Question Which fan cable adapters do I need?

[ReveurGAM]

With an inventory of ~300 fans now, I'm running more and more often into problems with fans that I cannot test the lights of and, less often, fans that I cannot test at all. This is because I'm coming across many nonstandard connectors from many different companies, including a 5-pin connector on a Delta fan, JST, NZXT, SM and other types of connectors for power and lights.

I'm not sure what to buy for all the different brands I have so that I can plug anything into a standard port for power or LEDs - can anyone give me a list and/or links?

Thanks!

 

[Crosslhs82x2]

Good Morning
Seeing how there is No Rgb / Argb standards
Every manufacturer has their own little proprietary connections going for their product.

Here's a link I have used for connecting the 3 pin argb devices ( ek kinetic pump, Ek Gpu Wb to my Samsung Commander Core Xt.

PirateDog Tech

PirateDog Tech offers a range of custom cables for the Corsair iCUE RGB ecosystem, including extensions, adapters, and replacement cables. We also take custom orders to integrate other RGB devices or if you just want a specific look for your build.

piratedog.tech

But still have to pay attention whether the corsair connections are 3pin or 4pin.

 

[ReveurGAM]

Good Morning
Seeing how there is No Rgb / Argb standards
Every manufacturer has their own little proprietary connections going for their product.

Sure there is. That's what's used for the motherboard's headers. PWM: 4 pin, RGB: 4 pin, ARG: 3-pin with a gap. Not every manufacturer - not yet.

 

[Paperdoc]

Mobo headers are standardized generally. For fan MOTORS there are 3- pin and 4-pin versions for the two dominant fan designs. for LIGHTS in a fan frame or other devices there are the one 4-pin header for plain RGB, and two versions of 3-pin for ARGB. (The (4-1) version is the more common of those two.)

For FANS, there are lots of proprietary connector systems, and that's where the issue arises. Most major makers conform to the connector types that mobo makers use. Some of the majors who do not also include in their packages an adapter to allow you to connect to a mobo header. But many lesser makers either do not want to spend the money to revise their earlier designs, or WANT to use non-standard connectors to force you to buy their other associated accessories.

 

[ReveurGAM]

Mobo headers are standardized generally. For fan MOTORS there are 3- pin and 4-pin versions for the two dominant fan designs. for LIGHTS in a fan frame or other devices there are the one 4-pin header for plain RGB, and two versions of 3-pin for ARGB. (The (4-1) version is the more common of those two.)

For FANS, there are lots of proprietary connector systems, and that's where the issue arises. Most major makers conform to the connector types that mobo makers use. Some of the majors who do not also include in their packages an adapter to allow you to connect to a mobo header. But many lesser makers either do not want to spend the money to revise their earlier designs, or WANT to use non-standard connectors to force you to buy their other associated accessories.

All true. If you want to be VERY technical, there are 3 standard plugs for fan motors: 2-, 3- and 4-pin, and they all fit on the standard mobo header. Yes, I know, almost no-one makes 2-pins anymore, except some Chinese companies, and there are some that even sell 2-pin Molex D! Makes me feel like I'm back in the 90s!

The plethora of proprietary and semi-proprietary connectors is driving me mad. It makes my job as a tester really challenging.

 

[Paperdoc]

Yes, I'd ignored the 2-pin variety. Actually, I am impressed with how the designers of fan motor connections (physically and electrically) managed to keep them all so similar that you CAN connect most to any of the other two and it WILL work enough to ensure your system DOES get good cooling. You just do not get some additional useful features, like speed control and speed measurement. Even the switch from 3- to 4-pin fans has been made easy because mobo fan control systems have been given the options for their output signals to configure to either of those two systems.

The only part of this last item that is still something to watch out for is the "Auto Config" option in this. It appears it works this way: at each start-up the header sends out signals in 4-pin PWM Mode to start at full speed as normal, checks what that speed is, then tells the fan to run at a slower speed. IF that fan does as instructed, it must be PWM fan and that is left alone. IF, however, the fan does not slow down, then it must be a 3-pin fan, and the header switches to the older Voltage Control Mode so it CAN control that fan's speed.

All this works well EXCEPT when you have a PUMP unit of a liquid-cooled system plugged into the CPU_FAN header. Almost all such pumps are designed to run at full speed all the time and thus require the full 12 VDC power supply always. So they are wired just like an older 3-pin fan. That test by the "Auto Config" system thus will detect that this item is a 3-pin fan and set itself to reduce the Voltage to that item (the pump) and slow it down. For this one situation that is exactly what we do NOT want. There is, of course, a simple remedy. One just goes into the CPU_FAN header screens and sets it manually to use the new PWM Mode and NOT try to set itself automatically. In this Mode the header always supplies full 12 VDC power from Pin #2 as the Pump needs, and also sends out on Pin #4 a PWM speed control signal to the pump which has NO connection to that pin and could not use it anyway because it has no suitable chip. So the no matter what the header system thinks the pump speed should be (in its normal operations for fans), the pump runs as designed becasue the header is fixed to use the new PWM Mode.

 

[ReveurGAM]

Yes, I'd ignored the 2-pin variety. Actually, I am impressed with how the designers of fan motor connections (physically and electrically) managed to keep them all so similar that you CAN connect most to any of the other two and it WILL work enough to ensure your system DOES get good cooling. You just do not get some additional useful features, like speed control and speed measurement. Even the switch from 3- to 4-pin fans has been made easy because mobo fan control systems have been given the options for their output signals to configure to either of those two systems.

The only part of this last item that is still something to watch out for is the "Auto Config" option in this. It appears it works this way: at each start-up the header sends out signals in 4-pin PWM Mode to start at full speed as normal, checks what that speed is, then tells the fan to run at a slower speed. IF that fan does as instructed, it must be PWM fan and that is left alone. IF, however, the fan does not slow down, then it must be a 3-pin fan, and the header switches to the older Voltage Control Mode so it CAN control that fan's speed.

All this works well EXCEPT when you have a PUMP unit of a liquid-cooled system plugged into the CPU_FAN header. Almost all such pumps are designed to run at full speed all the time and thus require the full 12 VDC power supply always. So they are wired just like an older 3-pin fan. That test by the "Auto Config" system thus will detect that this item is a 3-pin fan and set itself to reduce the Voltage to that item (the pump) and slow it down. For this one situation that is exactly what we do NOT want. There is, of course, a simple remedy. One just goes into the CPU_FAN header screens and sets it manually to use the new PWM Mode and NOT try to set itself automatically. In this Mode the header always supplies full 12 VDC power from Pin #2 as the Pump needs, and also sends out on Pin #4 a PWM speed control signal to the pump which has NO connection to that pin and could not use it anyway because it has no suitable chip. So the no matter what the header system thinks the pump speed should be (in its normal operations for fans), the pump runs as designed becasue the header is fixed to use the new PWM Mode.

That's very useful info - thanks! I wasn't aware of those details!