Fan control options

How to word this? I´m two hours away from getting off a night shift so I´m not very eloquent right now.

I was wondering if there was some sort of fan controller that took power from a molex and then connected to the motherboard through the usb header (like the corsair link stuff) and control fan speed according to the motherboards temperature readings. It could just be a pcb with fan headers on it; it does not have to be a front bay device.

The thing with fan controllers is that you have to turn a knob to regulate the fan speed. Correct? I would like this to be automatic and proportional to temperature.

Then there are those splitters that get help from a molex and return the PWM signal from one of the fans, but those run at full blast the whole time?

Are there any options that I´m missing? I have a build in progress with 11 fans and I would like to be able to control fan speed without using three way splitters on some of the motherbards headers. Plus, I don´t have any space on the front for a fan controller.

If you have PWM fans just get a PWM splitter and use the motherboard controls.
If not, look at an Aquaero.

ATMINSIDE said:

If you have PWM fans just get a PWM splitter and use the motherboard controls.
If not, look at an Aquaero.

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I dont have anywhere to put an aquaero. Plus, its very expensive.

How many fans do you think I can get away with on a splitter 100% safe? I´ve read that 3 is too much.

Pollie said:

I dont have anywhere to put an aquaero. Plus, its very expensive.

How many fans do you think I can get away with on a splitter 100% safe? I´ve read that 3 is too much.

Click to expand...

Depends on what splitter and what fans...

Really need to know the brand and model of fans you're working with here.

I´m using EK Vardar F3. Here are the specs. If I ever go push/pull on both rads I would have 16 fans. Yuck.

The board is an ASUS Maximus VII Gene. They say nothing on the output of their fan headers.

You obviously can´t controll fan speed with those splitters that have a molex on them, right?

I was just wondering if there was something like the Aquaero without screen or brain.

EDIT: Something like this that I can tuck in my case, but that would read temperatures from the motherboard instead of using temperature probes. DigitalStorm HydroLux or This arduino looking thing

I'm NOT sure but I think you can slap a Koolance or Aquaero PCB with fan headers that are controlled via software in your rig. Again, I'm not sure as I'll leave the fun time to research that.

Thanks GTXJackBauer, but I think I´ve come to a solution. Here it is:

Apparently this: (FLEXA FP5) gives juice to five fans through a molex AND you can control the speed of the fans.

Conditions are that they are 4 pin PWM fans and that the motherboard is using PWM to control the speed of the fans rather than reducing voltage. It will only report the speed of one fan. Comments on amazon confirm this, so I hope that it is true.

Pollie said:

Thanks GTXJackBauer, but I think I´ve come to a solution. Here it is:

Apparently this: (FLEXA FP5) gives juice to five fans through a molex AND you can control the speed of the fans.

Conditions are that they are 4 pin PWM fans and that the motherboard is using PWM to control the speed of the fans rather than reducing voltage. It will only report the speed of one fan. Comments on amazon confirm this, so I hope that it is true.

Click to expand...

As already stated, the Switech PWM Splitter does this as well. I have 3 of them.

which of the two cost less and has a better warranty sounds like the best argument.


Just looking at the units I would go with Swiftech.
And they are both available only at performance-pcs.com it looks like
both under 10 bucks minus shipping.

The swiftech looks like you could actually mount it somewhere, while the Flexa looks like it would just be a mass of cables floating around the place.

Problem with that one is "I think I read on the Internet" that too many PWM fans can mess up the signal for PWM due to circuit loading etc.

Echoing NZK, the fan headers are specific lengths, not very long. So they won't reach all over the case. The Swiftech is a nice block you can mount and the BUILD your own specific length cables for the fans. Or buy not super cheap extenders for each fan. BTW, the Swiftech one also only reports one fan speed. Better to look at it as a % of max fan speed, that was how my PC did it in the past when I set up multi PWM fans, two were a higher RPM.

Just wondering, but what are the pros/cons of using the mobo PWM, as opposed to, like a NZXT Sentry 3, or other manual fan controller, as far as cooling performance goes?

I used the mobo PWM for a water pump or regualr heatsink for the CPU fan.

I used a fan controller for other 3 pin quality fans and set it for enough cooling and left it at that. Never touch it after that.