem, but a few types of fans with lights in them make it slightly trickier. Next point is the type of fans. To keep it simple, it is really desirable to ensure that the new fans are of the same basic design as the existing ones already in use. By that I mean, are they 3-pin or 4-pin? That is, does the fan motor have three wires from it ending in a female connector about 3/8" wide with three holes, and two ridges running down one side? Or, are there 4 wires, and 4 holes in a connector that is a little wider? This has an important impact on how the fan headers should be configured, and also on how the connect several to a single header.

For simpler systems - fans with no lights - the max current typically is 0.1 to 0.3 A each, and using a simple Splitter to connect three (sometimes four) fans to a single header is quite OK. You say the new Corsair fans require 4-pin headers, but we need to know whether the old fans you have already have 4-pin or 3-pin connections on them, to ensure the mix can work together. In some situations you might need a different type of device called a Hub to connect several 4-pin fans together, but sellers often confuse people on whether they are selling you a Splitter or a Hub. So if you give us further details we can advise exactly what to buy and how to connect and configure to get them all working properly.

that mean three fans at SYS_FAN and four at CPU_FAN ?

 

[zTohka]

Easy enough. Buy 2 or 3 way splitter. 1 end goes to mobo header, other side goes to 2/3x fans. I'd suggest keeping pairs/3 together, depending on your case setup.

RGB is different, controlled by the Node Pro, nothing to do with the fan headers.

i took a look 5 hours ago and haven't seen anything on SYS_FAN2 AND 3 its empty

 

[Paperdoc]

I'm a little confused. You said originally that you were buying four fans, but you now say you are getting a three-pack of Corsair LL120 RGB fans. So, are you buying 3 or 4? I will assume you are getting only THREE fans to use as case ventilation units, and leaving the current CPU cooling fan unchanged. This is an easy change, but there is more when you get to the lights, so I'll explain that, too.

The LL120 RGB fans all have TWO cables coming from them. One is for the fan motor, and it ends in a female standard fan connector with FOUR holes since they are of the PWM variety. You can plug each of those into one of your SYS_FAN1 to 3 headers. Then go into BIOS Setup (see manual p. 22) and click on Smart Fan at lower right. See manual p. 28. For EACH of those three headers, chose the header and set things this way:
Fan Speed control to "Normal"
Fan Control Use Temperature Input to the Motherboard sensor, not the one inside the CPU chip.
Fan Control Mode to "PWM"
Fan Fail Warning "Enabled"
When you have all three headers configured, remember to use Esc back to the main menu, then choose Save& Exit from the top right. See p. 39 and choose to Save and Exit so your settings are saved.

If you really are using only three of these fans, you have three SYS_FANn headers for that and you do not need any Splitter or Hub.

Now, each fan also has another cable ending in a different connector with 4 holes and a locking tab. The lighting units in each fan's frame are of the more advanced ADDR RGB type and you will need to use the LED Hub, the Lighting Node Pro and its cables to power and control these lights. Although your mobo has a header called "LED_C" on it, do NOT attempt to use that - it cannot work with the lights you have. Follow the instructions for those items. You mount the LED Hub in your case and plug the light cables from each fan into the first three ports of it. Then you mount the Lighting Node Pro in your case and use a cable supplied to connect from one of its two output ports to the correct input port of the Hub. You use another cable to connect from the Node Pro unit to a mobo USB2 header. Then you must use a SATA power output connector from your PSU to plug into the Node Pro to provide the power for the lights. And finally, you go to the Corsair website and download and install their utility called iCue. Use that to control the displays of the lights on all your fans.

 

[zTohka]

I'm a little confused. You said originally that you were buying four fans, but you now say you are getting a three-pack of Corsair LL120 RGB fans. So, are you buying 3 or 4? I will assume you are getting only THREE fans to use as case ventilation units, and leaving the current CPU cooling fan unchanged. This is an easy change, but there is more when you get to the lights, so I'll explain that, too.

The LL120 RGB fans all have TWO cables coming from them. One is for the fan motor, and it ends in a female standard fan connector with FOUR holes since they are of the PWM variety. You can plug each of those into one of your SYS_FAN1 to 3 headers. Then go into BIOS Setup (see manual p. 22) and click on Smart Fan at lower right. See manual p. 28. For EACH of those three headers, chose the header and set things this way:
Fan Speed control to "Normal"
Fan Control Use Temperature Input to the Motherboard sensor, not the one inside the CPU chip.
Fan Control Mode to "PWM"
Fan Fail Warning "Enabled"
When you have all three headers configured, remember to use Esc back to the main menu, then choose Save& Exit from the top right. See p. 39 and choose to Save and Exit so your settings are saved.

If you really are using only three of these fans, you have three SYS_FANn headers for that and you do not need any Splitter or Hub.

Now, each fan also has another cable ending in a different connector with 4 holes and a locking tab. The lighting units in each fan's frame are of the more advanced ADDR RGB type and you will need to use the LED Hub, the Lighting Node Pro and its cables to power and control these lights. Although your mobo has a header called "LED_C" on it, do NOT attempt to use that - it cannot work with the lights you have. Follow the instructions for those items. You mount the LED Hub in your case and plug the light cables from each fan into the first three ports of it. Then you mount the Lighting Node Pro in your case and use a cable supplied to connect from one of its two output ports to the correct input port of the Hub. You use another cable to connect from the Node Pro unit to a mobo USB2 header. Then you must use a SATA power output connector from your PSU to plug into the Node Pro to provide the power for the lights. And finally, you go to the Corsair website and download and install their utility called iCue. Use that to control the displays of the lights on all your fans.

dude im gonna change them i don't know if i should buy 3 or 4 i wanna make sure that if i buy 4 i will able to start them all

 

[zTohka]

First, recognize that you have two different types of fan headers. One is the CPU_FAN header and it should be used ONLY for the CPU cooling system (fan or whatever). It can only use as its guide a temperature sensor inside the CPU chip. The other three all are called SYS_FANn and these are best used for your case ventilation fans. They need a little attention to set their configuration properly. You say you have four fans now and want to add four more. I'm going to assume that you mean that ONE of your fans now is on the CPU and plugged into the CPU_FAN header, while the other three all are plugged into SYS_FANn headers. Is that correct? That would mean you need to connect the added four fans to only three headers.

You have not told us exactly which Corsair fans you plan to buy, and we need that info (exact model numbers or names) to check a couple of details. Of these, the most important is the power they consume, but we also need to know whether they have any lighting devices built into them, and of what type.

General rule: each mobo fan header can supply up to 1.0 A max current to all the fans connected to it. So fan motor max current specs need to be checked when planning to connect more than one to a single header. That is NOT usually a problem, but a few types of fans with lights in them make it slightly trickier. Next point is the type of fans. To keep it simple, it is really desirable to ensure that the new fans are of the same basic design as the existing ones already in use. By that I mean, are they 3-pin or 4-pin? That is, does the fan motor have three wires from it ending in a female connector about 3/8" wide with three holes, and two ridges running down one side? Or, are there 4 wires, and 4 holes in a connector that is a little wider? This has an important impact on how the fan headers should be configured, and also on how the connect several to a single header.

For simpler systems - fans with no lights - the max current typically is 0.1 to 0.3 A each, and using a simple Splitter to connect three (sometimes four) fans to a single header is quite OK. You say the new Corsair fans require 4-pin headers, but we need to know whether the old fans you have already have 4-pin or 3-pin connections on them, to ensure the mix can work together. In some situations you might need a different type of device called a Hub to connect several 4-pin fans together, but sellers often confuse people on whether they are selling you a Splitter or a Hub. So if you give us further details we can advise exactly what to buy and how to connect and configure to get them all working properly.

i think i should buy 1 fan splitter cable and i'm gonna able to start all 4 fans

 

[Paperdoc]

Yes, if you are getting four of those same fans, get a Splitter with two outputs so you can connect two of those fans to one if your SYS_FANn headers. Here's an example of one.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E168124...ter&cm_re=fan_splitter-_-12-423-160-_-Product

I said that sellers can be confusing. Look at that example. It has one input arms that ends in a 4-hole female connector that plugs into the mobo header. Then it has two (in this model) output arms that end in male (with pins) connectors, and that's where you plug in your fans. It has NO other types of "arm". A HUB, on the other hand, can look like this but it does have a third type of "arm" that must plug into a power output connector from the PSU (either SATA or 4-pin Molex). Hubs are very useful if your fan system is all 4-pin type and has lots of fans, but you do not need that - your situation is simple. That example has 6" output arms, but a 12" model also is available.

One small point to note about this device and all others like it, and Hubs. A mobo fan header can accept coming back to it the speed signal from only ONE fan. Feed it more than one signal and it gets very confused, yielding false results and bad error messages. So any decent Splitter or Hub will send back the speed signal from only one of its fans, and ignore all the rest. The simple way to do this (see the example) is that, among the output arms, only ONE will have all four of its pins. The other(s) will be missing Pin #3. This has NO effect on the ability to control the fans' speeds. But it does mean that the mobo header cannot do its second job, which is to monitor the fan's speed for failure. It cannot monitor for failure any fan whose speed signal is not being fed back. So from time to time it is up to you to check the fans and be sure they are all working.

If you get four fans, I encourage you to make them all that same type. Then you can plug them all of their RGB cables into the LED Hub, using Ports 1 through 4.

 

[zTohka]

Yes, if you are getting four of those same fans, get a Splitter with two outputs so you can connect two of those fans to one if your SYS_FANn headers. Here's an example of one.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16812423160?Description=fan splitter&cm_re=fan_splitter--12-423-160--Product

I said that sellers can be confusing. Look at that example. It has one input arms that ends in a 4-hole female connector that plugs into the mobo header. Then it has two (in this model) output arms that end in male (with pins) connectors, and that's where you plug in your fans. It has NO other types of "arm". A HUB, on the other hand, can look like this but it does have a third type of "arm" that must plug into a power output connector from the PSU (either SATA or 4-pin Molex). Hubs are very useful if your fan system is all 4-pin type and has lots of fans, but you do not need that - your situation is simple. That example has 6" output arms, but a 12" model also is available.

One small point to note about this device and all others like it, and Hubs. A mobo fan header can accept coming back to it the speed signal from only ONE fan. Feed it more than one signal and it gets very confused, yielding false results and bad error messages. So any decent Splitter or Hub will send back the speed signal from only one of its fans, and ignore all the rest. The simple way to do this (see the example) is that, among the output arms, only ONE will have all four of its pins. The other(s) will be missing Pin #3. This has NO effect on the ability to control the fans' speeds. But it does mean that the mobo header cannot do its second job, which is to monitor the fan's speed for failure. It cannot monitor for failure any fan whose speed signal is not being fed back. So from time to time it is up to you to check the fans and be sure they are all working.

If you get four fans, I encourage you to make them all that same type. Then you can plug them all of their RGB cables into the LED Hub, using Ports 1 through 4.

yeah it all gonna be the same type (Corsair LL120)

another question about sata cables that plug at RGB Lighting Hub and Corsair LNP im not sure if i have more sata cables for them how can i make sure ?

 

[zTohka]

Yes, if you are getting four of those same fans, get a Splitter with two outputs so you can connect two of those fans to one if your SYS_FANn headers. Here's an example of one.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16812423160?Description=fan splitter&cm_re=fan_splitter--12-423-160--Product

I said that sellers can be confusing. Look at that example. It has one input arms that ends in a 4-hole female connector that plugs into the mobo header. Then it has two (in this model) output arms that end in male (with pins) connectors, and that's where you plug in your fans. It has NO other types of "arm". A HUB, on the other hand, can look like this but it does have a third type of "arm" that must plug into a power output connector from the PSU (either SATA or 4-pin Molex). Hubs are very useful if your fan system is all 4-pin type and has lots of fans, but you do not need that - your situation is simple. That example has 6" output arms, but a 12" model also is available.

One small point to note about this device and all others like it, and Hubs. A mobo fan header can accept coming back to it the speed signal from only ONE fan. Feed it more than one signal and it gets very confused, yielding false results and bad error messages. So any decent Splitter or Hub will send back the speed signal from only one of its fans, and ignore all the rest. The simple way to do this (see the example) is that, among the output arms, only ONE will have all four of its pins. The other(s) will be missing Pin #3. This has NO effect on the ability to control the fans' speeds. But it does mean that the mobo header cannot do its second job, which is to monitor the fan's speed for failure. It cannot monitor for failure any fan whose speed signal is not being fed back. So from time to time it is up to you to check the fans and be sure they are all working.

If you get four fans, I encourage you to make them all that same type. Then you can plug them all of their RGB cables into the LED Hub, using Ports 1 through 4.

BTW look at this splitterhttps://www.newegg.com/global/sa-en/p/N82E16812119873?Item=N82E16812119873 it has two outputs with 4-pin

 

[Paperdoc]

Regarding power connections, from photos I found it appears that both the LED Hub and the Lighting Node Pro boxes have permanently-attached power cables ending in a SATA power connector that you can plug into any SATA power output connector from your PSU. Now, that means they will consume 2 such outputs. If you have 2 spare available, good. If you have only one, get a SATA power splitter like this

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E168124...re=SATA_power_splitter-_-12-422-776-_-Product

or even this to give you more spares

https://www.newegg.com/black-starte...re=SATA_power_splitter-_-12-400-127-_-Product

However, if you don't have a SATA output connector available but DO have an unused 4-pin Molex output, get this

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E168124...re=SATA_power_splitter-_-12-422-773-_-Product

to convert that into two SATA outputs.

The 4-pin fan Splitter by Coboc that I linked to has 6" arms and costs just under $2.00, but then you have to pay another $2.00 shipping unless you are buying many things that come to over $25 in total. The Rosewill model with 4" arms you linked to above costs $5.00 (two for $9), but that includes "free" shipping. Both will do the job. By the way, if the cable run to your fans is long, you can get models with 12" long arms. Of course, you could buy other maker's units or from other sources (including local shops) and maybe avoid shipping costs.

 

[zTohka]

Regarding power connections, from photos I found it appears that both the LED Hub and the Lighting Node Pro boxes have permanently-attached power cables ending in a SATA power connector that you can plug into any SATA power output connector from your PSU. Now, that means they will consume 2 such outputs. If you have 2 spare available, good. If you have only one, get a SATA power splitter like this

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16812422776?Description=SATA power splitter&cm_re=SATA_power_splitter--12-422-776--Product

or even this to give you more spares

https://www.newegg.com/black-startech-1-31-ft-cable-connectors/p/N82E16812400127?Description=SATA power splitter&cm_re=SATA_power_splitter--12-400-127--Product

However, if you don't have a SATA output connector available but DO have an unused 4-pin Molex output, get this

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16812422773?Description=SATA power splitter&cm_re=SATA_power_splitter--12-422-773--Product

to convert that into two SATA outputs.

The 4-pin fan Splitter by Coboc that I linked to has 6" arms and costs just under $2.00, but then you have to pay another $2.00 shipping unless you are buying many things that come to over $25 in total. The Rosewill model with 4" arms you linked to above costs $5.00 (two for $9), but that includes "free" shipping. Both will do the job. By the way, if the cable run to your fans is long, you can get models with 12" long arms. Of course, you could buy other maker's units or from other sources (including local shops) and maybe avoid shipping costs.

Rosewill will be enough and good for me anyway thank you for everything bro

 

[Paperdoc]

You're welcome. Enjoy!