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How to hook up 6 4 pin PWM fans on one PWM header from a fan controller?

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d3n1s_47

Registered
Joined
Sep 18, 2015
Hey everyone

I got my 6 EK Vardars 140mm radiator fans and i'm trying to figure out how to hook them up so i can control them with one PWM cable. I have an existing fan controller (NZXT Sentry) with 5 case fans and 2 CPU fans (on one cable using a splitter, NH-D14). Basically i would like to purchase something that allows me to split this one cable into 6 PWM headers (and somehow power them) and still be able to use the slider on my fan controller to control the RPM of all of them at once. I'm in Canada and i'd like something off of dazmode if possible, i'm not sure what exactly i'm looking for. I heard of the bitspower X station but not sure if that would do what i'm looking for.

Thanks
 
Swiftech has a nice PWM splitter that'll take one signal and push it to 8 fans.
It's a powered splitter, so you don't have to worry about the power draw on the single header on your controller.
 
Yes, that. They have a SATA Powered version and a Molex, like the ones you linked. Just make sure the header from the splitter is used on the PWM header of the MB otherwise it won't work.

There are no real PWM controllers out there other than maybe one very expensive bay controller (AQ6) and of course MB Headers.
 
are you saying my NZXT Sentry won't be able to control the RPM even though it has 4 pin headers?
 
are you saying my NZXT Sentry won't be able to control the RPM even though it has 4 pin headers?

Nope. The 4 Pin on Fan controllers from my understanding is there to connect to the PWM header of the MB so it can than send the signal back to the 3 Pin Fans connected to the NZXT Sentry and be controlled that way.

Btw, which NZXT Sentry version do you have?
 
not sure what you mean here, each of the 6 fan headers on the Sentry is made to plug a fan in and then control the RPM with the slider. The headers on the mobo are made to plug a fan in and control the RPM with the BIOS or whatever else, what's the difference?

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this is the one i have :


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i think i get what you mean now. The fan controller varies the RPM of the fans by voltage and not by PWM signal therefore the swiftech splitter needs to be plugged in the motherboard right?
 
The difference is, 3 Pin (Analog) is controlled by the voltage where as the PWM is not. Its controlled by PWM frequency via PWM cable, hence the extra cable in 4-Pin compared to the 3-Pin. You can't take a PWM fan and plug it in a 3 pin or you could damage the fan.

Your fan controller has all 3 pin headers for voltage controlled fans (3-Pin) except one 4 Pin header. All that 4 Pin Header on the fan controller does is intake information from the PWM header off of the MB and sends it to the connected fans on the sentry. In order to get 4-pin PWM fans to work, you need a real PWM fan header.

i think i get what you mean now. The fan controller varies the RPM of the fans by voltage and not by PWM signal therefore the swiftech splitter needs to be plugged in the motherboard right?

Bingo! :thup:
 
well that kinda sucks but i guess i'll just plug it to the MB then. As long as i can control all of them at the same time and slow them down if they're too loud that's fine by me
 
well that kinda sucks but i guess i'll just plug it to the MB then. As long as i can control all of them at the same time and slow them down if they're too loud that's fine by me

Yup. Of course you'll be controlling them via BIOS unless your MB manufacturer has a software for control under Windows.
 
You can't take a PWM fan and plug it in a 3 pin or you could damage the fan.
Ahh, yeah you can. That's part of the spec.
It won't damage it.
A PWM fan with nothing connected to the fourth pin behaves externally and functions internally exactly the same as a 3pin fan.

What you shouldn't do is PWM the GND pin on any fan, but that is an entirely different ball of wax.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with plugging PWM fans into 3pin headers.
 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with plugging PWM fans into 3pin headers.

This statement needs a bit of a disclaimer/addendum. There is nothing wrong with plugging PWM fans into 3 pin headers... Provided said headers can handle the power draw on said fans.

Most motherobards' 3 pin headers are capable of handling most fans out there, but there is always that one fan (or quite a few actually) that will melt those headers in a heart beat... I run a Nidec fan that pulls 6 Amps on startup and levels down to 4 Amps when up to speed. Needless to say; that fan is NOT to be plugged into any motherboard header.

PS: Been quite a while! Nice to see some of the old guard is still around. :p
 
I can't say for certain where I remember this information from but I've heard that regulated a PWM via voltage can cause damage. Its highly likely this was being said on behalf of PWM pumps as I mixed the two up but I was just being cautious in general even though as you say, you can power up a PWM fan via 3 pin header but you won't have no control over it as it will run at full blast. Do I at least have this correct?
 
This statement needs a bit of a disclaimer/addendum. There is nothing wrong with plugging PWM fans into 3 pin headers... Provided said headers can handle the power draw on said fans.

Most motherobards' 3 pin headers are capable of handling most fans out there, but there is always that one fan (or quite a few actually) that will melt those headers in a heart beat... I run a Nidec fan that pulls 6 Amps on startup and levels down to 4 Amps when up to speed. Needless to say; that fan is NOT to be plugged into any motherboard header.

PS: Been quite a while! Nice to see some of the old guard is still around. :p

True.
That thing'll chunk 4p headers too though. That's more of a fan problem than a header pin count problem :D





4pin fan on 3pin header that has speed control (which'll be via voltage) will control the 4p fan just fine.
It's 3p fans on 4p PWM-control-only headers that give you no control.

No damage connecting 4p fan to 3p headers.
Potential damage applying PWM signal to ground pin of 3p or 4p fan.
 
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