3-Pin Voltage Control

[PiERiT]

I have three 3-pin fans that are way too noisy at full speed. I find that if I limit them to 75% speed they are much better, and I can do that with my motherboard, but only on one of the three fan headers. The other two headers always run at full speed.

Is there some sort of splitter I can purchase that will make all three fans run at 75% speed off of that one header? I tried both of these items and they did not work; all three fans would run full blast.

Amazon.com: SilverStone PWM Fan Hub System Cables, Black (CPF04): Computers & Accessories
http://www.amazon.com/Phobya-3-Pin-Cable-Splitter-Black/dp/B00414ROKU

 

[buhbuhfet]

you can probably find a splitter that will work, the Y needs to have only one split cable with all 3 wires, the other 2 split cables need to have only 2 wires,
you would be better of getting something like this:

NZXT SEN-MIX2 Sentry Mix 2 Fan Controller - Newegg.com
Scythe KQ01-BK-3.5 "KAZE Q" Fan Controller - Newegg.com

there are many more to choose from

 

[PiERiT]

I don't have a 5.25" bay in my case, or any SATA or molex connections for that matter, so I'm trying to get away with just an adapter or a splitter. Failing that I'll probably get quieter fans.

I think that second link in my post has what you described, where a single cable has 3 pins and the rest have 2, but they all run at full speed anyways.

 

[buhbuhfet]

doesn't make sense, if one fan is running slower, then all fans are getting same voltage, so you would need to lower the rmp even more until the other fans slow down,

 

[PiERiT]

I'll try that second link splitter again then... maybe I had it connected wrong. Does one of the fans need to go to the one with 3 pins? I might not have done that originally.

 

[buhbuhfet]

yeah one fan needs to connect to the 3wire split, that fan will control the rpm for the rest of the fans

 

[PiERiT]

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

 

[Deleted member 278999]

yeah one fan needs to connect to the 3wire split, that fan will control the rpm for the rest of the fans

It will control all of the fans hooked up to that particular header. You're going to need to set individual RPM's for each header. Be aware of the amperage draw. It wouldn't be a good idea to hook up more than 4 fans to one header. Sometimes two depending on the amperage draw.

Sometimes the CPU and Chassis fan headers have different rules and are controlled differently. Generally the CPU fan header for instance must have a fan connected to it or ignored via the bios. Some motherboards also limit the CPU fan header to minimum loads like no less than 50% RPM or voltage.

There really isn't a way to hook up the splitter so that it would cause a significant variance between the fans connected to it. 3 Pin fans are reliant on voltage for their signal so they both should be receiving the same voltage.

Is one fan spinning at the desired RPM and the other spinning slower? Or is one fan spinning at the desired RPM and the other spinning faster? Double check your connections. I'd bet something is amuck. If one fan is spinning significantly slower than the desired RPM check for obstructions.

 

[Deleted member 278999]

I have three 3-pin fans that are way too noisy at full speed. I find that if I limit them to 75% speed they are much better, and I can do that with my motherboard, but only on one of the three fan headers. The other two headers always run at full speed.

Is there some sort of splitter I can purchase that will make all three fans run at 75% speed off of that one header? I tried both of these items and they did not work; all three fans would run full blast.

Amazon.com: SilverStone PWM Fan Hub System Cables, Black (CPF04): Computers & Accessories
Amazon.com: Phobya 3-Pin x 4 Fan Cable Splitter (Black): Computers & Accessories

Check the bios as mentioned above. You may need to change some settings around, enable / disable things or switch from 4-Pin to 3-Pin mode.

4-Pin fans get 12v that the fan then reduces according to what you tell it and what it is sensing. 3-Pin fans are dependant on the supplied voltage to hit a target RPM. With a 3-Pin fan be aware that 50% power does not mean 50% RPM. You need to look at the RPM, and then adjust the voltage to hit your target.