extra case fans

i have three fans in my pc (one in the power supply, one on the case and the fan over the processor) but i would like a 4th fan in there due to the temps we are getting in the uk. i do not have any more 3 pin headers left on the mobo (one is taken up by the case fan and the other by the processor fan).

does anyone know how i can add a 4th fan in there? where would i plug it in if there arent any more 3 pin headers left? is there a cable which converts a 3 pin header so you can plug 2 fans into one 3pin header on the mobo?

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2005 02:43PM by rapid_f1.

why not get a case fan with a 4 pin molex connecter and hook it upto one of the connections coming out of your psu?




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2005 03:21PM by Karan19.

You can also get 4-pin molex connectors that convert the power into a 3-pin fan connector socket.

You wouldn't be able to power 2 fans off 1 mobo 3-pin connector though.

hmmm...is this what you mean? they were coming out of the psu but arent connected to anything. are they extra power connectors?



i ahve found this is it any good?



from: [www.maplin.co.uk]

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2005 03:48PM by rapid_f1.

That Maplin convertor/adapter would work, but you'd need to make sure you plug the fan into the 12v line, not the 5v line.

That cable has two sets of lines, one runs at 12v, which is the normal or default power requirements for a fan and will let the fan run at full speed. People who want a quieter case or don't need the cooling power plug the fans onto the 5v line, which offers less power to the fan, so the fan runs slower.

Personally I think you'd be better off looking at the 2nd item from the down at Overclockers. [www.overclockers.co.uk]. Does the same thing, but is £1.47 compared to that £5.99 cable from Maplins.

Or, if you are going to run this fan directly off the psu and not a 3 pin header on the mb, just get a 4 pin fan, instead of a 3 pin version and needing a 3-4 pin convertor. Try looking at this page, again Overclockers. They have some 80mm fans in both a 3 pin and 4 pin type. [www.overclockers.co.uk]

if i buy the 4 pin fans and as you say i plug it into the psu but where exactly is that? would i plug it into the extra power connectors i showed earlier?



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Yep.

Just out of interest, and not meaning to offend you, but you don't seem to know much about PCs... would that be fair to say?

If so, what exactly are you going to do with the fan?

right so i ahve that figured out. right now, my temp is 45 degrees celsius but today is very mild day compared to yesterday. i think i will buy 2 fans, one 80mm and one 92mm. one will be at the front of the case sucking air in from outside and one will be connected to my zalman bracket, blowing air onto the mobo. i will just connect both 4 pin fans straight to the psu. i only have a 250w psu though so i hope it will hack it.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2005 04:51PM by rapid_f1.

i know abit about pc's but i was abit confused about the connectors and so forth. i should know about pc's im nearly finishing a degree in computing lol but its networking. the fan is to cool the pc down.

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That fan on the bracket will do nothing but swirl air around the case, making it warmer if anything. It's designed to cool components such as the Zalman fanless graphics card cooler when it's unusually hot. It will only increase the temperature of the CPU.

To tackle CPU temperatures you'll need to have an intake fan (front, at the bottom), and a fan underneath the PSU at the back to extract air - and/or a better CPU cooling solution.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2005 04:32PM by gav.

this is what i propose:

two fans blowing air onto componetns and 2 fans sucking air out of the pc. this is looking at the pc the right way up.



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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2005 04:52PM by rapid_f1.

my pc needs sorting out its getting way too hot.


Jenson drives it like he owns it; Lewis drives it like he stole it

rapid_f1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> this is what i propose:
>
> two fans blowing air onto componetns and 2 fans
> sucking air out of the pc. this is looking at the
> pc the right way up.

That's fine, if you remove the fan on the bracket, as you want as smooth a delivery of air as possible, otherwise it just gets turbulent, and is much less efficient.

Are you saying you have a desktop case, rather than a tower?

im afraid the fan on the bracket cant be removed bcos thats the way it was designed. it is a tower yes. i think it might be ok. 2 blowing air into the centre of the pc and 2 at the edges of the pc sucking air out. i understand what you say about turbulence but you see the fan on the bracket doesnt touch the heatsink at all. it blows air onto it. if i remove that fan i will have a cooked cpu.

this is how it is placed and how the flow will go:



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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2005 05:14PM by rapid_f1.

Yeah, the Zalman flower. I expected you to have a generic OEM heatsink and using the bracketed fan to try and help it. Fair enough. You might still need to upgrade the heatsink/fan if you can't get the ambient temperature of the case down.

I think once the hot weather dies down a bit, your PC should be ok. We're currently having temperatures hotter than the Mediterranean, so give it a week and everything should be back to normal.

i have a volcano 7 heatsink and fan replaced the oem xp3200+ and its still overheating. northbridge is also hot to touch. not good!

ive got spare antec 120mm BB fans lying around and theyre amazingly powerful

does anyone seriosuly not recommend replacing the v7 fan with the 120mm sucking out of the processor?


Jenson drives it like he owns it; Lewis drives it like he stole it



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2005 05:42PM by danm.

Sucking out of the processor is bad beause you're decreasing the density thingy forgot what the computer nerds call it, basically you want higher pressure to get better heat exchange and sucking air is worse than blowing. Best to have an intake fan at the front and side and exaust fans at the back.

---

NickKK Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sucking out of the processor is bad beause you're
> decreasing the density thingy forgot what the
> computer nerds call it, basically you want higher
> pressure to get better heat exchange and sucking
> air is worse than blowing.

Not necessarily. Some heatsinks work better with drawing air rather than blowing it.

And side fans have the same effect as the bracket fan. Turbulance. Side fans are only good if you have a system where it directs a stream of air directly at the CPU fan through a chute.