Thermaltake Core X9 10+fans setup?
- Thread starter Barckot
- Start date
I am assuming that you mean that you will put 10 fans in as CASE VENTILATION fans, not including the CPU cooler. If you want all of those to be controlled automatically by the mobo's systems (via one or more SYS_FAN ports) you will need one (or more) fan hub(s). But to be very specific, you will need a mobo with at least one 4-pin (PWM Mode) SYS_FAN port (most modern mobos have those) plus a particular fan hub: the Phanteks PWM Fan Hub. See its specs etc. here:
http://www.phanteks.com/PH-PWHUB.html
No mobo fan port can support more than 2 fans because it is limited in how much amperage it can supply to the fans. A fan hub, however, gets its power for fans from the PSU directly through a SATA device power connector, and hence this unit can provide up to 30 W total to all its fans. The Riing fan specs say it consumes 0.11 amps, or 1.3 W, in normal operation. As "rule of thumb", the max current at start-up will be 2 to 2½ times that, so still 10 fans might pull up to 33 W briefly during start-up, you're OK there.
Fan hubs are possible only with 4-pin (PWM Mode) fans normally. The straightforward designs provide the power as above, but provide control by taking the PWM signal from one mobo port and sharing it to all its fans. So all the fans MUST also be of the PWM design, which yours are NOT. The Phanteks PWM Hub, however, is designed differently. It gets power and PWM signals just as the others do. However, it does not simply share that PWM signal. Internally it uses it to create 3-pin Voltage Control Mode ports, which matches exactly the type of fan (Thermaltake Riing) you want to use. So this particular hub can control many 3-pin fans based on a single mobo 4-pin port. Now, the hub is built with 6 outputs, not enough at first glance. But it also says you can use 3-pin fan splitters to attach up to two 3-pin fans to each port, and it even comes with two of them. So if you buy the hub plus four 3-pin fan splitters, you could hook up a max of 12 fans to one hub.
The Phanteks PWM Hub manual specifically says you should plug its one 4-pin fan port connector into the mobo's CPU_FAN port, and then gives a bit of explanation, but let me expand a bit and offer different advice. Their advice is based on the fact that it is known that SOME mobos that have 4-pin SYS_FAN headers are "cheating" a bit because they do NOT actually operate as true 4-pin PWM Mode ports. They actually are just 3-pin (Voltage Control Mode) ports that can control both 3- and 4-pin fans because they rely on a backwards compatibility feature of 4-pin fans to work with a Voltage Control Mode port. However, this is a big problem for use with the Phanteks Hub because it depends on having a genuine PWM signal available at the mobo's SYS_FAN port. If your mobo has this type of so-called "4-pin" port for the SYS_FAN, the Hub cannot use a non-existent PWM signal and it is forced to operate as a simple device for sharing the variable Voltage signal coming from what it really a 3-pin port. In this case it CANNOT use any power from the PSU directly, and it becomes limited to powering only TWO fans total! That is useless for your purposes.
That is why Phanteks advises using the CPU_FAN port for picking up the PWM signal. Virtually ALL mobos today offer a CPU_FAN port that really is a 4-pin (PWM Mode) port. Some even let you specify in BIOS Setup whether this port operates in true PWM Mode, or in true Voltage Control Mode, so on such a mobo it is important that you set this option correctly. IF you follow this advice, there are two other things you need to do: you should then plug your actual CPU cooling system into the Phanteks PWM Hub so that it is controlled by that port's system, AND you should ensure that the CPU cooler is specifically plugged into the Hub's white FAN1 port so that THIS fan's speed is sent back to the mobo for monitoring. The disadvantage to following this advice is that his puts all your case ventilation fans under a control system that is based on a temperature sensor inside the CPU chip. That is the ideal sensor to govern cooling of the CPU chip. But the original intent of having separate SYS_FAN ports on the mobo is that these are based on a DIFFERENT temp sensor built into the mobo, and hence ideal for governing the case ventilation. So, the ideal way to control case fans is via a SYS_FAN port, and that is what I would recommend. BUT when you use a Phanteks PWM Hub, it is important that this port be a true 4-pin (PWM Mode) port.
So, how would you know? First clue is the port pin count: if it has only 3 pins, it is the wrong type. Next to look for in your mobo's manual is instructions for how to set up its SYS_FAN ports in BIOS Setup. If it says that the port(s) is (are) ONLY PWM Mode ports, then you're OK, and this is common now. (For other people this is a limit because true 4-pin ports cannot control a 3-pin fan.) If it says you can set the port to be either PWM Mode or Voltage Control Mode, then you're OK and MUST set it to PWM Mode. If it says nothing, or if it assures you that the port is "universal" or "automatic" and can control any fan type, be suspicious that the port is really only a 3-pin Voltage Control Mode port. At that point you could ask the mobo manufacturer's Tech Support people about the details. Or, you could post back here the exact mobo you want to use and we can help you search its manual for clues.
You can use a third-party fan controller module as others have suggested. These units give you control of the speed of each fan individually via knobs or something on their front panel. However, most have no way to do automatic control based on measured temperatures. Even those that do have that feature do it by providing their own temp sensors that you must mount in some location you choose - they do NOT have access to the built-in sensors inside the CPU chip or on the mobo. For the most part, such fan controllers require that YOU be the brains of the control system. That means YOU must monitor system temperatures and adjust fan speeds manually to ensure adequate cooling at all times.
In summary, IF you want the mobo to do automatic control of case ventilation fans for you, I recommend you buy the Phanteks PWM Hub and a few 3-pin fan splitters and connect that Hub's 4-pin connector to one of the mobo's SYS_FAN ports. You MUST ensure that the port truly operates in PWM Mode. Them all the fans on this hub will run at approximately the same speeds, guided by the actual temperature of a mobo sensor. You CPU cooling system should be connected separately to the CPU_FAN port.
It also would be possible to use two such Hubs, each connected to a different mobo SYS_FAN port, for a special variation of case fan control, but I won't explain that now unless you want to know.
http://www.phanteks.com/PH-PWHUB.html
No mobo fan port can support more than 2 fans because it is limited in how much amperage it can supply to the fans. A fan hub, however, gets its power for fans from the PSU directly through a SATA device power connector, and hence this unit can provide up to 30 W total to all its fans. The Riing fan specs say it consumes 0.11 amps, or 1.3 W, in normal operation. As "rule of thumb", the max current at start-up will be 2 to 2½ times that, so still 10 fans might pull up to 33 W briefly during start-up, you're OK there.
Fan hubs are possible only with 4-pin (PWM Mode) fans normally. The straightforward designs provide the power as above, but provide control by taking the PWM signal from one mobo port and sharing it to all its fans. So all the fans MUST also be of the PWM design, which yours are NOT. The Phanteks PWM Hub, however, is designed differently. It gets power and PWM signals just as the others do. However, it does not simply share that PWM signal. Internally it uses it to create 3-pin Voltage Control Mode ports, which matches exactly the type of fan (Thermaltake Riing) you want to use. So this particular hub can control many 3-pin fans based on a single mobo 4-pin port. Now, the hub is built with 6 outputs, not enough at first glance. But it also says you can use 3-pin fan splitters to attach up to two 3-pin fans to each port, and it even comes with two of them. So if you buy the hub plus four 3-pin fan splitters, you could hook up a max of 12 fans to one hub.
The Phanteks PWM Hub manual specifically says you should plug its one 4-pin fan port connector into the mobo's CPU_FAN port, and then gives a bit of explanation, but let me expand a bit and offer different advice. Their advice is based on the fact that it is known that SOME mobos that have 4-pin SYS_FAN headers are "cheating" a bit because they do NOT actually operate as true 4-pin PWM Mode ports. They actually are just 3-pin (Voltage Control Mode) ports that can control both 3- and 4-pin fans because they rely on a backwards compatibility feature of 4-pin fans to work with a Voltage Control Mode port. However, this is a big problem for use with the Phanteks Hub because it depends on having a genuine PWM signal available at the mobo's SYS_FAN port. If your mobo has this type of so-called "4-pin" port for the SYS_FAN, the Hub cannot use a non-existent PWM signal and it is forced to operate as a simple device for sharing the variable Voltage signal coming from what it really a 3-pin port. In this case it CANNOT use any power from the PSU directly, and it becomes limited to powering only TWO fans total! That is useless for your purposes.
That is why Phanteks advises using the CPU_FAN port for picking up the PWM signal. Virtually ALL mobos today offer a CPU_FAN port that really is a 4-pin (PWM Mode) port. Some even let you specify in BIOS Setup whether this port operates in true PWM Mode, or in true Voltage Control Mode, so on such a mobo it is important that you set this option correctly. IF you follow this advice, there are two other things you need to do: you should then plug your actual CPU cooling system into the Phanteks PWM Hub so that it is controlled by that port's system, AND you should ensure that the CPU cooler is specifically plugged into the Hub's white FAN1 port so that THIS fan's speed is sent back to the mobo for monitoring. The disadvantage to following this advice is that his puts all your case ventilation fans under a control system that is based on a temperature sensor inside the CPU chip. That is the ideal sensor to govern cooling of the CPU chip. But the original intent of having separate SYS_FAN ports on the mobo is that these are based on a DIFFERENT temp sensor built into the mobo, and hence ideal for governing the case ventilation. So, the ideal way to control case fans is via a SYS_FAN port, and that is what I would recommend. BUT when you use a Phanteks PWM Hub, it is important that this port be a true 4-pin (PWM Mode) port.
So, how would you know? First clue is the port pin count: if it has only 3 pins, it is the wrong type. Next to look for in your mobo's manual is instructions for how to set up its SYS_FAN ports in BIOS Setup. If it says that the port(s) is (are) ONLY PWM Mode ports, then you're OK, and this is common now. (For other people this is a limit because true 4-pin ports cannot control a 3-pin fan.) If it says you can set the port to be either PWM Mode or Voltage Control Mode, then you're OK and MUST set it to PWM Mode. If it says nothing, or if it assures you that the port is "universal" or "automatic" and can control any fan type, be suspicious that the port is really only a 3-pin Voltage Control Mode port. At that point you could ask the mobo manufacturer's Tech Support people about the details. Or, you could post back here the exact mobo you want to use and we can help you search its manual for clues.
You can use a third-party fan controller module as others have suggested. These units give you control of the speed of each fan individually via knobs or something on their front panel. However, most have no way to do automatic control based on measured temperatures. Even those that do have that feature do it by providing their own temp sensors that you must mount in some location you choose - they do NOT have access to the built-in sensors inside the CPU chip or on the mobo. For the most part, such fan controllers require that YOU be the brains of the control system. That means YOU must monitor system temperatures and adjust fan speeds manually to ensure adequate cooling at all times.
In summary, IF you want the mobo to do automatic control of case ventilation fans for you, I recommend you buy the Phanteks PWM Hub and a few 3-pin fan splitters and connect that Hub's 4-pin connector to one of the mobo's SYS_FAN ports. You MUST ensure that the port truly operates in PWM Mode. Them all the fans on this hub will run at approximately the same speeds, guided by the actual temperature of a mobo sensor. You CPU cooling system should be connected separately to the CPU_FAN port.
It also would be possible to use two such Hubs, each connected to a different mobo SYS_FAN port, for a special variation of case fan control, but I won't explain that now unless you want to know.
Thank you for this awesome breakdown.
I just saw that if i buy the riings in a 3 fan pack i get some kind of fancontroller
here are is a link to some pictures http://
Could this solve all my problems, by the way my mobo has 5x 4Pin Fan connectors after work i will look into the manual to see if these are pwm supported.
The link you provided shows more info But NOTE that there are several versions of the Riing fans. This link is specifically for the 256-color fan models. Other models come in single colors only.
The Controller that they offer is much simpler than any typical third-party controller, but it adds a feature unique to these multi-color Riing fans. This controller gets its power directly from the PSU via a SATA power connector and can handle THREE fans only. It has three pushbuttons. One turns its fans on or off. One selects which color is shown, OR sets it to randomly cycle through all colors. The third allows you to set one of two speeds - either full speed or slow. Most third-party fan controllers allow you to choose a lot more fan speeds - and does it for each fan individually - and can handle more than 3 fans. This controller, like most third-party ones, cannot do anything about automatic control related to actual measured temperatures. But it does offer control of the fan's many colors, which is unique.
So, if you don't want automatic control and are satisfied with limited speed control of fans in groups of three, BUT you DO want color controls, those units are suitable. If you want your mobo to exercise automatic control of your fans for you, see my earlier recommendation.
By the way, that Thermaltake website shows some confusing info. A couple of the screens describing the fans' features show the letters "PWM" prominently, but give NO additional info. Since they offer to include their special controller that has 4-pin output connectors but offers only two speeds - full or slow - I cannot tell whether these fans really are PWM Mode fans or not. I do know that OTHER Riing fans - those offered in only single colors - specifically state that they are 3-pin style (Voltage Control Mode). I wonder whether the fourth pin on these Riing fans is NOT for the PWM signal but is used for control and power to the color LEDs.
You may note that the Phanteks PWM Hub I recommended for use with 3-pin fans also can be used with 4-pin fans because of backwards compatibility features. However, IF all your case ventilation fans truly are 4-pin PWM Mode fans, there are other 4-pin fan hubs that can do the job for you.
The Controller that they offer is much simpler than any typical third-party controller, but it adds a feature unique to these multi-color Riing fans. This controller gets its power directly from the PSU via a SATA power connector and can handle THREE fans only. It has three pushbuttons. One turns its fans on or off. One selects which color is shown, OR sets it to randomly cycle through all colors. The third allows you to set one of two speeds - either full speed or slow. Most third-party fan controllers allow you to choose a lot more fan speeds - and does it for each fan individually - and can handle more than 3 fans. This controller, like most third-party ones, cannot do anything about automatic control related to actual measured temperatures. But it does offer control of the fan's many colors, which is unique.
So, if you don't want automatic control and are satisfied with limited speed control of fans in groups of three, BUT you DO want color controls, those units are suitable. If you want your mobo to exercise automatic control of your fans for you, see my earlier recommendation.
By the way, that Thermaltake website shows some confusing info. A couple of the screens describing the fans' features show the letters "PWM" prominently, but give NO additional info. Since they offer to include their special controller that has 4-pin output connectors but offers only two speeds - full or slow - I cannot tell whether these fans really are PWM Mode fans or not. I do know that OTHER Riing fans - those offered in only single colors - specifically state that they are 3-pin style (Voltage Control Mode). I wonder whether the fourth pin on these Riing fans is NOT for the PWM signal but is used for control and power to the color LEDs.
You may note that the Phanteks PWM Hub I recommended for use with 3-pin fans also can be used with 4-pin fans because of backwards compatibility features. However, IF all your case ventilation fans truly are 4-pin PWM Mode fans, there are other 4-pin fan hubs that can do the job for you.
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